Post #633997

2026-03-13 15:12 UTC

I was doing some research for a video and randomly came across this image from GM, which was on a page to promote the benefits of electric vehicles. This image is obviously photoshopped, but look at this place. It&#39;s prime waterfront land, directly across the river from a city, and it&#39;s being shown as a featureless asphalt surface. Even in their &quot;optimistic&quot; visions of the future, car companies&#39; vision for cities is shit.

Replies (11)

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com 2026-03-13 15:16

The actual location of where this "photo" would've been taken is Windsor, Ontario, Canada, across the river from Detroit (with the headquarters of GM shown in the background): https://maps.app.goo.gl/hYTKmR75WWHg4sto7 Windsor is pretty shitty, because it was also a "motor city", but at least it's not quite as dystopian as GM makes it look in this photoshopped image.

Open ##1238681
@DerGiga@troet.cafe 2026-03-13 15:24

@notjustbikes Post apocalyptic car ads aren't a category, it's THE category. Car ads are often feature a car driving through uninhabited land or even city scapes. Kind of impressive how honest they are.

Open ##1238691
@CheetahObscura@meow.social 2026-03-13 15:25

@notjustbikes Not to mention giant truck, giant truck, giant SUV, giant SUV, whatever the heck the useless looking thing in the middle is... How about nice small cars and a proper minivan? *sighs*

Open ##1238692
@npub147fp2j606qpfysp38phhzvempt7ewsdqwm6uww9uycp6tdvavu0s5paq44@momostr.pink 2026-03-13 15:38

Electric vehicles = "sustaining" innovation, not "disruptive" innovation

Open ##1238693
@gamergull@mstdn.ca 2026-03-13 15:40

@notjustbikes Wow, so bleak and boring. It makes me feel nothing.

Open ##1238694
@houtig@mastodon.nl 2026-03-13 16:20

@notjustbikes car commercials are always out of this world. If you watch a video of them, the streets are always empty. (Almost) No traffic, all the space to enjoy your drive 🚗🛣️ Meanwhile I'm stuck in traffic or dodging fast driving drivers 🙈

Open ##1238706
@bazcook@mas.to 2026-03-13 16:48

@notjustbikes - photo includes the Brightdrop EV van, which GM built in Canada and has since shut down and shuttered the plant.

Open ##1238707
@jfmezei@cosocial.ca 2026-03-13 17:32

@notjustbikes This is good ! Paving areas gives cars more freedom of movement! Remember there is the GM declaration of universal car rights! If cars don't have access to the riverfront in Windsor because them pesky humans planted trees and grass to make a park, it is only normal that cars revendicate their rights to go there too! Treeless paved parking lots don't prevent those ugly bags of mostly water to walk on them, but grass/tree parks do prevent cars from going there. Ashphalt wins 😉

Open ##1238708
@hugooo@mstdn.social 2026-03-14 15:58

@notjustbikes This reminds me of the hilarious Streetcraft video "redesigning Disney for cars". EDIT: here's the video https://youtu.be/CG0qRAOoVgI?si=ixVkuM-jHy6qB5Ox

Open ##1238711
@ahltorp@mastodon.nu 2026-03-14 17:57

@notjustbikes Is that a very tall silo in the background?

Open ##1238712
@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai 2026-03-17 23:05

@notjustbikes Yes, there are many people here who absolutely would say, at the mere suggestion of having that be a neighborhood filled with housing and shops, and people walking about, would mean they were eating berries and living in caves and evil, and forcing people to live in poverty. You should check out Chuck’s latest video of how black wall st not only built itself, but rebuilt itself after a race riot and what finally the neighborhood.

Open ##1238713