death of regular cab pickups

[Deleted member 371759]

The stone age ended because we found better things to do the job. Not because a giant authoritarian force demanded we build spears from copper. When you need to start forcing ideas with bans and laws the ideas are super crappy.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

What, a 4 foot bed isn't enough? Most trucks drive around hauling nothing but air and generate TONS of carbon dioxide doing it.

No, it isn't. My Ranger has a 5.5' bed and its still challenging. And so what if all you see is empty cargo areas? Are you the green police all of a sudden?

 

[RammerJammer]

I absolutely agree that electric vehicles (pickup trucks for this discussion) do not yet have the range and short refill time that current ICE vehicles have. I want an electric airplane, but it seems that really long extension cords are prohibitively expensive.

But the price of electric vehicles is coming down, the storage capacity of the batteries is increasing, and charge times are decreasing as well.

It won't be "tomorrow", but I am willing to bet that in ten or fifteen years EVs will be everywhere, and people will look at ICE vehicles and say "People actually rode around in THOSE?"

Interesting datapoint - in 2022, wind farms and solar generated more power at lest cost than coal fired power plants - and the gap is widening - so stuff is changing. Two of the top states for wind are California and Texas. I do recall that Texas had some major power problems a short while back, but that was due to mismanagement, not the 16% of their power generated by wind turbines. (It is my understanding that Texas' power grid isn't interconnected with either the eastern US or western US grids, so no "help" could be forthcoming.)

One size doesn't fit all. For my needs, an electric pickup truck would be perfectly suitable (other than the prices). If I had one, and I had a 500 mile round trip in the offing, yes, I'd take a gas powered vehicle. Probably 99% of the driving I do is under 100 miles each way, so I'm OK with electric - but that's ME and MY needs. YMWV. (Your mileage WILL vary!)

Remember also that most people really don't care what makes their vehicle move, gasoline, diesel, pixie dust, they just want to go someplace and come back with the least amount of hassle, and often with the least amount of engagement (which you can see all the time, people yakking away on cell phones while in fast, heavy traffic).

I'm a gearhead, I've owned over 150 cars since I was 16 (I'm 76 now), countless motorcycles, a couple of boats and some airplanes, and fuel and maintenance are part of the price of admission to mobility. Some of those vehicles were great fun, some of them were just unremarkable, boring appliances and about as interesting as a toaster or microwave oven and I couldn't care less about what they ran on (when they ran at all).

EVs are in their adolescence right now. Give them five or ten years and they'll be all growed up and ready for prime time. There will always be things that electricity can't do, and the internal combustion engine is going to be around for a LONG time even after most of the cars and trucks on the road are electric. Airplanes, big ships, some off-road and construction vehicles are going to be ICE powered for a long time.

Remember, the stone age didn't end because we ran out of rocks, we found something better.

If an EV meets YOUR needs and it becomes time to buy a new car or truck, then by all means go EV. If it doesn't, and remember one size does not fit all, then don't.

(Do you think I could convince the local DMV that the huge eight wheel monster is a Kubota? It is orange, right?)


Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

That coal fired versus solar/wind stat is as flawed as the Covid mandate stats were after those, who refused to comply, were fired! It's easy to claim high levels of acceptance/adoption when all of the non-accepters/non-adopters are excluded. Same with coal - Kalifornia has mandated the closure of all coal and NG power plants. Many other states have legislation requiring them to 'be like Mike' - Kalifornia in this case. The EPA, under Biden, is certainly doing its "part." So, yes, coal-fired power is declining but wind/solar are a helluva long way from being dominant! (Not to mention, reliably capable.)

As far as EVs go? Heck yes, there will be lots of 'em. Performance-wise (read: acceleration, independent 4 wheel control, etc.), they are hard to beat. However, pushing them off on people through legislation and executive fiat is not the way to gain acceptance. Coal/steam locomotives gave way to diesel/electric over a long period of time. EVs should be allowed to progress in a similar fashion. That is, when the infrastructure AND the market are ready.

And, of course, fire suppression!

 

[Deleted member 371759]

A lot of us Ozark/southern boys working those Mahindras. Git-R-done boys.

 

[Jstpssng]

A lot of us Ozark/southern boys working those Mahindras. Git-R-done boys.

Too bad they aren't considered street legal. That would be a great hunting rig to take in places which only allow street legal vehicles.

 

[Deleted member 371759]

Too bad they aren't considered street legal. That would be a great hunting rig to take in places which only allow street legal vehicles.

I was referring to the profile and the tractors listed. But yes those Roxors are pretty cool. Look easy to work on too.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was referring to the profile and the tractors listed. But yes those Roxors are pretty cool. Look easy to work on too.

I see. It's rather common for certain areas to favor one brand. I've always assumed it's because somebody buys a product and has good luck with it, so other people follow his lead because they know it works.

 

[not2old]

I would say that is possible in certain situations. I had a 2016 F-350 crew cab 4x4 6.7L diesel for awhile, and it could get about 24mpg on a 100 mile round trip route I frequently drive. The Gladiator might get 23. The difference is that the Jeep does do better in all city driving. I think the main thing is that the big diesels don't work as hard once rolling because they have so much torque, but they do have to work getting that much weight moving from a stop each time. My old 2005 F-350 dually with the 6.0L definitely does worse on fuel...maybe 17mpg on that same trip.

My brother told me he gets better mileage in his duramax than his late model Buick 3.6 so he uses it as a daily driver and always leaves the Buick at home.

 

[JasperFrank]

Take the back seat out of a 1993 Ford Festiva and you have a serious pick up truck.

 

[Deleted member 371759]

My brother told me he gets better mileage in his duramax than his late model Buick 3.6 so he uses it as a daily driver and always leaves the Buick at home.

Don't let him fool you. He likes doing 4x4 boosted launches with his 50% over injectors and 200hp tune. J/K Dirtymax is a fine engine that will sip fuel if you keep your foot out of it.