4 ms·

The main draw for me is the smaller size of this car. I'm not sure why car companies have slowly inflated the size of all vehicles to be extremely large.

Cthulhu_ 5y ago
Well, it's a pick-up truck, it's kind of to be expected that they can carry a lot. There's still plenty of options for compact cars, and if you want to go even smaller, motorcycles. That said, I don't believe there's many small electric cars. Electric motorcycles and bicycles are definitely a thing though.
- mywittyname 5y ago
  > That said, I don't believe there's many small electric cars. Most electric car offerings are small cars. Prior to the current generation of EVs, most manufactures offered "compliance cars" which were EV conversions of whatever the cheapest car the manufacture offered in the USA was. These were sold almost exclusively in California or NY and were sold at a loss. So like, Fiat 500e, Ford Focus EV, Chevy Spark EV, VW eGolf, etc.
- davidw 5y ago
  > they can carry a lot. It's not that. Older pickups that you see on, say, ranches carry plenty, but are not so huge, especially in terms of height, where a small adult barely comes up to the top of the hood if there's even a little bit of a lift. Mr Money Mustache goes into this: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-work-truck-say-about-you/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-wo...
- jnmandal 5y ago
  Yes but an older pickup is much more manageable and carries just as much in the bed. For some reason now they are jacking these up, making them wider and longer for no apparent reason. And honestly they haven't added very much to the beds. For that reason, as I'd mostly just need a utility vehicle and not a daily driver, I'd likely rather convert a salvaged 90s Chevy or Ford than buy a F150 lightning, cybertruck, or rivian. Another option would be a side by side (street legal with some modifications) or a Japanese mini truck. The former is available off the shelf with electric power train. A few use cases I have simply preclude modern pickups. For example, I sometimes need to drive on smaller forest trails which are cut for ATVs. Anything larger than a subcompact SUV can't even navigate these.
Workaccount2 5y ago
I'm guessing your are not from the US?
- jnmandal 5y ago
  I am. I live in Chicago.
mywittyname 5y ago
Safety is one aspect. Pedestrian crash tests require body panels that are a minimum of ~2.5" out from any crash structure in the car. Plus regulations on things like minimum headlight height, etc. The other is that adding size to a vehicle adds very little to the cost to produce a car, but it makes the vehicle so much more functional and appealing to buyers. In most of the USA, vehicle size is not a constraint. So the size of one's vehicle is mostly personal preference. And bigger = more useful.
- jnmandal 5y ago
  Makes a lot of sense. I think most people are just driving their pickups in the suburbs but want to be able to have a cargo bed when they need it. I really need a specific utility vehicle for agroforestry stuff; I'm likely just not in the target market anymore.

Cthulhu_ 5y ago

Well, it's a pick-up truck, it's kind of to be expected that they can carry a lot. There's still plenty of options for compact cars, and if you want to go even smaller, motorcycles. That said, I don't believe there's many small electric cars. Electric motorcycles and bicycles are definitely a thing though.

mywittyname 5y ago
> That said, I don't believe there's many small electric cars. Most electric car offerings are small cars. Prior to the current generation of EVs, most manufactures offered "compliance cars" which were EV conversions of whatever the cheapest car the manufacture offered in the USA was. These were sold almost exclusively in California or NY and were sold at a loss. So like, Fiat 500e, Ford Focus EV, Chevy Spark EV, VW eGolf, etc.
davidw 5y ago
> they can carry a lot. It's not that. Older pickups that you see on, say, ranches carry plenty, but are not so huge, especially in terms of height, where a small adult barely comes up to the top of the hood if there's even a little bit of a lift. Mr Money Mustache goes into this: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-work-truck-say-about-you/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-wo...
jnmandal 5y ago
Yes but an older pickup is much more manageable and carries just as much in the bed. For some reason now they are jacking these up, making them wider and longer for no apparent reason. And honestly they haven't added very much to the beds. For that reason, as I'd mostly just need a utility vehicle and not a daily driver, I'd likely rather convert a salvaged 90s Chevy or Ford than buy a F150 lightning, cybertruck, or rivian. Another option would be a side by side (street legal with some modifications) or a Japanese mini truck. The former is available off the shelf with electric power train. A few use cases I have simply preclude modern pickups. For example, I sometimes need to drive on smaller forest trails which are cut for ATVs. Anything larger than a subcompact SUV can't even navigate these.

Workaccount2 5y ago

I'm guessing your are not from the US?

jnmandal 5y ago
I am. I live in Chicago.

mywittyname 5y ago

Safety is one aspect. Pedestrian crash tests require body panels that are a minimum of ~2.5" out from any crash structure in the car. Plus regulations on things like minimum headlight height, etc. The other is that adding size to a vehicle adds very little to the cost to produce a car, but it makes the vehicle so much more functional and appealing to buyers. In most of the USA, vehicle size is not a constraint. So the size of one's vehicle is mostly personal preference. And bigger = more useful.

jnmandal 5y ago
Makes a lot of sense. I think most people are just driving their pickups in the suburbs but want to be able to have a cargo bed when they need it. I really need a specific utility vehicle for agroforestry stuff; I'm likely just not in the target market anymore.