I have an interesting analogy that's even better than automobiles. Clothing. Mass produced clothing. Kids pajamas federally required to be fireproof, no problemo. Almost everyone in the entire country wears mass produced clothing. Yet there's incredible variation in style. I don't have to wear a skirt, but my wife can if she wants. I can wear a sweater on a cold day while people on Florida beaches are nude or close to. Yet its all successfully mass produced.
I was going to use industrially produced food as an analogy although maybe that's not seen as a winner. But its not out of business, which is something, I guess.
I think the premise is sound, but also basically where we are today. With the clothing analogy you buy the individual items (or not) and put together the outfit of your choosing.
As it stands I can pick one of a dizzying array of products that adhere to all kinds of regulation across many jurisdictions.
However, where it begins to be problematic is if we (returning back to clothing) say ALL belts must be 4" wide and made of genuine leather. Well, now that coat you wear that has a belt around the waist that is purely decorative is completely out of regulation and can't be used. Even though you and I both know it's just fine. Or the swimsuit that ties around the side gets classified as a belt because of some inane interpretation. You'll get that times a thousand for every single room in the house.
Like the argument I had to have with the plumbing inspector about my ridiculously expensive dishwasher not needing a breather valve because it had mitigating features built in. Showed him the spec sheet that called it out and pulled up customer support with him there. In the end? The rules say breather valve, put one in. No common sense or room for interpretation. The intent is to keep dirty water from back flowing into your dishwasher. But now years later you have minions that don't understand the intent, they just know what the regs say.
I was going to use industrially produced food as an analogy although maybe that's not seen as a winner. But its not out of business, which is something, I guess.