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They’re a status symbol. It’s the same way that men don’t drink “girly” drinks. Men don’t drive Toyota Corollas. They drive trucks, minimum F-250, even if they

They’re a status symbol. It’s the same way that men don’t drink “girly” drinks. Men don’t drive Toyota Corollas. They drive trucks, minimum F-250, even if they never use the truck bed and actually work from home.

engineer_22 3y ago
That's exactly what it is. Status. Most of the trucks sold to consumers will never see a construction site.
- photonbeam 3y ago
  Hmm some EV manufacturers could start running ads to counter this perception. Make the trucks seem silly
  - engineer_22 3y ago
    Or the opposite, make EVs seem cool :) In my observation and conversations with people, electric vehicles are associated with the brainiacs and luxury brands. There's a large portion of people that identify with the "blue collar" - they don't perceive EVs as aligning with their values. Some taglines from truck manufacturers: "Built Ford tough" "Guts. Glory. Ram." We might suspect that people buy these vehicles as a reflection of their male virtues.
cityofdelusion 3y ago
Disagree, the modern man of 2024 isn’t that masculine, especially in the big cities where you see giant trucks everywhere. A good amount of women and wifes drive these as well. I think the modern truck replaced the station wagon of old as the default family hauler with big sofa like seats. There really isn’t anything else similar to the old comfy wagon, other than the minivan which is seen as uncool and unstylish. Trucks have a cool factor, comfort factor and ride over the dilapidated infrastructure of the modern city with ease.
- olliej 3y ago
  That’s quite a definition of masculine you’ve got there. Trucks don’t have a cool factor unless you already like trucks, normal cars - hell my decade old Prius C - handles “the dilapidated infrastructure of the modern city” with ease as well, and it can park easily as well! I’ve driven plenty of pickups (utes!), SUVs, vans, etc and honestly I find super squishy pickup suspension unpleasant, though in fairness that seems more a matter of US car design in general. A small hatchback is better by pretty much every metric in my experience: you can carry loads of stuff - obviously not as much as a pickup could but I’ve needed that much haulage maybe once or twice times in the last five years - but it can also park easily, costs less to run, and can hold as many people as the majority of trucks. I get that you like trucks, that’s really not a problem - it becomes a problem only if you’re going all in on BS like coal rolling and “masculine” driving - but you need to recognize that the overwhelming majority of the time a truck is not the right choice. As for SUVs as far as I can make out that’s just a combination of all the weaknesses of trucks and cars, with a side note pedestrian carnage.

engineer_22 3y ago

That's exactly what it is. Status. Most of the trucks sold to consumers will never see a construction site.

photonbeam 3y ago
Hmm some EV manufacturers could start running ads to counter this perception. Make the trucks seem silly
- engineer_22 3y ago
  Or the opposite, make EVs seem cool :) In my observation and conversations with people, electric vehicles are associated with the brainiacs and luxury brands. There's a large portion of people that identify with the "blue collar" - they don't perceive EVs as aligning with their values. Some taglines from truck manufacturers: "Built Ford tough" "Guts. Glory. Ram." We might suspect that people buy these vehicles as a reflection of their male virtues.

cityofdelusion 3y ago

Disagree, the modern man of 2024 isn’t that masculine, especially in the big cities where you see giant trucks everywhere. A good amount of women and wifes drive these as well. I think the modern truck replaced the station wagon of old as the default family hauler with big sofa like seats. There really isn’t anything else similar to the old comfy wagon, other than the minivan which is seen as uncool and unstylish. Trucks have a cool factor, comfort factor and ride over the dilapidated infrastructure of the modern city with ease.

olliej 3y ago
That’s quite a definition of masculine you’ve got there. Trucks don’t have a cool factor unless you already like trucks, normal cars - hell my decade old Prius C - handles “the dilapidated infrastructure of the modern city” with ease as well, and it can park easily as well! I’ve driven plenty of pickups (utes!), SUVs, vans, etc and honestly I find super squishy pickup suspension unpleasant, though in fairness that seems more a matter of US car design in general. A small hatchback is better by pretty much every metric in my experience: you can carry loads of stuff - obviously not as much as a pickup could but I’ve needed that much haulage maybe once or twice times in the last five years - but it can also park easily, costs less to run, and can hold as many people as the majority of trucks. I get that you like trucks, that’s really not a problem - it becomes a problem only if you’re going all in on BS like coal rolling and “masculine” driving - but you need to recognize that the overwhelming majority of the time a truck is not the right choice. As for SUVs as far as I can make out that’s just a combination of all the weaknesses of trucks and cars, with a side note pedestrian carnage.