[evanevery]

Originally Posted by Aye-eight

Over here, we actually drive our cars.

So, I thought that was an interesting proposition... Not looking for an argument. No preconceptions. Just curious...

Who puts more miles on their cars in a year? Folks from the US or the EU?

EU: 6,721 miles/year
US: 11,244 miles/year

Its rather tough to find specifically comparative data: "Yearly miles driven per vehicle by country", etc... But I did come across these two links which each seem to give some insight to a particular countries driving habits...

The first one discusses average miles by vehicle type in the US (fairly recent): http://www.afdc.energy.gov/data/10309

The second one discusses Nissan Leaf usage vs the average ICE in the EU (also fairly recent):
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015...0109-leaf.html

I'm sure there's some wiggle room in either direction as the data might have been gathered by slightly different criteria, but it looks like folks in the US put close to twice as many miles on their cars each year then those in the EU...

I did find another link which has a more direct and obvious comparison (see the fifth page) but it is from 1994. The comparative values are basically within the same ratio though: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/hs93/Sec7.pdf

So it looks like we actually drive our cars "substantially more"...

Anyway, the real interesting tidbit was folks in the EU with Nissan Leaf EV's actually put MORE miles yearly on their cars than the average ICE owner... (Don't know how that would compare in the U.S.).

[HHBruin]

Originally Posted by evanevery

So it looks like we actually drive our cars "substantially more"...

you need to work on your reading comprehension.

OP was saying that in his country cars arent driven in a straight line 0-60, like in a drag strip race. he was referring to how cars are driven, nothing to do with actual quantity driven.

but with regards to your point, gasoline in the US costs $2.25/gal, give or take. gasoline in the EU costs $1.44/L, or $5.50/gal. that, and high speed rail probably account for the discrepancy.

[MalibuBimmer]

Do Europeans drive their cars substantially harder (faster)?

I have read that in certain Scandinavian countries penal fines are based on a person's net worth, and that for the really rich a speeding ticket can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's dedication!

[evanevery]

Originally Posted by HHBruin

you need to work on your reading comprehension.

OP was saying that in his country cars arent driven in a straight line 0-60, like in a drag strip race. he was referring to how cars are driven, nothing to do with actual quantity driven.

No... I think my reading comprehension was fine... Do you really think that the OP was claiming that all we do with our cars is drag race them? ...multiple thousands of miles each year each car? I don't think so...

Maybe what the OP was trying to say was that HE BELIEVES that in the EU they value the track performance of a car more than drivers here in the US which value drag strip times. Maybe it was more of an issue with presentation than interpretation... maybe?

Anyway, The fact appears to be that US drivers put MANY more miles a year on their cars than their EU counterparts. Take that for what its worth...

...and I do expect that the comparative price of gas has a lot to do with the difference. So, we're in agreement there...

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by evanevery

So, I thought that was an interesting proposition... Not looking for an argument. No preconceptions. Just curious...

Who puts more miles on their cars in a year? Folks from the US or the EU?

EU: 6,721 miles/year
US: 11,244 miles/year

Its rather tough to find specifically comparative data: "Yearly miles driven per vehicle by country", etc... But I did come across these two links which each seem to give some insight to a particular countries driving habits...

The first one discusses average miles by vehicle type in the US (fairly recent): http://www.afdc.energy.gov/data/10309

The second one discusses Nissan Leaf usage vs the average ICE in the EU (also fairly recent):
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015...0109-leaf.html

I'm sure there's some wiggle room in either direction as the data might have been gathered by slightly different criteria, but it looks like folks in the US put close to twice as many miles on their cars each year then those in the EU...

I did find another link which has a more direct and obvious comparison (see the fifth page) but it is from 1994. The comparative values are basically within the same ratio though: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/hs93/Sec7.pdf

So it looks like we actually drive our cars "substantially more"...

Anyway, the real interesting tidbit was folks in the EU with Nissan Leaf EV's actually put MORE miles yearly on their cars than the average ICE owner... (Don't know how that would compare in the U.S.).

"Drive" refers to the conscious activity of telling the car what to do rather than setting it to cruise control for an hour or - worse - having it drive for you. It's not the miles. I can't change the fact that there is more distance between cities (or schools, or restaurants, ...) in the US than in Europe. What I mean is that we (well, some nations more than others) take more of an interest in having an active and versatile driving experience in a car. We expect it to perform in more situations that just a straight-line take-off from standstill.

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

Do Europeans drive their cars substantially harder (faster)?

I have read that in certain Scandinavian countries penal fines are based on a person's net worth, and that for the really rich a speeding ticket can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's dedication!

Depends on the country, of course. Despite the EU, "Europe" is not one nation.

And the Germans are outliers, I admit that. But yes, they drive their cars substantially harder. 100 mph in the left lane of an Autobahn, and you'll be constantly tailgated and flashed at. Many people who drive long distances, me included, will literally drive pedal-to-the-metal whenever traffic permits. Hence 500 miles in four hours. You pick the right time of day, no problem.

And since German-made cars need to also satisfy the home market, you get unparalleled high-speed performance - maybe a few exotics aside. Not just sheer speed. But stability, comfort and handling at those speeds. That's what separates a good car from a wanna-be in my eyes.

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by AndreyATC

Not sure where your figures come from, ...

Tesla website. Check it out.

[IS350]

Hope they can keep weight down, if they add all that power. This car is much heavier than I expected. But, still, a marvel!

[phoenixbmwlife]

Originally Posted by IS350

Hope they can keep weight down, if they add all that power. This car is much heavier than I expected. But, still, a marvel!

Heavier than expected? I'm just curious what you thought the current i8 was going to weigh. 2,990 lbs? For a $150k hybrid car? Take a look at the weight on this list. Most on the list cost 10-20 times more than the i8.

Just for reference:
Porsche 918 curb weight 3,602 to 3,757*lbs
Ferrari La Ferrari curb weight 3,495 lbs
McLaren P1 curb weight 3285 lbs
Tesla Model S curb weight 4,608 to 4,936*lbs
BMW i3 curb weight 2,799 to 3,064*lbs
BMW i8 curb weight 3,455 lbs

All are heavier than the BMW except for the McLaren. I agree with you and share your hope that this 750hp version doesn't weight 2 tons, but compared to the super cars on this list that cost so much more and have so much more technology in them, the current i8's weight is just fine as it is. I'd say it's pretty light considering.

[lanab]

If it's true i will buy one for sure, this is what many people has been waiting for, just keep the i8 design in the new one and it will be a keeper.