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this post was submitted on 24 May 2026
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Mildly Interesting
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Yes it’s a fun project, but it’s also painful to see how much effort Americans will go through to keep driving something gas-powered.
I guess it’s because America’s addiction to gasoline and the shit they make the rest of the world go through because of that doesn’t make it funny anymore.
But this project isn't an indication of being addicted to gas.
Said addiction is a national issue, not a personal one. No American is like "I haven't burned fuel in 5 days, I have to go on a drive!!!!".
Sure is. It shows the tendency to still keep going with gasoline, but at a lower level when driving a gas-powered car becomes economically infeasible. The guy could have taken a bus or ridden a bicycle instead.
Just because they’re not literally having literal withdrawal symptoms on a personal level doesn’t mean it doesn’t symbolise the nation’s mindset as a whole.
ok, that's like looking at someone who made a model train and you blame them for the industrial revolution
Who said anything about blaming this guy for the entire problem?
I said it was a sign of dependency on oil and cars
That is a sign of a hobby, not an addiction to extracting oil
You’re entitled to your opinion on that
Or someone who makes a small steam engine for fun and blaming them for oppressing India.
Electric is obviously a better way to go, but he used effort and things he already had because he couldn't he couldn't afford to fill up his minivan. I recently was shopping for an EV, looked for used ones online and sorted by price, the cheapest one within 100 miles was over $12k. Even an electric bicycle is a few hundred dollars minimum, and it won't have any more utility than what he built for free. He might be wishing to get away from gas, but just not have a real option.
If I had a choice I would switch. Sadly my reality is I drive what I was lucky enough to fall into, which in this case was a gas vehichle. I didn't get to pick it, i had little money and my cousin was selling it for the same price as the trade in value. That total was probably 50% less than that car would have sold for on the floor. I have lived my life where every car i have ever had was basically hand me downs or good deals because i just don't have the money to invest into a car outside that way. Luckily I do wfh so i don't spend that much on gas anyway.
At most gas prices inspired him to make that, but it isn't like he did that JUST for the gas prices. Look how happy he looks.
I already said it was a fun project. And sure, I guess you could call the fact that he has more trouble filling up his car “inspired”…
But you were wondering about the negative comments. I gave a possible explanation.
Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you, just felt sad and upset on how many comments are so negative. I saw the video and felt his joy, and was a bit jealous, that looks so much fun and fun to build.
Every person who commented something negative or snarky needs more whimsy in their lives.
The guy is a proper hacker in the original meaning of the word of somebody who grabs something and changes it to make it do something else it was never meant to do.
And as any proper hacker knows (and his obviously in the interview he too feels), actually succeeding and ending up with this crazy actually working thing that you invented yourself and nobody else has is immensely pleasurable.
He looks so happy, and with a well deserved and earned smug grinn.
Fell like everyone here who use this as a platform to criticize "things Americans will do instead of [cycling/public transportation/...]" have completely missed the point and are just jealous.
Yeah I drive an old Nissan leaf, I'd love to own a new Leapmotor A10, but it is under tariffs.
Those Chinese cars are so amazing, if it wasn't for US protectionism (free market capitalism my ass) the US car industry would collapse in an instant.
If they built a good car there wouldn't be problems. Our car companies are shrinking because of the tariffs.. Ford Europe isn't going to be a going concern soon more an assembler of Geely vehicles.
When it comes to luxury items let the free market decide, if they are genuinely so bad that they aren't worth their extremely low price let them fail as a product.
Tariffs shouldn't be around to protect consumers from low quality stuff. They should be there for sanctions, or at best (not in favor but at least it makes sense) to protect local jobs, which given how car manufacturers pushed their production overseas, there's no point.