The problem is significantly less exacerbated than the writers believe it to be.
For several decades now we have seen trucks and SUVs overtake car sales in the US market. Many of those weigh close to a Tesla.
The Ford F150 has been the best selling vehicle in the US for a while.
As examples. These are the weights listed on many of the sources I could locate.
5,390 lbs – Model X Plaid 5,185 lbs – Model X Long Range 4,766 lbs – Model S Plaid 4,561 lbs – Model S Long Range 4,416 lbs – Model Y Long Range/Performance 4,065 lbs – Model 3 Long Range/Performance 3,582 lbs – Model 3 Standard Range Plus 2,723 lbs Gen. 1 Tesla Roadster
Top selling cars in the US for 2023. The F150 took top spot yet again. (750K) Ford, says this truck weighs anywhere from 4021 in smallest lightest config... to 5740 for the heaviest version (the raptor), with the most common models around 4500 pounds.
The Electric F150 Lightning comes in at 6500... (still lighter than the Rams)
Chevy Silverado (555K) / GMC Sierra (296K) (95%+ component match, just split across interior features) - if combined out sold the F150 by 100K units. The smallest lightest version comes in at 4430 with the heavier versions topping 5500...
The Tahoe / Suburban is worse... - but not top 10 seller.
The Ram 1500 series comes in at number 3 (445K). Ram lists weight range as 6010 - 7100.
The Tesla model Y made the top 10 spot last year. It sold 404K units.
By Comparison. The top 3 (Combining GMC and Chevy again), sold 2M units...
The problem he spends so much time writing about. Isn't the problem he thinks it may be.
We (the US public) purchase far more, far heavier vehicles than these electric cars, parking and driving them in the exact same spaces.
My Toyota half ton. The door sticker says 7100.
Great comment. Although when I pull into a parking garage it isn't full of F-150s, so idk...
I found the thing about bridges and other highway structures needing to be rebuilt a little odd since these areas accommodate semi-truck traffic which is obviously bigger and heavier than any passenger vehicle on the road.
It wasn't meant to make you think the parking lot was only F150s or others.
It was to dispute the point the author was making. The # of "heavy" battery cars, are an issue that we were already facing due to the weight of our best selling vehicles already. Their intent of using battery cars as the catalyst for destruction of the roads in disingenuous.
I am and am not a fan of the electric car all at once.
I am a fan in that IF you can get one with a bunch of life cheaply, than you can make out like a bandit. Let those other idiots buy them off the lots, and eat the depreciation.
I paid 8k for a used fiat electric in 19, when my worked changed to an office downtown. That tiny electric shit box, goes for 70-90 miles and dies. That is far enough to go work and home, with a stop on the way to grab groceries or something. It saves me tons of mileage on other vehicles. Last year I put 7K miles on it, and only 4 on my truck. I've been doing the same 7 or 8k per year on it, since i bought it. Which has cut 7-8K worth of gasoline and maintenance on my ICE vehicles.
So for 8K I found an amazing deal. Those are few, and very far between. Miraculously, most of the big car places still offer 5K on that car. I am seriously considering selling. It is almost time for battery death from years.
Would I own an electric car as my only transport? Absolutely not. Would I buy a brand new electric car? Absolutely not. Would I after inspecting battery life buy one that was a really good deal to replace the one I tear up now when it dies? Depends on the cost, versus battery life, versus ICE costs, at that time. Mostly leaning towards no unless its an amazing deal like I got before. Which are mostly gone.
Can they be useful? Absolutely in niche scenarios. Like my driving in the HOV lane to and from work or quick errands.
Should they be pushed by gov or anything else? Absolutely not. They are not really ready to compete with ICE. Until we solve for battery replacement costs.
Your toyota, pretty sure that's the Gvwr which is different than the actual curb weight.
Yes it is. But you also have to consider it. thats the weight the truck can carry around normally without a trailer or anything else, and after everything else is loaded into it including fluids and driver. Its own weight is about 1500 less since that is my payload.
So still 5600 roughly.
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