Banning the

[weroll]

In the Netherlands, a new trend is surfacing; Banning SUV's (including the XC90). In the press there is a lot of coverage on those gas guzzling, unsafe environmental unfriendly vehicles. Not based on facts but purely perception and emotions.

One city (Nijmegen) is planning to ban all SUV's from the city center. Problem; how to define a SUV? It 's a car wider then 1.85 meter. Problem; this would even forbid a V70 to drive into the city!!! Can you imagine traffic officers walking around with measure sticks?

Also cities like London & Paris are trying to ban SUV's.

Does anyone have similar examples?

[Botanique]

This is political pandering at it's best.

If size is the issue, then ban all the trucks from the city centres - you know, those delivery trucks that double park during morning rush hour to make deliveries.

SUV's are targeted because they are perceived as a visible expression of an upper income minority which therefore makes them a popular target.

If the concern was truly environmental then based on CO2 gr/km the Volvo XC90 D5 (with 219 gr/km), would get past anything made by Porsche, an Audi A4 Avant (211 gr/km), an Audi A6 (229 gr/km) a Renault Espace (a pretty big vehicle itself - not counting the "Grande Espace" at 292 gr/km), or the BMW series 7 (227 gr/km).

If the concern is fuel efficiency, then the XC90 beats them all in combined average (with the exception of the A4).

Size as an issue just does not hold water. If the intention is to ban only private vehicles wider than 1,85m then consumers will just get around it by licensing their vehicles as commercial - just as the Danes do when they take out the back seat of a Porsche Cayenne to get it registed with yellow plates and thus avoid the 185% road tax.

[weroll]

Botanique

I couln't have word it better!

The XC90 even scores better in the NCAP Pedestrian rating then most of the vehicles you mention!

Let's enjoy our ride while we can!

[Big]

This subject was discussed in this thread. (http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4759) SUVs as a group--noting that the category overlaps many vehicle types--have disadvantages beyond fuel consumption and pollution. They take up more precious urban space than smaller cars and require bigger parking spaces and wider streets. They are tall which makes it hard for other cars and pedestrians to see around them (many pedestrian fatalities are caused by one vehicle screening another). Their weight tends to make them more difficult to stop, and their high front ends cause more damage to pedestrians and smaller cars. In the U.S. they also avoid some of the safety, fuel average, pollution standards and taxes required of other cars. Although the XC90 answers many of these concerns it is still an SUV designed for the U.S. market. I can certainly understand why European cities might frown on them.

BTW, we really liked The Netherlands. The city planning there has a lot to recommend it (we visited several cities, talked to officials and residents, and just hung out).

[weroll]

Big

As a tourist you probably see these 'nice dutch towns' more as a tourist attraction than a comfortable place to live. They are cramped!
I like your infrastructure much more.

[Big]

Big

As a tourist you probably see these 'nice dutch towns' more as a tourist attraction than a comfortable place to live. They are cramped!
I like your infrastructure much more.
And it's not just the cities that are cramped; you have the smallest restrooms I have ever seen and you are not small people! ;)

The land there was hard won and extremely valuable so it is understandable that people may be emotional about it. Part of your national transportation strategy is based on the fact that you can lose it all if the ocean levels rise from global warming. Land can be valuable in the U.S., too, but our priorities are different. There are countless examples of us abandoning downtowns and moving development out to where land is "cheap."

We visited some Dutch towns but mostly stayed in the cities: Groningen, Utrecht, Haarlem and Vlissingen. I looked through one eye as a tourist but the other as a transportation planner. Groningen had banned all private automobiles from the city center by vote of the people. We stayed in a hotel that could be reached only by walking, bicycle or taxi; it was wonderful! (well, except for the nearby street musician who sang House of the Rising Sun--badly--all night long!). That was a few years ago and I would love to go back if I could stand the plane ride from the U.S.

Getting off-topic so I'll shut up. Our XC90 takes us many cool places but it was refreshing to go to a country where a person can live very well without a car. I can't criticize a culture that values bicycles, flowers, licorice and cats! ;) If you find yourself in Oregon someday, send me a message and we can continue the conversation over a beer. Regards.

[DocVijay]

Yet another reason I'm glad to live in the US of A. And I was born in Norway and have travelled to many places in this world. I'll have to say that driving here is easier than just about anywhere else.

I think that many places dislike SUV's as they remind peple of the glorious excess of gluttonous Americans.

[weroll]

Big

Thanks for your invitation. About the beer......is that a Bud or a Heineken?????

[Big]

Thanks for your invitation. About the beer......is that a Bud or a Heineken?????
Cascade Lakes (http://www.cascadelakes.com/) or several other small breweries I could recommend. The Northwest is renowned for its beer. http://idisk.mac.com/main_street/Public/drinking.gif