Home layout design is the art of arranging rooms and spaces in a way that allows for comfortable movement and navigation. To solve irregular layouts, it is essential to consider traffic flow, functional zones, versatility, and scale. Key elements of a floor plan include room sizes, wall placements, and how spaces connect to each other.
To avoid common home layout mistakes, divide your home into public and private zones and create a neutral transition area between these two zones. Consider the interior layout on your building site when choosing floor plans, as many lots may not be suitable for the home.
An awkward living room layout can be challenging but can also add charm and quirkiness to your space. Focus on the positives and create a living room that ticks all of your boxes. Kelsey shares 13 common home layout mistakes she always notices, from furniture sizing to lighting placement.
To fix a bad floor plan, consider altering the existing floor plan to create better flow and functionality. Wall up the old door, add a window there into new hall space, or even expand the bathroom. One technique suggested by Jay is to fix up a part of the plan and price it as an option, which soon will become the standard.
To get obvious illogical work flow fixed, start the mirror command in a sketch and use the default selected button, select. Here are five of the biggest culprits guilty of making your home dysfunctional, along with tips for turning the tables.
📹 Why I think it is illogical to purchase an electric truck
*My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):* 12V/48V Lithium Solar Batteries: …
What is the perfect home layout?
To avoid morning bathroom lines, choose a house layout with an adequate number of bathrooms, with one bathroom for every two bedrooms. For frequent entertainers, choose a layout with a full or half-guest bathroom near the living area, with the guest bathroom downstairs in homes with multiple floors. Master bathrooms should have their own vanities for easy preparation.
Open floor plans are ideal for families with young children, as they allow babies to play in their playpen while dinner is prepared, and older children to sit at the kitchen island for homework assistance. These layouts bring the family together and ensure a comfortable living environment.
Is $100,000 enough to renovate a house?
The average cost of gut and remodeling a house is $100, 000-$200, 000, with prices per square foot ranging from $60-$150. This includes new plumbing, appliances, structural improvements, a new roof, and HVAC. Interior demolition costs between $1, 000- $5, 000, with costs ranging from $2-$10 per square foot. A bedroom renovation costs $20, 000, including labor, materials, inspections, and construction.
The average cost for a bedroom renovation is between $4, 000-$40, 000, with an average estimate of $100 per square foot. The total cost of a house renovation depends on the square footage and the specific needs of the project.
What is a bad house layout?
A bad layout can be difficult to correct without significant changes to the house, and it can make it more challenging to sell. Bad layouts include a staircase facing the door, adjoining bedrooms, and no views from one room to another. Some consider this design to be bad feng shui, as it may allow a home’s energy to escape. However, proponents argue that this design depends on each individual’s birth element and doesn’t affect everyone with the same intensity. Generally, a stairway immediately upon entering a home can be confrontational and off-putting to some people. Visually pleasing stairways are wide, well lit, and off to the side.
How much does it cost to change the layout of a house?
The average cost of remodeling a home and adjusting its floor plan is $200-$700 per square foot. The cost varies depending on the complexity of demolition work and the quality of upgrades. For a floor plan remodel, the cost includes obtaining permits, removing non-load bearing walls, rerouting electrical/plumbing, demolition and removal of existing kitchen materials, and finishing costs/Adding upgraded materials. The total range is large due to the complexity of demolition work and upgrades.
Is 50K enough to renovate a house?
A home makeover can be completed with a budget of $50K, and there are various ideas to consider, from small updates to more substantial projects. Choosing the right contractor is crucial for a successful renovation. Offcut Interiors, a leading contractor in King County, WA, can help maximize your budget and provide cost-effective solutions for a great makeover. Their top-tier designs and excellent customer service make them a great choice for upgrades or alterations, with no limits to creativity.
Who owns the rights to house plans?
Home plans on this website are copyrighted by Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. and/or Donald A. Gardner, Inc. The purchase of a Review set does not grant a license to build the house, but rather for review and quote purposes. PDF construction sets provide a limited license to use the plans for one house, while AutoCAD files allow for unlimited building times. All plan purchases grant additional permission to print or photocopy construction documents. Federal copyright laws protect the intellectual property of architects and home designers by preventing anyone from reproducing or reusing the plans without written permission.
It is illegal to copy designs or floor plans from any publication, electronic media, or existing home. It is a common misunderstanding that it is permissible to copy, adapt, or change a floor plan or design found in any media. If a particular plan or existing home is desired, plans must be purchased from an authorized source.
A PDF Review Set is a review set only and is marked “Not for Construction”. A construction package must be purchased to receive the license to build the home.
How to reconfigure house layout?
In order to optimize an existing house design, it is recommended to consider rearranging rooms and spaces within the property’s walls. This may entail eliminating internal walls in exchange for a level change, as well as assessing circulation patterns, relocating stairs, and adjusting to underfloor heating.
How do I optimize my house layout?
To optimize your home’s design, consider the circulation of your home and consider how you will move around and between each room. Add sliding doors for flexibility and modular furniture to rearrange your living room for better circulation. Upcycle vintage furniture to conserve the environment and create a cool, eclectic decor. Find vintage dressers, tables, or chests of drawers and repaint or renovate them to complement your home’s style. Mixing styles within your home can create a cool, eclectic decor.
Make use of every available space, such as the attic, staircase, or basement, and furnish it as a storage space, rumpus room, den, or home gym. Add appropriate shelving, seating, and lighting to make the space functional and personalize your interiors. Mixing styles within your home can take your home design to the next level. By incorporating these ideas, you can personalize your interiors and take your home design to the next level.
Can you modify house plans?
Modifying a home plan offers numerous options to create a unique and personalized design. With over 1, 000 different portfolio house plans available on the website, users can search and compare plans based on various desires. Once they have chosen their ideal plan, they can submit a modification request. A consultation fee of $49 is required for an estimate, which is credited towards the total cost of the modifications. The team calculates the cost of all requested changes, with each change priced separately.
This allows users to decide whether to proceed with all modifications or select the ones that are most important to them and fit their budget. The fee is credited towards the final modification payment.
What does a bad house foundation look like?
A good foundation is crucial for a home’s stability and safety. It is the base of the entire structure and is the most important aspect of the building. Without a strong foundation, a home is susceptible to water intrusion, pests, plumbing issues, and cosmetic damage. Early detection of these issues can prevent costly repairs, with the average foundation repair costing around $4, 984. If hydraulic piers are required, the cost can be $10, 000 or more. A structural engineer can help identify if the foundation is compromised and provide an honest evaluation. After reviewing their findings, you can contact foundation repair specialists.
What are the symptoms of a bad layout?
The presence of poor layout symptoms can be observed in a number of ways. These include the inefficient use of space, the presence of lengthy material flow lines, congestion, the accumulation of large work-in-progress items, the occurrence of lengthy production cycles, the prevalence of accidents, the challenge of maintaining effective supervision, and the occurrence of product spillage during handling.
📹 5 Logic Pro Default Settings That Are ILLOGICAL, Do This Instead! Beginner Friendly Tutorial.
“Why can’t I hear myself in Logic Pro?” “Why do Software Instrument Tracks include two reverbs and an electric piano?” Fixes and …
Something else I dislike about the current assortment of electric trucks is that the charging network for them is just plain awful. This is why I sold my Taycan. They advertise 350kW charging, but every 3rd party EV charger in Vegas was giving me 50-120kW, or the stall was taken, or the credit card reader/app did not want to work. I once drove that car from Vegas to Los Angeles, and it required a lot of effort to find a charger that was not broken or even available. As much as I bash on Tesla vehicles (I had a front motor failure in my plaid after 2 days and 3 broken door handles on that car. And numerous other issues), they are by far the best electric vehicle around. And this is in large part due to their reliable charging infrastructure. I cannot even consider the other EV’s for this reason. Until they have chargers for these non Tesla vehicles, I do not see them as a viable option for long distance travel. If you do not believe me, rent a Taycan and drive a few states over, and you will know exactly what I mean. And you guys know why I dislike the cybertruck from my recent article. I did drive a ford lightning a few days ago, and it handled well! I was quite impressed at the performance and build quality. But it simply is not practical at this time. If they have EV chargers that allow you to pull a trailer through, and fast chargers everywhere, I might consider it an option for those who can afford it. And yes, these trucks are $100K or more: cars.com/shopping/truck/electric/ I am not counting preorder prices.
“A truck is meant to be beaten up” thank you, this is perfect. I see so many trucks driving around that look like they’ve never even seen the bottom of a road ditch. I don’t think you’re making generalizations at all. Don’t get me started on those stupid folding tailgates too. I need to tow cords of wood for a side business my son is doing and figured EV wouldn’t handle this. I do hope EV trucks happen someday but probably not any time soon that it’ll be practical for an actual working truck. Thanks for all your content.
Totally agree with the first statement, towing is very bad for EV trucks. On the next point, it depends on the use case for the driver. I’ve only ever owned trucks and I have only towed a trailer maybe 2 times in 25+ years. The main reason I use trucks is the high clearance and the bed. I do wood working and need to transport sheets of plywood and lumber. I will take a little hit on range but I’m just going to the local lumber store that’s less than 25 miles. So no problem. I also need need the bed for work sometimes. I’m a hardware engineer and sometimes I need to transport large tools that will not fit into cars.
Most of the points you bring up apply not just to electric trucks, not just electric vehicles, but all new vehicles. So many people I know but a truck because “I’ve always had one” even though they don’t utilize it fully. Also, a lot of people rationalize buying a brand new 40k vehicle because they’re afraid of a possible $1000 repair bill.
6 MPG in an F250, towing for weekend camping trips, is brutal. Right now electric trucks are expensive but so are regular trucks and cars. Even with 1/2 the range in an electric truck while towing, the cost for refueling is less. Especially if you can fill up at home before your trip and at home after your trip. Any truck with less than 500 miles range will perform poorly when towing.
Totally agree. I will consider an elec. truck when it can perform as well as my current, paid for, gas truck in the way I use it, as a truck is intended. I actually use my truck for carrying, hauling and towing. I can get 572 miles range from a single tank, 442 pulling my boat and 390 pulling my toy hauler/enclosed trailer. Best of all, I can pull into any of the 115k gas stations in the US and get 100% range in 12 minutes including getting snacks and bathroom stop. Not going to happen with any of the EVs available today.
I’d be more interested in a turbo-DIESEL hybrid, not a gasoline powered one. Diesels are most efficient at a constant speed, that’s why big gensets and long haul trains are turbo diesel “hybrids”. . I agree 100% with your comment about the majority of those preordering the Cyber-Truck and the other pure EV P’ups. 90% of them have probably never been off a paved roadway
I always appreciate your point of view Will but I think the Cyber Truck may work out for me. I too have a lot of experience with cars and trucks. I currently drive a 2007 Dodge Ram with a 5.7 liter Hemi. Its has 200k miles on it. My wife and I renovate and flip houses in our spare time so I use my truck as a truck all the time. Not a week goes by without pulling some kind of trailer. That includes: Jet ski, horse, utility, sail boat and camper trailers. That said, most of my trips are under 50 miles and I can charge the truck off my home solar on days that I am home all day. I have a Cyber Truck on order but I will admit that if it comes in over $60k (likely will be higher) then I will probably pass. Utility aside, there is definitely a big “cool” factor to consider. It would be a lot of fun just tooling around it doing the regular trips. Thanks!
As a contractor, I can see a truck like the Lighting to be amazing. Our construction sites are always close to the shop and range would never be a problem. But one of the best feature on the Lightning is the onboard inverter. We often don’t have access to the grid on the job site and when we do, we often need a long extension cord. The longer the cord is, harder it gets to run high power tools like an air compressor.
My understanding of most plug-in hybrids is that the harmonic “synergy” drive mechanism that makes them efficient is extremely torque limited; most trucks are large displacement engines with high torque output for towing/hauling, while hybrids are usually the smallest engine that will push the aerodynamic car down the road at cruising speeds, because they can make up for anemic torque with the electric motor during the relatively short acceleration phases. Basically, they are diametrically opposed design goals.
Thankyou, great points. Totally agree with your comments on hybrid versions, that would allow utes/trucks (australian) to be used for multiple purposes including towing and preferably full electric small daily commutes. Its a needed step until battery tech and charging infrastructure has matured. The downside of a hybrid version for me is that its probably more expensive up front and you lose the benefits of lower maintenance costs associated with full electric. Seems like manufacturers are getting ahead of themselves on this one (going straight to full electric) which will inevitably result in a lot of negative customer experiences. Awesome website 👍
Will, it makes absolutely no sense for you to own a Lamborghini. A 20 year old Honda Civic could take you any place you need to go. I can’t imagine the insurance cost!! The maintenance would be ridiculous! I would be afraid to park it downtown or anywhere for that matter. I would never leave it in the sun especially in Arizona! If you hit a dog it would probably total the car. You could probably buy three Cybertrucks for the price of one Lambo. The Cybertruck would have virtually no maintenance, you could charge it for free with all of your solar, it would carry probably 100 times more then the Lambo, you could leave it in the sun all day, no problem taking it shopping, it would drive great in the desert, and it would probably be faster than the Lambo. I think you should get one and dump the Lambo! It’s a no brainer.
I think you are spot on, and you didn’t even cover any of the environmental impact aspects. The amount of energy that is required to move one of these heavy vehicles (even before towing) is really significant in comparison to small electric cars or bikes. The raw material to build lithium batteries is not infinite and we’re still to perfect a clean recycling process for them when they reach EOL. I’m 100% onboard the plug in hybrid truck though!
I agree with you and still want one, my reason is #1 tax right off, and I can use it for work carrying light stuff and making my 120 to 200 mile loop for my accounts (septic Maintenance) On a separate subject, why are they not building covered charging stations to stay dry while charging at high voltage
I love my lightning. When it comes down to towing. It’s about the aerodynamics. I watched these youtube articles of them putting massive campers on them and going 100 miles. If you were pulling them around all the time, you would be into the heavy duties. I have a extreme popup (offroad tires). My average at 70mph is 2.0 kwh. With the camper 1.7kwh. Show up at the campsite run the camper all night and drive home. I purchased an actual 120v air compressor that I carry around. So far, I fixed and aired a couple tires with it (1 of my own). I have taken my on rock roads, to the grocery store, road tripped ( 500+ miles in a day) with it. I am not saying they are perfect. I am not saying they don’t have limitations. But if you view it as only a vehicle, you are selling the idea of some of these a bit short. It’s why I bought my lightning. It can power my house if I need it. Ask Texas if that would be handy in a pinch. My biggest complaint isn’t the truck, it’s the charging network. It’s pretty limited. I still keep my 2016 F150 for my really long road trips because the charging does add time. And there are times where I want to cover 1000+ miles a day. Also, my 2022 Lightning is $7 a month cheaper on insurance compared to my 2016. It’s because it has so much more safety tech in it.
Spot-on article Will. I had planned to buy an F150 Lightning Pro to haul my truck camper. It was supposed to be around $40,000. When I finally got the invitation to order they wanted $74,000+ as the Pro was no longer available. I’ll keep my 2019 F150. Exactly what you said Will, I can buy a ton of gas with the $34,000 difference. Instead, I own a Bolt EUV for my daily commuter. And I charge it with solar, so my commute is damn near free.
Yes we love our PHEV. We alway pug it in so it runs as an EV around town. But if we go on a trip it’s just so easy. Even though bigger it’s more than twice as economical as the previous ICE car. It’s charged at home by our home solar so running costs are almost non existent. Totally agree Will that a PHEV truck would be awesome.
I believe there are PHEV trucks such as the Ford 150 but it more expensive for minimal mpg improvement. The industry seems to hesitate to go from ICE to PHEV probably because of warranty and many more components to manage in a warranty. The trend is rather to go from ICE to BEV which you would expect cheaper to build with fewer parts and more expensive. There are a few PHEV trucks from China such as the RADAR Rd6 which is a smaller 2 or 4WD but not yet available in the US. There is also the the Canoo which is built in the US that I believe is plug in as well. It is a modular design that is cheaper than the big 3 BEV trucks but just as capable. There is also the popular small Ford Maverick HEV with plug in capabilities projected in the future.
Will, You have a lot of good points for cases that don’t make sense to buy an electric truck, but there also are many cases that do make sense. You mentioned the Tesla Semi as a logical purchase. I agree and I would add the Ford Transit Electric as a good choice for many businesses. As for your target audience of regular individuals, the Ford F-150 Lightning is available for the same money or less than many gas and diesel F-150 versions. While you can spend over $100k on several electric pickups, the Lightning Pro is still under $50k after Ford’s recent price increase. Like electric cars, electric pickups are smooth, quiet, and powerful. They cost less to fuel and maintain, and they also are more capable tow vehicles than gas and diesel trucks for short range trips. As you point out, gas or diesel is way better for long range towing than electric, but IMO electric trucks do make a lot of sense for people that don’t tow on long trips. As for your suggestion for PHEV trucks, I think that is a great idea for long distance towing, and also have smooth, quiet, powerful electric driving around town.
Completely agree on all of your points. Currently have a lifted/built tundra for off-road, a commuter gas Yaris, and a maxed out genesis G70 3.3T for sport. However, looking at the electric hummer, it does all three of those purposes. Cheap electricity for commuting, 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, and I can build it out for being an off roader. That’s where I think it starts to make sense.
I think current electric trucks serve the purpose of the 2008 Roadster. Expensive toys not practical for most. But let those willing to shell out the cash find the problems to fix in later models (and give time to build real pull through chargers). I’m a used truck on Craigslist guy myself, and for what I do, this limited range isn’t an issue. But for me to buy a used one to beat up, someone’s gotta buy it new first 😜
Thank you Will. I have a motorhome on a 450 chassis with the v10. It is great for distance and going up hills. But going down grades sends the rpms through the roof before there is enough engine breaking. Also owning a plug-in Ford C-Max I can see how well electric breaking could greatly help the RV. Electric breaking does not seem to be on anybody’s radar.
I’m replacing my Suburban and a PU with Cybertruck. The motorized bed cover allows it to be both. Assuming long skinny battery pack, and strong exoskeleton, pack is less likely to be damaged than a sedans. No fragile paint, steel panels can be simply patched and welded (cheaper repair than the fragile surface of a sedan). Patch wont be invisible, just adds to truck cred. It is true I will have to disconnect to charge if I am towing, but rear view camera makes that easy and quick (and I don’t tow very often) That rare inconvenience is more than compensated by inexpensive and convenient overnight charging replacing my weekly $100 plus gas fill-ups of my suburban.
Nice article and I agree. I am always towing a trailer of some kind, camper, boat, tractor on the trailer, etc… The range is terrible enough you may even have issues getting to a charging station. My sister and her husband have a F150 Lightning and thought it would be cool to take it to FL on vacation from MA. It added about 2 days to their travel time due to all the charging stops they had to make, and they were not even towing. Something that has gained in popularity here in Oklahoma and Texas is propane or natural gas conversions. If you are a “green” person they do make more sense than gasoline and actually are much cheaper per mile to run. One of the nice things about them is that they are dual fuel so if you run out of LPG or NG you can switch to the gasoline tank and continue on. We have a pretty well established filling station system in our region as well. Keep on putting out these articles, you have helped me out a lot learning about solar and other related cool stuff. Take care. Scott
I’d love a PHEV Truck! I don’t get why they don’t exist either, it would make complete sense for the typical truck consumer. Even the design of the transmissions on the hybrid Ford and Toyota trucks seem counter intuitive. Why not just upsize the eCVT designs? Fewer moving parts and they’d be indestructible! Thanks for the articles!
Counter point: the f150 lightning base model has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, and it can be had for as cheap as $54k listed in my area – there’s no reason to option any truck up to $100k, and most ICE trucks being sold are already terrible at long-distance towing. If you want a Toyota Tacoma which can tow that much, you’ll have to step up to the TRD sport trim with the v6 and the auto transmission for about $38,500 at 19/24 MPG. The interior is 10 years old at this point, and the dealership will mark that up $10k probably. The tundra with 4WD starts at $40k at 17/22 MPG The Nissan Frontier in 4WD is $34k and gets 17/22 MPG But with 2x the torque, the lightning will do a much better job pulling a boat than any of those, despite how trendy the taco is. I do all the truck stuff you mention, but I pull a trailer for more than 300 miles at a time maybe once every 3 years. Most of my truck-necessary drives are 20 miles to the fire roads and then 10 miles on rutted crushed rock roads into the mountains, and back. Or 15 miles to the duck blind with my hunting gear and back. I wonder: on very slow speed trails where the fuel economy of an ICE is terrible, could an electric truck actually have more range? Just a thought. Long-distance towing is very low on my list of priorities, and I think that’s true even of traditional truck owners – even if they don’t want to admit they haven’t towed over 100 miles in a day in years.
My family and I are living out of an RV for the moment…pulling to vegas in a few days, actually. I have done a lot of research on this, and yes, the numbers are disappointing, but if a cybertruck (or any EV truck) could get 500 miles range, it would start to make sense for me and my family, that is if it has six seats so we can all fit. This would probably get between 200 and 250 miles pulling our RV in various conditions. FYI our 29ft RV is set up with 1500 watts solar on the roof and 395 watts I direct toward the sun. 8Kwh of lifepo4. We are sustainable, including electric heating and cooling, most of the time.
My personal experience differs. I absolutely love my Rivian R1T! I’ve had it about 3 months now and I have zero regrets about trading in my 4Runner for it. I only tow locally and my R1T has twice the towing capacity of my 4Runner. Almost all brand new new trucks are expensive so I’m not sure the cost is relevant, especially when you factor in gas savings. My R1T is by far the best vehicle I’ve ever owned!
I have to say, I’ve never even thought about a plug-in hybrid. You’re right, it would solve a lot of problems. The thing is that new trucks aren’t cheap, and there’s plenty of ICE trucks comparably priced. I think there’s a market for people that don’t normally use trailers, and can afford them. Such as contractors, and various other trades. Of course we all know that they are primarily for professionals that are compensating, and it’s perfect for them.
I agree with a lot of what was said, but I’m surprised you didn’t talk about the F150 powerboost truck. Not a plug in hybrid but probably the closest thing out there… more gas truck than electric. I am actually considering this as my next (and 3rd F150) as I agree Lightening is too much money and it limited to lame looks (no FX4/Tremor, no trucky offroad style /functionality). Personally I find the Toyota RAV4 Prime interesting, but would prefer a higher trim spec or Lexus doing a Prime version of the RX maybe. I do like Rivian but don’t trust a brand name so new with no dealerships just yet – and it costs quite a bit. Perhaps Ford will make an electric Ranger so compete vs. Rivian in time at lower cost. It will be an interesting few years for electrics.
Agree on all points with the caveat that it doesn’t make sense for “most” people. I’m definitely an outlier though in many respects in life. I’ve put about 5,000 miles on my Rivian R1T so far and use it for work stuff, going out shooting in the desert with my friends and going up north to my off-grid cabin where I installed a charger. Perfect for my needs, but not for most. Also, I still have my gas Tundra which I use to tow my travel trailer and boondock. Your point on a hybrid truck makes perfect sense, not sure why the manufacturers wouldn’t see the mass appeal in that.
Agree 100%. In order to have real electric vehicle adoption on a wide scale, the vehicles have perform as good or better than what they have today for roughly the same price. Electric trucks simply aren’t there yet. I would also argue that cars aren’t quite there either, though they are getting closer to the mark in some aspects.
I run a 12V 800A bank in my RV, which can take up to 2 days to recharge on 2 good sun days, and run my office, fridge, AC/Heater indefinitely, and generate enough photons to put together 3 meals a day as long as I get half the week with decent sun. When I found out the F150 Lightning would drain them dry on a typical 30 mile round trip commute to work (not towing anything), I realized the tech isn’t there yet.
I honestly agree with your points, but I think you’re also describing most of the people who already drive light duty ICE trucks. In general, most are driving them to Costco, work, and doing very minimal towing (if at all). They’re also already buying things they can’t afford. That’s nothing new! I think the reason manufacturers aren’t planning plug-in hybrid trucks is the cost to manufacture and the coming government requirements for pure EVs. I’m more concerned for my own safety (driving a smaller electric car, which I prefer) and the environmental cost of building giant batteries to power inefficient EV trucks. I think smaller vehicles are more efficient, easier to park, and take less resources to build. The bottom line, I think, is that these are still early days and people will figure this all of this out as time goes on. Love your articles!
I also think the article is misdirected towards singling out one population over another- we all know u.s consumers buy stuff they don’t need the iPhone14, a Porsche(ouch), Xbox5, LoL dolls, youtube premium, unlimited Data…. Rather than blaming electric range blame the cunsumer- you don’t need 1000HP ! Heck, most Americans don’t even need a back seat but like most of us Will, you buy a GT-4 and I have 2 7seater SUV’s ‘Merica
Great straw man argument. First off only 25% of American truck owners tow more than once a year. Secondly, American truck owners spend less than 5% of their time towing. So why would you be so concerned about towing if it is only 5% of your requirement? Yes, sure if you tow 1000 miles every week maybe a diesel truck is right for you. Thirdly, where are you getting $100K from? Did you choose every spec available, including the organic free-range gluten-free vegan leather seats? Clearly there are trucks available for $45K to $65k that will meet most people’s needs. Fourthly, yes, most people don’t need a truck, just like nobody needs a sports car; we buy them because we want them, they make us men feel good, so why not get something that does not pollute the environment. Fifthly, I make stainless steel machines and they are so easy to repair: you cut out the damaged section, TIG weld in a replacement patch, and blend the weld, and you’re done. No body putty or paint shops. Not everyone can afford to own 60 cars – more than one for every week of the year. So if we need a truck 5% of the time then it’s maybe worth owning and driving one every day so you don’t need two vehicles, maybe if you got a cyber truck you won’t need 60 vehicles. Just maybe there is “one truck to rule them all”: faster than your Lamborghini, stronger than your beater truck, more fuel efficient than your Honda, safer than your Volvo, and cooler than your GT4.
I agree with some of your point. However saying it doesn’t make sense to get one is wrong.1. Adoptions: if no one buy it now we will get to a better or cheaper truck. Not to mentioned the wealth of information the car manufacturers are getting now. 2. Since when does logic apply. I see people with 82 inch tv in a small room. Or people buy 8k television. But these early adopters paves the way for others. So a thank you should be said to all those people.
Hi Will. Thanks for this article and what you do. I’m actually on Ford’s list for their Lightening F150. I just received an invite to place my order and I’ve waited about a year for this opportunity. I went online and picked all the options. Total price….approximately $75,000 or $1,000 to $1,600 monthly payment depending on trim package. After listening to this article I’ve given it some more thought. I really don’t want to go back to work just to pay for a truck. By the way that was for 84 months. 7 years. Yikes
I bought a brand new 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and absolutely loved it. In 2019, just out of curiosity, I called the dealer and asked how much the battery was to replace. My jaw dropped when he said $6,000 excluding labor. I traded it in on a gas guzzling V8-powered Ford F150 FX4 that does everything I need and more. When it comes time to replace the engine our local mechanic quoted $5,000 including labor out the door – makes way more sense to me. Oh Will, by the way, you’re hat is on backwards… 🤣
+1 for plug in hybrid truck. My Chevy Volt is amazing. It covers my daily commute on all electric and when I want to tow my 5×8 trailer or take a long trip I have never had to worry about the battery range once. Either the concept doesn’t resonate with the average person or the average person simply doesn’t know they exist. Either way a truck version of the Volt would be the best of both worlds.
I just took my 82 year old father to pick up his Lightning Pro in Carson City, Nv, yesterday, in my overprice Lariat ER, which I love. I reserved two of them last year. We do lots of yard and home improvement and need trucks. I do shoot BLM land from 9mm to 45-70 and lots in between. You’ve inspired me to build a carport come spring and put solar on it and the shed next to it off grid. I’ve already used it for one power outage in my home S. Lake Tahoe.
I appreciate your explanation of why you’re qualified to talk on this subject. However, after perusal you for the past few years, I have already determined that you “ALWAYS” think things out before you post them. Everything you put on youtube is well thought out and very thoroughly explained in language that most people can understand. Thanks for the post. Very good points. I would love to have an electric truck but I agree now is just not the time.
Only 35% of truck owners tow more then 1 time per year. So for a typical truck owner I don’t think it matters when not talking about current pricing. Plug in hybrid would be an amazing option and would make the most sense for somebody driving in town during the week and towing/driving long distance on the weekend.
I was perusal a group of Tesla big rigs pulling Frito-Lay trailers through the passes near Reno, NV on Monday. They look next-generation “cool,” to be sure, but it would be very interesting to know how real-world the performance is looking for any kind of long-haul work with heavy loads in cold temperatures and demanding terrain.
Interesting assessment Will. Each use case is different. I have both a Diesel truck(Ram) & Electric truck(R1T) I have to use the Dodge to tow my tractor because of the weight of the combined trailer & tractor with the loader. For towing the tractor I’d much rather have a 2 ton truck because of the transmission strength. With the R1T I can tow a bit over 100 miles on an 85% charge. After 2 hours, I’m ready for a break (snack, bathroom or charge). With the R1T I can combine the charging stop with other needs/wants. I agree regarding the pull through charging. I spent a lot of time talking with Electrify America about that problem at Fully Charged Live in San Diego. Rivian adventure chargers have one pull through spot at their chargers. There are just not many of them yet. The more trucks, the more the infrastructure will be built out. We’ll go through some “teething pains” along the way but the environmental savings with the electric truck are definitely worth it. Before there are problems with end of life BEV batteries, we will have recycling of batteries & within this decade nearly all batteries will be able to be recycled & reused. My first solar panels were over $1000 each & now I can buy the same output for ~$300! I have enjoyed 20+ years of solar power in that time. I particularly like that I don’t have to change the oil/filters! Keep your stinky truck spewing dangerous exhaust, I’ll enjoy my solar powered BEV.
Ahh,, Bravo! logical conclusion using simple deduction, and practical application experience, nice work! understanding that most vehicles are designed to be sold to people that do not understand basic mechanisms let alone ultra complex computer and internet slaved machines to transport you and your belongings to wherever the programming allows. I wholeheartedly agree with all your statements. I think The plug in hybrids haven’t caught on because they are a great idea. And the auto industry is stuck selling glitz and ever bigger touch screens. Hey I know how about a gas turbine or diesel hybrid? It seems that railroad’s and shipping decided years ago that, that was and is currently the most efficient use of petroleum.🤔
100% agree with you that it’s not practical for most people. I’m an early Cybertruck reservation holder. And between a work truck at home, and towing a small camper around the country that we live out of 6-7 months a year, I can’t wait for the opportunity. Until campgrounds really catch on and adapt, you have a 50a service at the end of every day (we try our best to not move more than 300mi day anyway) so the cost of fuel goes to 0 for those days you’re able to leapfrog a distance within range. Our camper is off grid with Lifepo4 and solar, so we rarely plug that in at a campground anyway, so nearly the full use of the 50a can be dedicated to charging. At home, I’m always in a never ending battle with myself for when I’m at work with the truck, endlessly getting poor mileage, or with the Prius when I seem to always need a truck bed 😂… I also end up needing to bring a solar generator (self built) or generators to the job site because there is no power…. Having an electric truck, although expensive, solves a lot of problems for me, so I can’t wait…. Let’s be honest though. People have vehicles as fashion statements and rarely choose them because they “need” them or because it’s practical. Just look at Jeep people and more than half the big trucks on the road. Don’t forget the snorkel kit and $3000 2 person tent on top 😂 Suburbanites with polished paint jobs that think a gravel road on a weekend is extreme.
Glad to hear some more common sense about electric trucks. I would love to see some diesel electric hybrids in the light truck market. They move things efficiently and why all the railroads use this topology in their locomotives. The Tesla Semi makes sense mainly for local transport but not long haul in my opinion; team drivers going cross country don’t have time to charge. Range is crucial and it is hard to beat diesel fuel.
You may want to look at thunderfoots article about the tesla semi, many good points brought up. One that stands out to me is the 500 mile range vs 2000 in a petrol semi. Also the massive weight of the batteries takes up valuable cargo weight, semis are limited to a specific max weight to legally travel on US roads (too much weight damages roads)
Oh Will. 70% of current ICE truck owners are grocery shopping pickups, already! 😂 -Agree on the charger challenges with a trailer, but plenty of people are getting by just fine with a little hassle in some locations, but plenty have enough room here in CA,and when I’ve roadtripped in WA and OR. -Towing: unless you tow massive amounts long distances on regular basis, these EV pickups are just fine. Towing a fair amount (3-6000 pounds,you can get 150-200 miles in a Rivian, which is plenty for most folks). -My Rivian is going to definitely get dirty(yes plenty of software engineers who will never leave pavement, but also seeing plenty of outdoor enthusiasts getting Rivians). (and point noted about Cyber truck will be a nightmare for accidents😂.) Completely agree about PHEV pickups!! C’mon Toyota, a PHEV Tacoma would be a dream and sell millions within 5 years. Hopefully that’s what they’ve been working on.
I agree that the electric truck does not make much sense for the majority of people. The highbred I envision will be all electric with a generator for when you need more range. Seems to make the most sense. Doesn’t seem like anyone is building one though. I did hear something about GM having a pick up truck and a van like that years ago. Did you ever hear about them?
I’m glad you mentioned the high possibility of these EVs becoming total write offs. My insurance premium has increased massively this year for my ICE car. My insurance company told me that insurers have increased premiums across the board by approximately 40% due to the high numbers of EVs that are wrecks in accident claims or which set on fire. The more EVs are in use the higher the insurance will become so that most people will be unable to afford them and will have to stop driving
From my mind to your article haha!! I too think there should be a plug in hybrid truck with a good 50-70 mile EV only range, so you can use it as a “dual purpose” type thing. Jeep may be the first to the market weirdly, if they end up doing a 4xe version of the Gladiator. Other than that, I think Ram has announced they intend to do something along those lines. I wish EV trucks made more sense, but until the energy density in batteries is there to allow for decent towing range, it just doesn’t. You brought up the Tesla Semi tractor. Working in the industry, I don’t see how there’ll be a way to make money on heavy goods shipments when you have a diesel day cab tractor that weighs 16-18k lbs, pulling a 40-43klb loaded trailer, but now you wanna switch out that diesel tractor with an electric one that has a roughly 11k lb battery?! That thing is gonna weigh too much for it’s own good. Unless the rest of it is made out of carbon fiber or something stupid light, I just don’t see it working out for most HG haulers. Sure it’ll be less in fuel to refill it, though then again that’ll depend on what state you’re in and the terrain driven on.
I agree on your points. I come from a similar background myself and have been saying the same thing since ev’s came out. Why not more hybrids it’s the best of both worlds. Although I do think the hybrids would be expensive to fix or get work done on due to the two complex power systems vs just one but still less then ev’s. The funny thing about generalizations are that they are usually true. All the people I know or see buying ev trucks or wanting ev trucks will never use it as a truck, just mall crawlers. Even the tesla semi, I’m sure it’ll be great for city stuff but just don’t see it working for long haul stuff. I have two trucks (tacoma & SD) and would only get a ev truck as a commuter… lol.. well because it’s the only thing it’s good for. Drive in the cold lose 40% of your range, tow or haul heavy loads lose 60% of your range. No thanks. My thoughts on why there’s not more true hybrids out there. 1) because when we think of hybrids we think of a prius. 2) hard political push for ev zero emission vehicles and no govt incentives for hybrids. 3) people have a hardon for wanting to power their home and charge their ev’s with Solar and wind power. 4) people tired of being ripped off by oil companies. The thing i dont understand is if people really cared about being zero emissions why don’t we advance our nuclear power plants beyond the 1950s design, they still use for the main purpose of easy cheap RAM harvesting for nuclear weapons, to single handedly power all our electricity needs with energy to spare 100% zero emissions.
Electric drive, diesel generator like a locomotive with ability to run on vegetable oil. Electric motor in each wheel bypassing transmission, differentials, drive shafts and any other wear parts. Maybe a small battery pack for the start/stop to shut off the generator until needed, which would be controlled by me not a computer. Also buttons and knobs, no computer screen.
I think most of this is “Buying a new truck doesn’t make sense for most people” electric or not. I also think the Cybertruck is a bad example because it A) isn’t real and B) isn’t for truck owners, it’s for techbros. The F150 Lightning is comparably priced to gas versions and only really comes up short in towing range. Under lighter loads or short range it’s just fine. That said, they make more sense for fleet trucks where they can charge at a central location overnight and don’t use up their range in a day anyways.
To me, as a European, I’m totally confused by the fact that trucks ar used that much in the US. They’re dangerous, inefficient, and why an open bed (I know there ar some use cases). The only people buying American trucks in the EU are (generalising) having personal issues… Back on topic of the article, nice line of reasoning:)
Your 100% right. But if we has diesel/electric 4 cylinder would be killer. Yes i did order tesla C truck but if it will not have 610 mile range that would equate to 280 miles of toe. That will suck .As far as a charging always make a exit on cord .. I do like the idea of no dings love bug and salt damage. The truck itself is cool looking. And lets face it would piss off all the hater’s. Let the free market do what it does best . competition
When I think of EV trucks, I think of the Ford & GM models and I believe one REALLY GOOD use for an electric truck is as a light work truck for a small renovation contractor. All his/her tools are in the front trunk. He/she can recharge the batteries for their tools using the 110 receptacles in the front trunk. He/she would likely have more than enough battery power in the truck to run for supplies before heading to the jobsite. And when they are done for the day, they park the truck at home; recharge it over night so it’s ready to go for the next day and never have to stop for fuel (time is money). Other than that, I’m 100% with Will in that they are not very practical right now, especially when you consider bang for the buck. However, we must remember there is a large demographic who just simply like driving a pick-up as opposed to a car, so these folks (the ones who can afford the EV truck) will buy them just to run around town picking up groceries, taking kids to activities, etc.. Not saying that’s a good use of a truck, but it’s a reality.
Overall, I disagree with you on this, Will, but probably not for the reason many people would. Personally, I think its illogical for most people to buy ANY truck… gas, electric, or otherwise. Trucks have very specific use cases, and frankly, most people who buy trucks don’t need them more than once or twice a year. At that point, they should just rent a truck. So in that regard, I agree with you. Especially when most of the people I see who are excited about EV trucks don’t currently own or use a truck. In regards to the cost and range while towing: I really don’t think those are factors. All trucks are ridiculously expensive right now compared to something like my 2004 F-150 that was bought new for $24,000. Even an entry level fullsize gas truck is nearly double that now, so entry level EV trucks for $40,000 to $50,000 is actually a decent value. In terms of towing, none of these EV trucks have the towing capacity that a typical, dedicated long-distance tow rig would need anyway. So they’re all going to be relegated to fairly light duty towing jobs. In my region, even something like the SR F-150 Lighting would be fine because most farmers and ranchers aren’t towing implements and tools more than 40 to 50 miles a day. It’s mostly recreational users who would be affected by EV towing range because they take their 7,000 to 10,000 lb trailer on a 1,000-mile road trip once a year. As for the pull-through parking: Honestly, that’s more of a problem for Tesla than it is for other charging providers.
Not a whole lot of people know that there’s a hybrid F-150 that has an option to be used as a 7.2kW generator. If I’m not mistaken, it’s only marginally slower than the Lightning, which makes it a pretty quick truck. Fuel economy might gain you 1-2 MPG over the EcoBoost, and the battery doesn’t have much capacity, but performance and an efficient generator are pretty good features. 624 miles on a full tank, 12,700 lbs towing capacity. The problem is that Ford isn’t keeping up with demand, so most people likely won’t see one of these on a lot. I agree, the fully electric trucks are not very useful as trucks.
WOW, you clearly don’t understand the average truck owner. Most are daily commuters that never (or rarely) pull a trailer. The trucks that are used as work trucks are stripped down models and many are on their 2nd or 3rd life. I’ve lived in Texas most of my life, and I’ve owned multiple trucks and a majority of my friends and colleagues own or have owned a truck. I’ve trailered a boat, a bumper tow camper, and a 5th wheel. While I agree that electric trucks are not going to pull a 9,000lb RV very far, you can easily pull a boat 50 miles to the lake on the weekend. As far a price goes, the $30k to $60k range covers the majority of “work” trucks, which the current electric trucks are not trying to compete against…yet. The the $60k to $120K trucks rarely pull anything besides an RV. Like you said, they are status symbols. And that is the segment that the early EV trucks are going after. With 1.6 million pre-orders, the Cybertruck clearly will make a big impact on that top segment. And lastly, please stop telling people that Hybrids are an option. Hybrids are the worst of both worlds and are mechanically very complex and expensive to maintain. You may have owned a lot of vehicles, but you clearly don’t know much about consumers. Stick with the Solar and battery reviews.
Completely agree. If you actually use a truck for payload and towing (I do both) then they are a terrible idea. You are never going to have front loader dump a yard of river rock for landscaping in a stainless steel truck bed. Regarding towing… I have a 28 ft trailer for a track car and a 37 ft camper…..It would take multiple days to pull from Texas to the Rockies with an electric vehicle….assuming I didn’t get stranded. If you aren’t going to use the electric vehicle as a truck….. just get an electric SUV. Electric SUVs are great for an “around town vehicle”. The technology is not appropriate for trucks yet and the infrastructure to support them outside of urban areas is not ready yet.
I personally think an electric van more sensible however One objection to your conversation is quite simple Co2 and climate change should be considered more important Anyway I have the perfect vehicle sorry I’m a blind subscriber and not very media savvy if you care to search YouTube for verne Pavreal you’ll find clips of my favourite four wheeled four person solar vehicle actually I’m quite keen on The golf cart battery you reviewed in a previous article not sure it’s available here in New Zealand though Cheers
The average consumer doesn’t have $100k budget for a vehicle, period. Is any convincing beyond that obvious point really required here? No. Those with 100k to drop on an e-truck are doing it to make a statement about what they like. A beneficial side effect is promoting development of electric vehicles generally. Think of the roadster sales to rich enthusiasts helping to jump start Tesla. So discouraging people who can obviously afford it from supporting an industry many of us clearly think is ultimately beneficial – that to me doesn’t really make sense. By all means, you 1%’ers, go buy an e-truck.
I think you’re seeing this all wrong. EV pickups fill the same niche the H2 Hummer did in the 2000’s. They’re not meant to be useful, they’re not meant to be trucks, they’re meant to be lifestyle vehicles. Look in the beds of most trucks you see on the road – they’re unloaded, and pristine. These pickups are for people who want a truck, because they want to be seen as truck type people, but the most they’ll haul is a few bags of mulch home from Home Depot. The rest of the time, these people might as well be driving a minivan. Horrible range while towing is a complete non issue for almost all owners, as they’ll never tow. The expense? That’s part of the allure. Remember when $50-70k for an SUV seemed absolutely ludicrous, but people still snapped them up. Edit: Hah, listened to the rest of your article! Sorry Will, our views are largely aligned.
D’oh! You missed a big opportunity to explain WHY electric trucks have such bad range while towing. It’s in the center of your wheelhouse to toss a few numbers into an equation and show how much range those trucks have (and don’t have) empty, bed hauling and towing typical loads or something, plus charging times between exhausted batteries, etc. This would have made the article much more informative and interesting. Maybe next time.
Worked for FoMoCo and wrote all their HEV, PHEV and BEV (haha yes the Focus, remember?) diagnostics between 2009 and 2016. Currently work for Daimler Truck which has been delivering eCascadias since October and perusal this Tesla/Pepsi publicity stunt with detached but objective amusement. I live just outside of Dearborn, MI where F-150s are common as toadstools and now see some Lightnings zipping around. And that’s what I think THEY were thinking when they foisted these upon us. Hey everyone can afford a $54,000 gasoline pickup, why not a $70,000 electric one? Well I can’t. I’m too pragmatic to purchase a ship that guzzles either petrol or kilowatt-hours when 95% of the time it’s only transporting me. I think CyberTrucks and Lightnings and Rivians (well, the few they’ve managed to poop out and they’re sinking) are GREAT if you’re deep into six figures and keep your kids in Switzerland. For the average cube steak and fries family it might as well be a Lambo. Why not a PHEV truck? Well bad press for one. Sure they emit less but that margin shrinks with the increased mass and Brobdingnagian aerodynamics of the modern American Big Chungus truck. Look at the 1st gen Insight and Prius. They sipped fuel because of hybrid technology but ALSO they pulled out every stop in the organ. Aerodynamics. Mass. Track. Low rolling resistance tires. That all goes away on a Tonka truck. Lastly, and this is conjecture on my part, the most successful HEV powertrain has been using dual motors and an Atkinson cycle engine coupled with a big planetary gearset.
I think we buy trucks. Will says, ‘…that doesn’t have the range.’ Well what range is Will talking about? It’s a random comment. Next, trailer towing. There are millions of trucks world-wide not, nor never have towed a trailer. Further, If trucks can’t do the job they’re built for, that company will soon lose. Overall, I love Will’s YouTubes but he is missing the point here. The point is, the trucks will be built for purpose. Service/Gas Stations are not all designed with trailer space that’s for sure. Incidentally, to knock strong built trucks is not future-proof thinking. Thanks for the YouTube Will, most appreciated
Pickups in general are a novelty for most people. There are more pickups than cars on the road here in Texas and very few of them ever go off road or haul a single thing. I’m not disagreeing but, I’m just not sure whether or not the truck happens to be electric matters that much. If you’re just driving a pickup because it’s a pickup I don’t think being an EV or not will matter.
This is the first time I have disagreed with your opinion. Electric trucks are not for everyone. High end trucks are not for everyone. Very few people use trucks the way you would. Most are never taken off road or used to tow. These trucks are going to be used by contractors and owners of construcktion companies. No one will buy one if they expect to do a lot of towing. I don’t think even the average truck owner will use a 50k truck like a beater. If you are In the small group of people that are alright with the limitations of the Electric truck buy it. The rest of us will have to wait for the prices to come down. Tesla was not affordable at the start.
Ohh and don’t be soo excited by the tesla semi. We still down know how much it weights, and still don’,t know how much it can carry. Yes, gcvwr is 84 000 pounds but if the truck weights 40 000lbs, that’s a big hit on towing capacity. If you look at the presentation, when it passes a semi, fully loaded, elon says it is fully loaded at 84000lbs, but if you look at the concrete barriers loaded to it, if the truck is really loaded to gcvwr, it tows something like 25 000lbs only.
get bettery facts would be nice mine was 43000 love it glad buy eltric car but put down on elc truck it will pull your tesla sideways so your car was way more than my truck i live mississioppi there no problem my insureance is not high for f150 43000 bud wake up buy u a ford f150 its a truck i got sidex side if want to mud sir yourv wrong on a lot charge with solar so what that lie about
You are assuming that the only reason someone would buy a truck is for towing also that all trucks will be made of stainless steel. Fords truck is aluminum! The majority of gas trucks sold in the United States are used as an everyday driver and never carry much of a load, that is the reason the half ton is so popular. I imagine the electric truck will be used pretty much like the majority of half ton gas engine trucks are, and they will be great for that. You can put a tool box in the back and carry around a few wrenches and battery operated power tools, and pick up a sheet or two of plywood now and then.
FUN FACT: Toyota has heavily invested in Red Hydrogen as the solution for heavy machinery fuel. Blue Hydrogen is the old school fuel and not very clean to produce or deliver. Red Hydrogen has the same energy density as gasoline, safer and faster to put into a vehicle (similar fuel up times as you currently have at a pump), and works better in extreme temps. You can even store Hydrogen cells in the same size factor as a jerry can. So if you are going into a remote area, you can at least refuel in the sticks. The way I see it. EVs will be used passenger vehicles to move mostly people or haul things within cities, while Red Hydrogen will be used in heavy machinery applications and long haul towing and hauling situations.
First, I love your articles and recommend them to friends. As for EV trucks, One can always argue that the most prudent choice is a used car with high efficiency (MPG or MPGE). Most of your arguments against an EV truck are completely valid for your owned cars, Lamborghini, Porsche G4, or even the Lotus…. Expensive, Inefficient, Impractical, poor towing and expensive to insure. From my perspective an EV truck is a leg up on the your listed purchases in all those categories. If all car purchases were based on those categories the only available cars would be the Ford Fiesta’s or Geo Metro. Lambo, G4 and Lotus would not even exist.
Seems we are going from one pollution problem to another. There is no way to dispose of the batteries or to recycle them. The cars take rare earth minerals that will require new mines and refining. More electricity will be required, more industry producing solar panels and wind turbines that take more natural resources. And governments seem to be heading down the path of requiring everyone to buy one instead of using already produced cars that folks own.
I don’t agreed, Most electric trucks are going for 40k not 100k. And most people that I know don’t use trucks to tow but instead to get in bad terrain and carry hardware and tools like plywood, sheet rock etc. On the other had insurance I think will be the same and I think cyber truck will be completely redesign.
EV Trucks are great… as long as you don’t do truck things I have seen many side my side tests with EV Trucks vs gas/diesel trucks and is some cases same make and model but different engines. The end results are always the same. If you drive your truck like a passenger car, the truck is great. The moment you start hauling or towing, your truck loses battery range at a scary rate. Most trucks are used by tradespeople to haul lumber and supplies to job sites, or tow materials. Imagine building a house in a new development in a rural area. You don’t want to guess if you have enough fuel to get home or even to the site. Usually when I go to a remote build, I can at least carry some extra fuel cans in the back of my truck to refuel if needed. With EV, if what I’m towing causes me to lose 50% in the middle of nowhere, there is no way for me to recharge, and it can be a life threatening situation.
valid points about range and towing, but about everything else you mention is equally true in the US for existing trucks. That doesn’t stop them from being wildly popular and purchased. If sensibility and economy were ruling the day it might be a different story. I’ve got a tesla model 3 for 25,000mi a year daily driver and my 91 F250 diesel for 4000 mi/yr hauling and towing. Great combination, but I’m still planning to purchase the cybertruck. I’ve got residential solar so not really worried about efficiency loss and I want a 500mi electric vehicle. In general a truck is more versatile, comfortable, and safer. I also live in rural America so not worried about not getting through town or cramped parking areas. To each his own. I wouldn’t own one in Las Vegas, but I also wouldn’t live there!
@3:46, Will, you’re living under a rock. Must truck owners pamper their truck — their work truck lives in the city or garaged in the suburb, and never see a dirt trail or splash a mud hole. Notice even the work truck has unbelievable amount of creature comfort features — it ain’t your Dad’s truck when he was a teen.
I think for most part you have a fair comment. But I can also appreciate the fact that you do admit your comment is generalizing as well.. which is a pretty natural thing to do when discussing this. Right now I would agree I don’t see the typical $40k – $50k/yr construction worker buying an EV truck. It’s possible an owner of some kind of construction outfit or service outfit may be able to buy an EV truck for himself but yur not gonna see the ordinary worker buying these. It’s alot to shell out for a vehicle yur gonna beat up and perhaps not get the range especially when towing.. but now here again I’m right back to generalizing. If yur an over the road hauler and dragging a trailer around with you all the time all day long then let’s say a Lightning or even the Cybertruck may just not work. But if yur just hauling a job trailer to a site where it’s gonna sit for the next 3 weeks before you move it again then what are ya really out?.. so you burn up a full battery charge moving a trailer across the country one day.. thats nothing. Yur truck is still back in its garage every night and no issue with charging. Just seems like there’s so much emphasis on range when towing.. like one person said on another article.. if you need a truck for doing alot of towing then you’ll buy a truck for towing.. or you’ll wait till an EV of better capabilities for towing comes along. I would agree if someone hauls a camper every weekend 200+ miles to a campsite then perhaps an EV 1/2 ton truck might not be what yur after.
I think electric trucks make sense for the right use case. If you use it for the bed frequently, and towing infrequently or in town then it works well. I personally have the F150 Lightning and use the bed constantly and can keep tools safe and dry in the frunk. I think there are many fleet and commercial maintenance situations that are around town and less than 200 miles a day where they need bed cargo but no towing. That being said, I agree that the platinum trim, or Hummer EV are a bit ridiculous and most likely lifestyle choices rather than truck needs.
What’s more illogical a cybertruck or a big diesel for the same price? I bet the cyber truck will solve the towing problem with a big batter and they announced it will use the mega charger as well. But the other side of it is. I see 99/100 trucks being used as commuter vehicles. If we can get those people to drive anything electric it’s a good idea
Some points I’d like to add Tesla has started retrofitting existing super chargers to accomodate trucks and vehicles towing I know this because I recently went to Texas from Minnesota to pickup solar panels and I saw many changers with a dedicated stall for cars and trucks with trailers and I would imagine they will just add more as time progresses second definitely agree on the purpose it’s going to be situational 100% if you own a company it’s probably best not to buy the cyber truck but if you are a typical person average you going to costco only haha but that’s most people so I think they will definitely have their place but definitely not for everyone
As an owner of an XLT Lightning, I have the following comment. At least in WA for a good driver under State Farm, insurance is not that much more than an equivalent gas truck. I have a 2014 F-150 V8 and the 2022 F-150 Lightning insurance is only about 10% higher. Both are fully insured for collision and liability. (Most of the cost is in liability portion which is the same for both trucks.)
Also, pickup trucks have pretty lousy aerodynamics. Why not have a small generator on the trailer and charge the battery while towing to increase range? There’s your plug in hybrid. Just have to hack the charge control system and void the warranty on your $100k truck…. Or, yeah, just buy a beater and register it anywhere but California.
I understand your argument and agree with some of it…..but…. When I look at electric trucks I see 10 Powerwalls, or more, worth of rolling energy storage, that is cheaper to drive than any ICE vehicle and that I can buy for roughly the same cost as a huge battery backup system. You being such a battery guy I am surprised this didn’t occur to you.
75% of people who own a truck tow something one time or less per year. I think the towing range argument is overestimated. Also the purpose of an EV is that you can charge your daily commute overnight during off-peak hours. It’s why the Lightning gets “70 mpge” which can sometimes be as cheap as $0.11 per kWh.
I have a Toyota Tacoma .. I want to replace it with an EV truck .. and trucks aren’t just for shooting/4wheeling. I do HD/Lowes runs, dump runs, moving honey bee hives, hauling chicken plucking equipment, compost, water tanks … so many things. I have only one vehicle, and it is a truck. I’ll buy the first EV truck <$60K .. by 2024, there should be three brands to choose from for that price. Good point about charging with a trailer .. had NOT thought about that. I always thank you for your vids and pov!