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Move over, Ford and Chevy: Kei trucks are pulling up as customers opt for smaller, cheaper vehicles (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 5 months ago by Wilshire@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago (2 children)

For a lorry, no. For a private vehicle, yes. Standard driving licenses only allow for up to 3.5t combined permissible weight (that is, vehicle and trailer plus maximum load), 750kg of those for trailer and load. If you want to drive a combination of vehicle and trailer individually up to 3.5t (so total 7t) you need a trailer license, anything above that you need a lorry license with all bells and whistles such as regular medical checkups.

Or, differently put: A standard VW Golf can pull almost thrice as much as most drivers are allowed to pull.

A small load for a private vehicle would be a small empty caravan, or a light trailer with some bikes. A Smart Fourtwo can pull 550kg which will definitely look silly but is otherwise perfectly reasonable, that's enough for both applications.

[–] John_McMurray@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

What a sad country.

[–] John_McMurray@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Also, towing heavy, actually heavy, not 1200 kg, went away in cars about 1990. Emissions regulations, really. 1985 olds, Chrysler, could safely yank around a 4500 kilogram horse trailer. That all went away, now it's cars that could maybe 1000 lbs amd trucks that can pull 5 to 15000 kg loads. Btw, the old auto tow transmissions like the hydromatic 400, didn't have a lock up at all. Jaguar used to buy them.from Chevy for use in the old XJS v12s .