←back to thread

The Reason Why Are Trucks Getting Bigger

(toddofmischief.blogspot.com)
173 points yasp | 1 comments | 11 Aug 22 13:06 UTC | HN request time: 1.876s | source
Show context
aejnsn ◴[11 Aug 22 14:05 UTC] No.32425777[source]▶
My truck doesn’t drive near pedestrian areas. A smaller truck cannot trailer my work loads or toys. My modern diesel with high-tech emissions systems intact gets 20+ mpg unloaded.

Perhaps some of you remember trucks of the 80s. Not much has changed dimensionally, without safety improvements. Those did ~8-10 mpg unloaded while making 25% of the power with half the tow rating of a recent truck and none of the modern safety features for collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring, etc. The armchair distortion is real here. Please visit the numbers before making blanket anecdotes—the manufacturer websites have good uptime for their brochures. :)

replies(4): >>32425958 #>>32426101 #>>32426969 #>>32428512 #
2143 ◴[11 Aug 22 14:23 UTC] No.32426101[source]▶
> My modern diesel

Thank goodness you drive a diesel.

Can somebody explain why people tend to prefer petrol engines for trucks America?

Doesn't diesels haul better, because of all that torque from a lower RPM, from a smaller engine?

replies(7): >>32426658 #>>32426675 #>>32426864 #>>32427167 #>>32427262 #>>32427280 #>>32427884 #
1. kortex ◴[11 Aug 22 15:05 UTC] No.32426864[source]▶
It does, but diesel is more expensive in most places (even accounting for better energy density), due to the structure of US refining industry. This sets the stage, and familiarity continues the trend.

More people drive gas, so more gas vehicles continue to be available.

Biodiesel along with moving more of these passenger trucks to diesel would go a long way toward reducing overall carbon, but cost is the main issue there.