Oh sure, but look at the vast popularity of these monstrosities that never even see gravel. I get how you (and I) find that abhorrent, but there's clearly LOTS of folks that find a blinged out useless luxury pretend truck to be very attractive.

I was in the market for a pickup recently. I had wanted to like the Cybertruck, but ... too damn ugly, too version 0.3, too many dweebs driving them, too many teething issues even for a first cut. Plus it's as heavy as an F-250. There's almost no actual reason to grab one besides it being electric. Since I drive so little, I'd never pay back the embedded energy it takes to make the thing - so even that isn't a selling point.

So instead I got a used Tacoma, and disappeared into the ocean of Tacomas that exist here in the PNW. It could be worse :)

▲ bluGill 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Trucks don't have to see gravel to be working trucks.

If you use a truck for work purposes once a year it is likely cheaper to just drive a truck for everything than have a second car. Don't say rent a truck is an option - you probably can't rent a truck for most work purposes - most rentals have fine print against that, even if you can find a place to rent a truck the cost quickly gets to more than just owning your own truck.

▲ alwa 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Are you in the US? Most Home Depot locations will rent you one of several sizes of work truck for as low as $20 for a quick there-and-back of 75 minutes, or ~$100-200 for a day. I understand Lowe’s to do something similar. U-Haul does trucks.

And if your needs are more ambitious, there’s Sunbelt Rentals through much of the country and Enterprise’s Trucks arm as opposed to their more consumer-familiar operation.

If I’m using it once a year, I’ll splurge for a bigass 1 ton 4x4 which Enterprise Trucks is currently listing for $139 a day including 150 miles… and in 100 years, have spent the $13,900 difference between a dweeby little smarte car and owning my own pickup

Not that there’s the least thing wrong with just preferring to own one, just options that I wish I’d known about earlier in life.

	▲	bluGill an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Have you read the contract with Home Depot? You can't use their trucks for anything other than hauling your purchased from Home Depot home. I haven't see the contract with enterprise trucks, but I suspect it is similarity restricted against the type of damage this is normal from using a truck for work. You can at least tow a trailer with them. Their locations are not convenient for me either.

▲ b40d-48b2-979e 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

    even if you can find a place to rent a truck the cost quickly gets to more than
    just owning your own truck.

What? I regularly rent a Lowe's truck when I need one (tends to be every year or two) to move mulch, furniture, whatever. I don't understand this take.

	▲	bluGill an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I have not read the contract with Lowe's - but I know home depot's contract states that you can only use the truck to take things you by at Home Depot home. If there is an accident you could be in big legal trouble with your rental use (so long as there isn't one they might not care)

▲ kevinpet 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's a lot cheaper to rent a trailer.

▲ pixl97 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I hope someone fully capitalizes on what Edison is trying to do up in Canada.

That is a fully electric drive train hybrid. That way you can charge it at home and charge it with a generator under use. Problem is our current laws are making certifications a mess.

▲ nospice 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Oh sure, but look at the vast popularity of these monstrosities that never even see gravel.

Normal-sized pickups aren't meant for offroading.