Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Strictly Surveying › Elon may have missed the point
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Yes, the unibody/joined bed and cab is something that polarizes many truck owners. I see both sides of the argument. That being said, worldwide, it is not always a big issue. Many people who buy trucks (or their equivalent) have no concerns about being able to haul an 8’x8’x8′ cube of cinder blocks in their truck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ute_(vehicle)
Many utes over the years have had the box and cab joined.
I’m more interested in the towing capacity of the Model Y. It seats 7, but its towing capacity has never been spec’d. If it can tow >5000lbs I know what will replace our Dodge Grand Caravan when it dies.
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I found some answers from this video and it isn’t good. Tesla Model X towing They found towing with a Model X that it consumed 3.37 times more energy with a trailer than without. Fine print, unladen horse trailer 4460lb, Model X 5400lb, 65.2 mile loop. Because of “range anxiety” they did not do the entire loop done in same conditions, so, I picked an area of the loop that they did in the same conditions.
So my diesel is roughly 1.76 times (significant figures be damned) energy usage to tow a 5000lb trailer with a 5825 tow vehicle and the Tesla was 3.37 with a slightly lighter trailer. The Treg (VW Touareg 5.0 V10 diesel) doesn’t significantly out weigh the Tesla to slant this very far either. I am frankly, a little surprised that towing with the Model X is that significantly different. Maybe there is a reason that you don’t see the EV manufacturers really talking about towing, can’t wait as these trucks come closer to market.
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Just saw this, Raptor compared to Cyber truck. Lots of assumptions, but note the investment Ford has made in Rivian.
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Trucks are a tool for work. They are used to transport tools and equipment to and fro job sites.
If one is just using the truck for commuting only, where is the tool? In the driver’s seat! /s
In all seriousness, I commute in a Jeep Grand Cherokee because the weather in the North East is bad in the winter. The GC is a great vehicle in the snow and on the ice if properly driven. I can’t afford a beater for the warmer months so I’m stuck mall crawling in an off road-ish vehicle.
My major gripe with two and three ton trucks on the road is that some of the people that drive them are type A asshats that think they can do 85 MPH and push you out of the way with HD LED bulbs and illegal light bars for the sole purpose of letting you know they are behind you. Piss them off enough and they pass on the shoulder or on the right to cut you off. If they are driving a diesel, pray you have your recycle setting engaged on your HVAC system.
I may invest in a dash cam for the sole purpose of reporting reckless driving.
rant off
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Posted by: @thebionicman
What you can drag does not equate to what you can control.
And it should be able to far out-drag an F150. The electric motors probably have a LOT of stall torque. The conventional truck would have to rev up and spin the tires, losing traction.
A long time ago I heard a story about a tractor pulling contest guy who took on an antique steam tractor with much smaller horsepower, drawbar to drawbar. Starting torque again. The hot rod spun and dug in the dirt, starting to move forward. Then the steamer opened the valve and slowly chugged away with him.
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@brian-allen
Exactly. Plenty of vehicles being produced these days that can carry a bed full of flat stakes or some rebar so if you’re strictly surveying then sure go with something more economical. But there’s times where you need a heavy duty 1 ton pickup be it for work or for other reasons. I’ll keep my F350 6.7L Powerstroke for when I’m hauling a CAT 299XHP skid steer with a mulching head & a lighter weight gas pickup or electric vehicle just won’t get it moved safely/efficiently. Sure the electric cars might be all the rage & electric motors have that instant torque curve (if it’s programmed to hit instantly) but I know that a diesel engine is tried & true. Plus I can fuel up just about anywhere (there’s nowhere around here that you can find a charging station) or I can carry a smaller sized transfer tank in the bed & not have to worry about having a CDL for hazmat purposes
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Some of Ford’s electric choices are…………interesting.
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Indeed. And they’re not alone. It will be interesting to see the number of advanced orders the mach-e generates.
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