this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2025
73 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

42146 readers
115 users here now

A nice place to discuss rumors, happenings, innovations, and challenges in the technology sphere. We also welcome discussions on the intersections of technology and society. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.

Remember the overriding ethos on Beehaw: Be(e) Nice. Each user you encounter here is a person, and should be treated with kindness (even if they’re wrong, or use a Linux distro you don’t like). Personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Subcommunities on Beehaw:


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
all 38 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] dhtseany@lemmy.ml 54 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They promised us $45k trucks and delivered $100k trucks. No kidding it didn't sell well.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 month ago (2 children)

They actually did sell them discounted down to $50K.

The reality is pickup drivers dont give a fuck about the environment.

[–] Megaman_EXE@beehaw.org 4 points 1 month ago

I believe the Truck companies think people just want larger and larger trucks every year. I'm waiting until everyone is just driving monster trucks at this point lol

[–] dhtseany@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 month ago

I drive a truck, a full size one at that, I care about the environment but I needed it for work. An electric truck would've been useful. Also if they were selling for $50k I sure didn't see that anywhere.

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 28 points 1 month ago

It wouldn’t surprise me if Ford literally produced the vehicle because of subsidies.

If they could get a portion of the EV tax breaks, they wanted it.

Now that the current administration is obviously still obsessed with burning oil, it no longer matters.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 24 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Large, heavy electric vehicles don't make a lot of sense. The F-150 lightning was a neat idea, but smaller EVs make far more sense for personal vehicles.

Electric vans would be much better as a work vehicle.

Electric work trucks aren't ready yet.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 39 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Quite the contrary, the Lightning makes an excellent work truck for those who actually need work trucks. I know a couple people who use them that way. One of them owns a boat dealership and uses it for towing large and heavy boats every day. The other owns a construction business.

[–] spit_evil_olive_tips@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

the Lightning makes an excellent work truck for those who actually need work trucks

yeah...no

the non-electric F-150 has multiple bed lengths (5.5', 6.5', and 8')

the Lightning only offered the 5.5' "short bed" length

if you actually need a work truck, the Lightning is deficient in the #1 thing that makes a work truck a work truck.

for another comparison - the "short bed" option on the F-250 is 6.75' long, in addition to the 8' "long bed".

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

if you actually need a work truck, the Lightning is deficient in the #1 thing that makes a work truck a work truck.

yeah...no

The "#1 thing" depends on the application. It can be power, towing capacity, payload capacity, just a bed in general, the massive amount of electrical power available to power tools, passenger capacity, cost of ownership, etc. etc.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cough.bullshit.cough.

Yes, an F150 lighning can haul a boat, no, not very far, and half that distance in cold weather.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago

Who said it was going very far? He tows them back and forth from the Marina to other water bodies in the local area or to customers' homes.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 month ago

That torque though

[–] Floon@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 month ago

I own one, and my experience disagrees with your conjecture.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Lots of people need a truck, not a van. You can’t haul a couple cubic yards of top soil or gravel in a van. I see dozens of Lightnings in my area.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is a common argument, but the vast majority of people at home do not carry gravel or sand on a weekly basis. What they need is a rental truck for those items. The cost of 100k is ludicrous. Comparing to a rental truck you would need to be carrying raw material like that on average 2x a week to even break even with the payments.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m talking about contractors, trades people and people who do this for a living.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

So 1% of pickup buyers. OK.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Some people actually work for a living, they don’t spend the day replying to email.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago

I think we can all agree its >1% but also a small number. That small number is plenty for them to keep making them. But alas, most of those folks did not buy them.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago

For that you use a $1500 trailer. The bizarre justifications for pickups are hilarious.

[–] pr06lefs@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago

Not a fan of already huge trucks with giant heavy batteries all at head level to me in my 2002 subaru.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They stopped making cars. How long before they also stop making trucks?

[–] megopie@beehaw.org 23 points 1 month ago

they’re gradually reducing the amount of vehicles sold while increasing the margin per vehicle. They’re approaching the limit of 1 vehicle sold at infinite margin.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If the F-150 Lightning wasn’t terrible and expensive, I might have bought one.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 19 points 1 month ago (4 children)

What I wanted was a nice little ranger style truck - 2 seater, can pick up some lumber, decent sized bed, for in my garage. What they made was a giant crew cab monstrosity that takes up 2 parking spaces and costs 2x what I would have spent.

Car companies keep trying to tell us customers what we want then are surprised when we don't buy.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Those giant crew cab monstrosities are the best-selling vehicles in America.

The problem is that F150 buyers are the very largest anti-EV meatheads. It's the wrong market for such a vehicle.

[–] TehPers@beehaw.org 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

This. People either want a giant diesel-guzzling truck, or they want a small efficient truck as their second vehicle for moving things around. Nobody's looking for a giant EV truck, especially at that price.

All they had to do was make an EV Tacoma (size-wise). Instead, they made an EV F-150.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

If they had made an ev Tacoma I would have bought that instantly

[–] TehPers@beehaw.org 8 points 1 month ago

We had a Tacoma growing up and it was honestly a great car. Wasn't too big to park, could fit a good amount in the bed, and had enough seats for five, though the second row was for the shorter passengers. It's also still being driven today. We had a small car for commuting as well, and the Tacoma mostly functioned as a second vehicle (for when two people need one, helped when I got a license) plus for whenever we went to Costco.

[–] sawdustprophet@midwest.social 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

What I wanted was a nice little ranger style truck - 2 seater, can pick up some lumber, decent sized bed, for in my garage.

The Telo truck looks like it has promise, but it's far from mass production. I hope it lives up to its promises though, I would love to see small trucks make a comeback.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'll keep an eye out, but yeah looks like I shouldn't get in line quite yet

[–] Quexotic@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago

I learned after what I saw with elio.

Twas sad

[–] GrindingGears@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago

I think that's what we all want. Id be front of line for what you described too.

I'm really paying close attention to those Telo Trucks, but they are a long way from market (if they make it, we've been here before, so many times now).

[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You might be interested in the slate auto truck

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I've heard good things about it

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

Until you see them on roads, pure USA bullshit like the Aptera.

[–] Uniquitous@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago

Damn shame. I don't own one myself but owners that I've spoken to seemed genuinely pleased with it.