[wtallis]

Most SUVs and pickups get a lot of use for things like commuting where a passenger car would suffice, because it's often still cheaper than buying another car for the commute. Comparing against the light duty vehicle efficiency number is probably going a little too far since many trucks do actually get significant use as trucks, but the passenger car efficiency number definitely understates how much fuel is burned for things like commuting.

[0xffff2]

Electric cars can conceivably replace passenger cars though, whereas people commuting in a pickup are very probably quite unlikely to replace that pickup with an electric vehicle of any kind. (Are electric trucks even a thing?)

In light of that, it seems entirely reasonable to compare electric car efficiency to gasoline passenger car efficiency.

[bryanlarsen]

"Are electric trucks even a thing?"

Yes. http://www.viamotors.com/vehicles/electric-truck/

They make quite a bit of sense, in a niche. Trucks are often fleet vehicles, which are often well suited for electrification: predictable, regular, short distances. Trucks handle the weight of batteries well. And Via turns the original motor into a generator, which is useful for an electric vehicle and is also useful on a job site.

[draker]

I think this would be useful for niche applications but wouldn't appeal to contractors or anyone that didn't have very regimented tasks to perform.

The biggest problem is the payload is only 1,000 lbs in comparison to 1800-2000 for most 1500's. Many contractors opt for 3/4 ton (2500, f-250) or larger models for more payload/towing.

My brother is a contractor and has a GMC 2500 HD crew cab. It was $38k; gets ~15mpg and he drives around 35k miles a year.

Fuel for the Via truck at that milage is 30mpg, so using $3/gal would be $3500 + electricity cost versus $7,000 for gas alone.

Over 6 years the total cost difference for fuel would be $21,000 and put the gas truck cost around $60k which is comparable to the Via's $65k.

The gas truck is a better choice in this case because it has a payload of 4,000+ lbs and towing 14k+ lbs in comparison to 1000 lbs and 4000 lbs for the Via. A 1500 with a small engine would have nearly double the payload and towing of the Via and be less expensive with a higher mpg than the 2500.

The generator is cool but kind of gimmicky because the truck has to stay on site and stationary. A <$1000 generator would provide similar power and is less of a hassle than having to park your truck close enough or runs cords for power.

[wtallis]

Driving a pickup for reasons of vanity doesn't make its costs any less real, even if that same vanity means you're unwilling to consider an electric car.

[0xffff2]

I understand that, but I don't understand at all why it's relevant to this article.