Car-moto: our flops of the year 2023!

The year 2023 is coming to an end and with it its share of disappointments, unpleasant surprises and even announcements which ultimately do not live up to expectations. In our flops of the year, we target products, but also trends.

Increasingly pilloried, automobiles and motorcycles are the incessant target of a minority who do everything to strangle individual mobility and travel. Under the guise of ecology, the ideology behind it is above all the desire to smooth travel habits in order to no longer reduce them to what is strictly necessary. A necessity that would go so far as to deprive you of going on vacation with your family by car and that would force you to travel 80 km per day by bike or condemn you to waste 2.5 hours in transport every day to get to work.

However, with a little common sense, respect, listening and good will, yes, it is possible not to take your car for anything and everything, but when you are subject to the injunction and guilt takes precedence over teaching, nothing is going well. So, with a bit of bad faith, we’ll take you through our 2023 flops!

Tesla Cybertruck

To prove to you that we are not so much in bad faith and that when we talk to you about common sense, we can also sweep in front of our door. We start with the unpleasant surprise of the year: the Tesla Cybertruck. But what is this thing? After 4 years of waiting and almost constant teasing, the Cybertruck was finally officially revealed at the end of November.

Its powertrain is available in three versions: rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and Cyberbeast with performances enabling the first to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, the second to complete the exercise in 4, 3 seconds and for the last one in 2.7 seconds. Moreover, in a video, he even beats a Porsche 911 on a drag strip, while towing a 911. Funny.

But unfortunately, none of its performances will be able to make up for its shoebox design and the nonsense of its weight. In its full version, it weighs 2,995 kg and, in its Cyberbeast configuration, it even climbs to 3,104 kg. Without a trailer, it will therefore be possible to drive the Cybertruck with a simple license, since it does not exceed 3,500 kilos. But if you decided to tow (up to almost 5 tonnes in the Cyberbeast version) or to load the skip (1,500 kg), your B license would no longer be enough and you would need a heavy goods vehicle license.

Already its higher than expected price (€60,990 in base price) reduces its customer base, the risk that it is not possible to drive it in France with a single B license risks finishing it off. A lot of noise for nothing ? In any case, we wonder whether the same people who stick a sticker on the back of their Tesla with the words: “I drive electric to save the planet” will dare to do the same with a Cybertruck.

Green policies completely off the mark

Mobility has become the ideal terrain for illogical decisions. A glaring example is the chaotic implementation of Low Emission Mobility Zones (ZFE-m). If the initiative is guided by ecological considerations, it neglects less well-off motorists who cannot afford to purchase vehicles considered environmentally acceptable.

As a reminder, the average age of vehicles in circulation is 10.8 years and 32% of cars belong to Crit’Air categories 3, 4 and 5. By prohibiting access to city centers to the less fortunate, we risks compromising the very essence of living together. This situation could create social tension, which encourages many elected officials to delay the application of ZFEs (as in Bordeaux, Rouen, and probably Marseille).

Instead of simply teaching by explaining that it is preferable to leave your vehicle in the parking lot for a trip to the city center, some authorities prefer to penalize drivers of old cars or diesel even though it is this engine that has been the most sustained over the last 15 years.

In terms of absurdity, Paris City Hall’s decision to triple parking rates for SUVs (for non-residents) due to their non-compliance with current ecological standards is particularly striking. This measure would affect the heaviest vehicles, starting at 1.6 tonnes for thermal and plug-in hybrid models, and 2 tonnes for electric ones.

However, the argument that these vehicles take up more public space is questionable, because not only do they not have a larger footprint than equivalent sedans, but also the increased weight (we’re not talking about here the weight of the electric batteries) of these vehicles is mainly due to the integration of comfort and safety elements increasingly necessary to obtain 5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. And finally, as a reminder again, SUVs which represent 47% of registrations are also popular with families who previously drove minivans. Would we have thought of taxing them before?

Motorcycle technical inspection

The compulsory technical inspection for motorcycles and scooters in France is a measure which was officially announced and published in the Official Bulletin at the end of October 2023. This measure, which will begin gradually from April 2024, concerns motorcycles and scooters put into circulation before on January 1, 2017, with a staggering planned for vehicles registered until the end of 2021.

This measure responds to a European directive and must be implemented in stages so as not to overcrowd the control centers.

However, initially when we read the text published in the BO, numerous inconsistencies exist since it mentions checks on elements such as power steering, windshield wipers, bumpers, door handles, and airbags. These errors raise questions about the rigor with which the text was written.

Furthermore, even though the associations which mobilized in favor of the application of this directive pointed out the high accident rate among motorcyclists, it turns out that in reality only 0.3% of accidents involve poor maintenance. two-wheelers were involved. The implementation of technical inspection therefore has no connection with road safety.

Also, since these same associations questioned the excessive noise of motorcycles, it turns out, according to the own admission of Geoffrey Michalak, deputy general director/CT professions at SGS France, that there is no sound level meter certified for usage in CT for the moment and that the assessment will therefore be made at the discretion of the controller. A vast hoax which will therefore relieve the wallets of motorcyclists, while they are generally the first to follow with the greatest care the maintenance of their mount (since their safety depends on it, etc.).

The penalty on so-called affordable sports cars

Have you dreamed of treating yourself to a Yaris GR, a GR 86 or a Civic Type R, or better yet a small Porsche Cayman? You’ll have to give it up, or be very rich.

From January 1, 2024, the trigger threshold will be set at 118 g/km of CO2 and will range from €50 to €60,000 from 194 CO2/km. In fact, even a Peugeot 208 equipped with the simple 1.2 PureTech of 75 hp or a Dacia Sandero SCe 75 will be impacted. But when it comes to small sports cars that consume no more than a family car when driving quietly, it’s a cold shower: count on a 60,000 euro penalty for the GR86 while its base price is 33,000 €! For the Yaris, same punishment: count on a €35,346 penalty for a price of €37,400. An incredible measure, even though these vehicles represent 0.25% of the market in France and allow not only amateurs, but also professionals to satisfy their passion and their know-how… while knowing, since it is question of ecology, that a GR86 consumes less than most rechargeable hybrids with empty batteries. We can only hope that the future small electric sports cars will do the trick…

Orders for electric cars slow down

While some make fun of the increase in registrations of electric cars, even going so far as to say several times in a row: “ this… (put here the name of the electric car you want) shows once again the superiority of electric over thermal ”, the market reality could be very different. It is obviously not a question here of talking about the efficiency of electric technology compared to thermal technology, but of questioning a market in full restructuring.

Despite continued growth, the electric car market in Europe is experiencing a slowdown, influenced by various economic and political factors. Industry giants like Volkswagen and even Kia are seeing a significant drop in orders.

The electric car market in Europe, although increasing year-on-year, is showing signs of slowing down. According to data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, the market share of electric vehicles decreased from 21% in August to 14.2% in October. This slowdown, although not dramatic, raises questions about the sector’s near-term outlook.

The drop in orders at Volkswagen, which saw a 50% slowdown in orders in Europe, illustrates the current challenges. This decline is attributed to a general market crisis, exacerbated by supply chain issues and economic disruptions. Not to mention the generally very high prices of cars. In Germany, the reduction in subsidies for electric cars has also impacted sales, particularly those aimed at businesses. In France, although the trend is different with strong demand from individuals, orders from manufacturers are also starting to stagnate.

As part of the presentation of the Kia EV9, the boss of Kia France informed us that electric orders were down 30%. Same story with Audi, which is revising its electric ambitions downward: “ Profit margins between internal combustion cars and electric cars are not converging as quickly as we had hoped », explains Gernot Döllner, CEO of the German brand. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve, but it is certain that without a drastic reduction in prices for the end customer, orders will not start to rise again.