Post by sirbenjamin on Sept 9, 2023 19:31:31 GMT
The worst thing about ULEZ is that the cut-off point for meeting Euro4/6 emissions almost exactly coincides with the complete collapse of 'proper' cars in the UK market.
Obviously the peak of motoring was the 1970s and 80s, but even in the next couple of decades most manufacturers offered family and executive cars, and in some cases the best type of car of all, the Grand Tourer/Large Coupe.
The past two decades have seen the market shift to boxy/blobby SUV/crossover type vehicles which I'd hesitate to even call a 'car'. And if I was being cynical, I'd suggest that this was to get drivers and passengers used to a new format capable of storing a big fuck-off battery underneath the chassis. And if I were even more cynical, I'd suggest that ULEZ includes some degree of wilful collusion with the motoring industry who have essentially become anti-car, in the traditional sense.
As an example, Ford ceased production of the Scorpio in 1998, pulling out of the Executive sector. Crown Vic type models were never on sale here. The latest Mondeo isn't going to be marketed in the UK either, so that's the largest three sizes of car all unavailable from arguably the most recognisable marque in the world.)
But what if these changes hadn't happened. What if the UK car market hadn't gone completely cuntshit? Would there be less opposition to ULEZ - presumably at least some of it comes from people not wanting to 'upgrade' to something they consider less good because a newer version simply isn't available and they can't afford the premium prices for BMW, Audi, Jaguar and the few car makers that still actually make real cars for driving on the correct side of the road.
Am I just so out of touch and British people really do want this kind of shit? Is the proportion of people who want a proper car really vastly smaller than in the US or China or Australia?