Because of that cowboy delusion of being able to just ride (drive) off into the sunset is still a part of the cultural identity. You are correct, that consumer wise, this would be a very efficent and ideal product for commuters. The range would get you from Boston to Heartford, or Chicago to Milwaukee, to and from any suburb to the nearest major airport, but you could not just… GO. (Far off with John Denver playing on the radio)
Or, ya know, not everyone lives on the east coast in the most densely populated area of the country? How about the 50% of the country where its an hour drive between cities? I live in Oregon and am constantly driving more than 100 miles out of town to have fun with friends. Day trips are a common thing in the US, and I’m not buying a separate car just to drive to Medford from Weed.
Even when I lived in Portland or Seattle, I still drove like 2 hours out a few times a month to hang with friends or visit family. The US is huge dude, the whole country of Ireland is like the size of Oregon. When visiting family in Kansas, Colorado, Texas, or just most of the country, the distances get way WAY bigger for just daily living.
[EDIT: I stand corrected, the state of Oregon is twice the size of Ireland]
Because of that cowboy delusion of being able to just ride (drive) off into the sunset is still a part of the cultural identity. You are correct, that consumer wise, this would be a very efficent and ideal product for commuters. The range would get you from Boston to Heartford, or Chicago to Milwaukee, to and from any suburb to the nearest major airport, but you could not just… GO. (Far off with John Denver playing on the radio)
Or, ya know, not everyone lives on the east coast in the most densely populated area of the country? How about the 50% of the country where its an hour drive between cities? I live in Oregon and am constantly driving more than 100 miles out of town to have fun with friends. Day trips are a common thing in the US, and I’m not buying a separate car just to drive to Medford from Weed.
Even when I lived in Portland or Seattle, I still drove like 2 hours out a few times a month to hang with friends or visit family. The US is huge dude, the whole country of Ireland is like the size of Oregon. When visiting family in Kansas, Colorado, Texas, or just most of the country, the distances get way WAY bigger for just daily living.
[EDIT: I stand corrected, the state of Oregon is twice the size of Ireland]