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A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

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Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#231

Post by Copernicron »

alephnerd wrote: post #36
kstrauser wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All true but totally irrelevant. I wouldn't get this to make a cross-country trip, but I would absolutely, 100% get this to have an errand vehicle that never leaves the metro area.

> All true but totally irrelevant Not really. The average pickup truck purchaser's has a household income of around $110,000 and 75% live outside cities [0]. When they are purchasing a pickup, it is meant to be both a daily driver and an errand vehicle. Not have 4 seats AND having a lower range makes it a niche vehicle from a consumer sales perspective. This is most likely being targeted at fleets, which tend to have…

> Not have 4 seats AND having a lower range makes it a niche vehicle from a consumer sales perspective.

The base model only has two seats. The article explicitly states there will be an SUV conversion kit that you can purchase and install at home. There will also be an extended battery available. It's a very customizable vehicle.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#232

Post by rockostrich »

nrmitchi wrote: post #230

I see this and I don't see it as an every day, driving-on-my-commute style vehicle. As someone who (previously) drove a 2014 honda civic, cheaper cars leave a lot of comfort for longer drives. I can't imagine this barebones vehicle being fun to drive for any extended period of time, or any extended distance, unless you'd spent considerable time customizing it to those needs (at which point, you've probably spent more…

> I do see this being great for short utility trips (think running errands, picking something up, etc), and as a utility vehicle (would be nice to be able to have an 8ft bed).

Japan and the rest of the world figured this out decades ago. They're called kei trucks. You can buy pre-2000 imported ones in the US from like $5-15k depending on the miles/condition/year/transmission. I have a 1990 Suzuki Carry that is solely used for trips to Home Depot and picking up random furniture from FB Marketplace that I got for $6k.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#233

Post by kcb »

danans wrote: post #207
shayway wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not being built-in is significant. Infotainment systems tend to get outdated, and are also a common point of failure that can be expensive to fix, so not having the tablet hardwired in allows for people to choose their own setup and is also more future-proof.

> Infotainment systems tend to get outdated, and are also a common point of failure that can be expensive to fix Android Auto and CarPlay solve that problem for navigation/communication/entertainment. The automakers aren't going to provide an open API to the vehicle control systems, for both competitive and safety reasons. What would be nice is the old fashioned DIN interface, where you could install an aftermarket A…

> Android Auto and CarPlay solve that problem for navigation/communication/entertainment.

I can definitely see a day where Apple or Google decide to discontinue support on vehicles older than 201x that lack some new hardware specification.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#234

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

Suppafly wrote: post #160
cityofdelusion wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. The U.S. market had a very long run of both large expensive and small cheap pickup trucks, and people consistently have bought the big luxury pickups. It is why all the small trucks were axed to begin with. Even back in their prime, I saw many more F-150s than Rangers. Its an easy up-sell as I'm sure any car salesman will say: well for only a few more thousand you get into a full-size, and from there, add som…

>Even back in their prime, I saw many more F-150s than Rangers. I think you're misremembering. The streets were flooded with Rangers and S10s back in the day. Full sized pickups have been the most popular class of vehicle for decades but that number is grossly inflated by the amount that are bought as fleet vehicles or work vehicles.

It doesn't matter why the number is inflated. If full sized trucks are most popular, then that's what you'll see more of. In any case, there are many people for whom a full-size pickup is their daily driver and not used for work. HN is constantly complaining about it, just not today apparently.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#235

Post by hedgehog »

quantified wrote: post #150
hedgehog wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Maverick apparently has poor build quality but I'm hoping Toyota comes up with a pickup using the same small footprint + bare bones + hybrid drivetrain formula.

I read that as comparing it to one of Ford's cheap cars from the 70's. Which would be a low bar to meet.

I just mean poor vs trucks from Honda or Toyota. I don't know if there's anything from a US brand that has comparable build quality and engineering these days.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#236

Post by kcb »

alephnerd wrote: post #7

It has a base range of 150 miles [0], which won't resolve range anxiety worries as the average American travels 42 miles a day [1] and only has 2 seats. I think it will do well for hobbyists and EV enthusiasts, but it would be hard to compete with a slightly pricier Tacoma. When people buy a pickup truck, they often use it as a daily commuter as well. > Got a road trip planned? These trips are all doable on a single…

New Tacoma's are like $40k for a pretty basic model these days.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#238

Post by eweise »

taylodl wrote: post #43

I LOVE it! THIS is the kind of truck I'd be looking at to replace my 1998 Ford Ranger. Here is what could be potential deal-breakers: - Lack of a mobile app. Minimalist design is great, but I still want an app to manage charging and be alerted to any vehicle issues. - Lack of good charge management and battery conditioning. Either that, or a cheap and easy to replace battery pack. I'd really like both! - Comparable h…

Same. Only thing missing for me is is a gas engine and manual stick shifter.

Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

#240

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

seanalltogether wrote: post #196
yboris wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't it significantly increase the cost (think wiring, motor, assembly, etc) to have "power windows"?

That's why I'm wondering if locks are manual as well. If there's no wiring at all going into the doors then presumably the doors will be cheap. But if they have power going in for locks already, power windows shouldn't be a costly addon.

I think automatic door locks are a US requirement for crash safety.
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