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1. Embed this notice
   clacke (clacke@libranet.de)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:02:31 JST clacke

   It's amazing how many people out there pretend that they believe that Tesla is the only EV, or the best one, or the best value for money, or the best EV for the environment, and that boycotting Tesla would be some kind of hypocrisy if you believe in humanity's objective not to destroy our habitat.

   In the US market, two Tesla models are the most popular EV models and Tesla is the most popular EV brand, but that is true pretty much only in the US.

   The most popular EV brand in the world is BYD. Here in HK they start from 209 000 HKD, that's about 27 000 USD, but it's a middle-class executive car, it's not the cheapest or most cost-efficient EV.

   If you're in India, you can buy a Tata EV for 2 lakh. That's 200 000 INR ≈ 2 300 USD. Yes, two thousand. Now, I don't know what it would take to bring a Tata up to US code, but of those 40 000 USD in difference between the Tata and the starting price (before federal subsidies) for a Tesla, I doubt all of it is safety features.

   • Embed this notice
     clacke (clacke@libranet.de)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:13:43 JST clacke

     in reply to

     The difference between the *price* of a Tesla, 42 000 USD, and the *price difference* between a Tesla and a Tata, 39 700 USD, is pretty much a rounding error.

     No, wait, they call them "2 lakh EVs" because they cost under 2 lakh. You can get a Tata for 1 lakh = 100 000 INR ≈ 1 100 USD.

   • Embed this notice
     clacke (clacke@libranet.de)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:24:54 JST clacke

     in reply to

     • M. Grégoire

     @mpjgregoire I don't drive cars or ride cars much, but when we visited folks in Guangzhou last time, they insisted on driving us to the train station, so I've been riding a BYD once, for half an hour.

     It feels like riding a Volkswagen or a Saab, just a normal car, nice seats, good road comfort. Nothing to remark on.

   • Embed this notice
     M. Grégoire (mpjgregoire@cosocial.ca)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:24:55 JST M. Grégoire

     in reply to

     @clacke How are BYD EVs as cars? Are they well-made, safe, comfortable, pleasant to drive?

     We don't have any around here.

   • Embed this notice
     Fish of Rage (sun@shitposter.world)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:46:46 JST Fish of Rage

     in reply to
     @clacke you could never get a tata imported into the usa and registered for road use. a lot of places can't even register kei trucks
     clacke likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     clacke (clacke@libranet.de)'s status on Saturday, 22-Mar-2025 20:46:47 JST clacke

     in reply to

     On the US market, the Nissan Leaf starts at just below 30 kUSD before subsidies. Is that the cheapest there is?

     There are still diesels for 10 kUSD, right? When will EVs come down to those prices?

   • Embed this notice
     Mike (mikefromlfe@cupoftea.social)'s status on Monday, 24-Mar-2025 23:32:54 JST Mike

     in reply to

     @clacke In the UK the cheapest practical electric car is the Dacia Spring at about £15000 - a cheaper BYD car is in the pipeline.
     There are cheaper electric cars but they tend to be speed limited, and/or two seater.
     The cheapest ICE car in the UK isn't much cheaper! It's the Dacia Sandrero at about £14500.

     clacke likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     valhalla (valhalla@social.gl-como.it)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Mar-2025 23:48:38 JST valhalla

     in reply to

     @clacke OTOH, here in Italy they sell electrical things that are legally a small motorbike but have 4 wheels (and a steering wheel) rather than a car, and they cost something like 6k - 8k EUR (compared to 2k - 4k for the petrol version): I wonder whether those are a better comparison for the Tata EV

     (they are still significantly more expensive, but less so than a fancy car like the Tesla used to be)

     clacke likes this.