Pretending you can logically deduce what the market most desires based on facts about their lives is a theory that is really far out there
1. Do you have any memory of when SUVs went mainstream? Who'd have thought single women would want to pay the vehicle and fuel premium to commute so inefficiently. Of course men as well.
2. Americans are addicted to options that remove limitations out of anxiety over those limitations, even when the extra cost is very low ROI. Look at data plan, buffet, etc. preferences
You know what's extremely cheap to manufacture? A larger fuel tank. How many mainstream passenger cars are being sold with a >80L (>20 gal) fuel tank because prospective car buyers "are addicted to options that remove limitations out of anxiety"?
Americans are addicted to features, lifestyle and luxury (actual or perceived).
> You know what's extremely cheap to manufacture? A larger fuel tank. How many mainstream passenger cars are being sold with a >80L (>20 gal) fuel tank because prospective car buyers "are addicted to options that remove limitations out of anxiety"?
It takes mere minutes to refill a tank, and there are gas stations everywhere throughout the country. It's quick, and incredibly easy. Far faster than EVs, and far more common that EV charging stations.
As a result, there's really no value in tanks that are that much larger, there's no range anxiety because even going long distance cross-country you're never that far away from a place to refuel.
These mythical Toyota batteries can supposedly run 10 minute stops every 700 miles. That's already way beyond what any normal person could handle.
I'm comfortable doing long distances in one day and even I would be taking 20+ minute breaks every 300km (200mi) or so. The current state-of-the-art long range EVs are plenty good enough with range and charging speeds, assuming a reliable charging network.
There is value. One of my cars has a 20 gallon tank and it's nice to go a few extra days without refueling for regular commuting/around town driving, or having the option to go an extra couple of hundred miles on the highway on longer trips.
Additonal 10 gallons of fuel is a rounding error to a typical car mass, its effect on fuel efficiency is not detectable without precise lab equipment. Certainly you're not going to notice that when paying for gas.
Well, I dunno if you've ever driven a performance car say around 420hp but having one extra passenger is absolutely noticable and undesirable, it really slows you down. 4 passengers in the car and it's no longer a fun drive. Not a rounding error as you can directly feel it.
I expect dragging around 120 lbs extra fuel for 100k miles does become noticable on the bank book, you'd be surprised.
1. Do you have any memory of when SUVs went mainstream? Who'd have thought single women would want to pay the vehicle and fuel premium to commute so inefficiently. Of course men as well.
2. Americans are addicted to options that remove limitations out of anxiety over those limitations, even when the extra cost is very low ROI. Look at data plan, buffet, etc. preferences