Treehugger - Latest Comments in Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Gino — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:14:07 -0000

A $2500 to $3000 electric car could sell millions.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

adasm08 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:01:59 -0000

Her mechanic would have spotted an oil leak the minute he had the car up on the rack. As disheartening as this story is, there is a valuable lesson to be learned here.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Solcar — Sun, 23 May 2010 17:53:12 -0000

That's a pretty dogmatic never.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:32:36 -0000

You advise someone else to get off the internet because it burns resources and yet you're still here. Why don't all you eco weenies follow your own advice and just withdraw from civilization completely if you're really serious about saving the world? Better yet, how about a mass suicide pact? You'd reduce your carbon footprint to zero and the rest of us wouldn't have to hear you whining anymore. As far as I'm concerned, if you're really concerned about saving the earth and you don't kill yourself, you're just being selfish.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:28:32 -0000

Isn't going to happen. In the parts of the world where this car would sell, people still have large families. Where do you put the kids in one of these?

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:25:37 -0000

Ummm...public transportation is not affordable. First of all, there's the price you pay every day to actually use it and then there's the additional taxes you pay for state and federal government subsidies to keep the fares low. A lot of people forget about the subsidies and only figure the fares into their cost calculation. You pay that whether you realize it or not. If public transportation were to go away and people didn't have pay taxes to support it, it would be cheaper to own a car.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:20:11 -0000

And do you really think the people who own those older, polluting cars are going to trade them in for one of these? People buy older cars because they NEED a bigger car than they could afford new. A family with several children who needs a big car won't be buying one of these.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:18:07 -0000

Hopefully, never. Would you want your spouse or child driving a car that is not much heavier than a big motorcycle and can't get out of it's own way in traffic?

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:17:02 -0000

And your cheap electric car draws it's power from a dirty coal or oil fired power plant, I'd wager. So how are you doing anything to save the environment? I've done a cost comparison from my power company and to change to 100% renewable power would cause my electric bill to skyrocket. Now that cap and trade is going to be taken up by the Senate, it would go up even more. You'll be regretting having a pure electric as your only vehicle soon.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:13:16 -0000

How does there suddenly being potentially a billion new drivers in the world help the environment? Whether the cars are fuel efficient or not, all those additional drivers on the roads who couldn't afford a car before are going to have a negative impact.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:10:10 -0000

Actually, I kinda like the idea of some dumb ass treehuggers getting killed while merging onto the freeway when they try to jump out in front of an 18 wheeler doing 70. Some of them want to take the whole enviro thing to such extremes that civilization would have to be rolled back a thousand years and billions of people would have to die to make them happy. There's things we can do, yes, but not at such an extreme cost.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:06:22 -0000

It isn't existing drivers that people are worried about, it's people who have never owned a car before who will become new drivers because of a cheap car being available. Do you think those people will want to stay with their cheap piece of crap? Heck no. Once they get a taste of driving and are able to go farther than just the other side of the village, they'll be wanting bigger, faster cars with more utility and less fuel economy just like everyone else in the world.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:03:09 -0000

The words "$3000 car" and hybrid are incompatible with one another. Hybrid technology costs money. There will never be a $3000 hybrid in our lifetimes. The cost of hybridizing a car are more than that.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Joe — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:01:13 -0000

So how does the production of a car that will make more non-drivers into drivers have anything to do with being green? We should be wanting less cars on the roads of the world, not more.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

solcar — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:39:23 -0000

I love the idea of a $3000 car. It should be a hybrid with a relatively tiny gas engine, about 3 horsepower. A battery would be mainly for emergency acceleration. This car can be much more ecological than anything used now. Everyone in the world should live a comfortably advanced life with a car, even though it is unfortunate that we've let the population get tragically high. --Joe M

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

cars under 1000 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:52:14 -0000

Aren't there cars in India being made for around this price, I think the quality standards would still be high enough just don't expect too much.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Clayton — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:31:47 -0000

Guys do not believe everything you read

I have just had the "pleasure" of looking over one of these cars first hand.

For starters the TaTa will not go anywhere near 80 MPH, it could not do that going down a steep hill. The top speed it can do according to the company is 63 MPH (targeted at the average European speed limit of 100 KPH) but what they don't tell you is most models can not achieve that speed. The one I saw could but it took it around 20 seconds to get to that speed on level ground. For those who have ever driven a 60's model VW buss, this care is much, much slower.

The other thing that stood out to me was the MPG claim. The company itself now admit that it will only get about 55 MPG compared to the first claims.

Bottom line. Yes its a cheap car and many will buy them but its cheap for a very good reason.

I would not risk my daughters life in one, she would be safer on a motor cycle.

Secondly, the build quality is horrible. You can push on the pillar between the windows and the entire car moves from side to side. I suppose that is ok but the troubling thing is you can actually see the flex in the body near the bottom of the sheet metal. That is pretty scary if you ask me. Sturdy is most definitely not a word that should ever be used to describe this car.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Computer Repair — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:11:47 -0000

33 horsepower? I can't imagine how it could haul 4 adults and do 60mph! ... maybe downhill? lol

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:59:05 -0000

To all you who think, that putting new affordable gas saving cars on the road is stupid, think about this. Alot of people who already drive gas guzzlers because there paid for want a new gas saving car but cant afford one. Plus, there are many people who have no choice but to comute to work every day and there is no bus, train, or taxi to take them. I think about the negative effects on the environment, but what can you do when you cant afford a hybrid, but need your job.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Rachael M — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:55:17 -0000

Forget it folks! The Compressed air car was suppose to be here six years ago! India is buying more of them then they are making of these! U.S won't allow it! Big Oil has always run the US and will always continue to run it! Even as it runs the Big Three Automakers into the ground for being so loyal to Big Oil! Even Obama hasn't gone after them when everybody but Big Oil is losing money! Even when the Government has to bail everybody but Big Oil out! You could build the cheapest most greenest car and they won't let you sell it! Forget it folks! You should know better by now!

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

LAFrame — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:36:12 -0000

if they would make an all electric model, (even if its top speed was only around 50mph) I would go buy one right away.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Uncle B — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:11:02 -0000

My 1980's VW Rabbit diesel had 41 hp. check the specs for yourself. I got over 300,000 miles on it with only normal repairs, traded it, met the guy who bought it a few years later, he did a lot of body and suspension work on it but the powertrain was still producing well, and he pushed it another 200,000 miles I know about. If we build them better they last long and I always got over 40mpg with it. Annual model changes are just a way to hide design centers of about three years, and to keep you on the hook! North American manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves! The sales departments are running their businesses, the engineers might as well go home! They cannot even produce a good diesel! Pathetic assholes will get what's coming to them! Toyota is already #1 that must smart!

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Matthew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:05:34 -0000

Thats great a 33hp car that will get you dumbass tree huggers killed when you try to merge on the interstate doing 30 because it has absolutely no power i will run your disposable piece of shit over with my big ass diesel truck that has over 300 hp. their are plenty of cars on the road that get great gas mileage and u can buy motorcycles that all get over 50 miles to the gallon. If you want gas mileage get a honda civic quit wasting money on stupid shit like biodiesel which causes more problems for diesel motors than anything in the world. have a nice day.

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Matthew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:05:00 -0000

Re: Under \$3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars

Tom — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:13:44 -0000

Fuel Economy, Price & Environment. There is a mix available with some imagination and non interference by people with money to stymie the efforts. Electric is not the answer. Fuel Cost is less but more polutants in production of the electricity and disposal of the batteries. Electric Cost is more considering maintenance & up keep. Most bio fuels cause more polution than they resolve because of original prodution methods. In nearly all cases being presented today, one problem is being covered up by creating another that presently isn't obviously seen. The jump start take off people want...... you're going to loose it people, get used to it!! The cost of US Autos is not because of the workers wages as presented, it is because of greed and sloppy management at the upper levels. All big corporations for the most part work just like our US Federal Government........ a big sluggish walerus, consuming proits with little return. You want an economical auto...... using today's standards, try using the fly wheel method with a set governer on the motor and try out using the benefits of magnets that have a built in power supply that doesn't polute.