EU cave in on vehicle trade rules will cost European lives

>rapid rise in monster US pick-up trucks on Europe’s roads is set to accelerate after the EU-US trade pact

I hope the EU resists this, as a bicycle commuter those monster trucks causes mayhem here in the US. Maybe the EU or Countries can levy a special tax on them when registered. Something like 1000 USD per year. The good thing is gas is very expensive there compared to here, so maybe their sales will be very low.

But how would the fit on the roads I have seen there ? Will they be banned from driving on those roads ?

The article doesn't say where in the EU these cars are being sold (or will be sold). I've seen the odd one in and around the French city where I live and while my first reaction is "that's a big car" my second reflection is usually around parking and driving that car in the village I live in (too big to be comfortable on the narrow roads, too large to maneuver easily in the city).

I'm surprised by this, as Belgium changed its tax policy towards these vehicles. It used to be that you could register as a commercial hauler, ergo a lot less tax. Put in an LPG in the back and it's cheap to drive.

Lower costs made this interesting, as now you can have a vehicle that can do it all, at lower cost.

That tax benefit disappeared in the last 3 years ago, making these vehicle taxable like normal road vehicles, unless you actually have a company (which isn't as easy to get as registering an LLC): https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-b...

Can’t say I’m excited about this. Large is fine, as is small but this will result in a mix. Then you get stupid shit like a trucks lights being at eye level for smaller cars.

Also not convinced the road infrastructure is side for this. Parking spaces etc

I see a few of these here in the greater Stockholm area.

I believe most are bought by tradespeople - they need the power to haul stuff and can expense the fuel costs to a degree.

Most trades drive panel vans though, which seem to be much more favorable from a raw weight to cargo capacity deal.

As a cyclist living in an old european city, this is my nightmare. I fear this will kill me one day, if not through physical force, through air pollution.

There will be no rapid raise of anything - Driving license of B group (personal cars) is limited to 3500kg car, if you are driving anything heavier you need to have driving license of C group (Goods vans) which costs additional time and money.

Furthermore you can't really park these cars in the city. Too big.

Another thing that these cars are gas guzzlers price in EU for a gallon of gasoline is around 7 USD

So it is a nothingburger, few poseurs will buy it, and that will be it.

The EU missed a generational chance to ditch the faltering US and realign with a rising China. As a result, Europeans will be worse off - including by having American trucks rampage in our cities.

I wonder if they will even sell. You may change the regulation but surely the economics of fuel consumption and insurance will be awful. Not to mention, good luck parking it at any old European town, or even a modern shopping centre.

Crushing people with over regulation costs lives too. It's just much quieter and harder to measure.

The cars sell because that's what the customer wants (as opposite of what EU wants customers to buy/rent/share). There's not a single ordinary brand new car sold in EU that I'm interested to buy if I could afford. Cars used to be fun until 2010-2015 something (when instruments were still tactile and less "automatical" features were obligatory) - I do not want to pay for e-call, automatic lane assistant and so on. Might pay for rear camera and parking sensors though.