cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/c/electricvehicles/p/2162853/usa-slate-s-new-electric-truck-will-cost-slightly-more-than-24950
Range is said to be 205 mi (330 km), higher than the original estimate. This price is for the basic truck. The SUV configuration is expected to be $5000 more.
It isn’t regularly, it is what you do on the margins. that one trip a year. Those really cold days in winter (ICEs have a built in heater). 200 miles is more than enough most days, but once a month it will be really close.
Only a fool purchases a vehicle for 100% of use cases. That’s how you end up buying twice as much car as you actually need, “just in case.”
A wise person figures out what vehicle will meet 95% of their needs and then simply rents a vehicle specifically designed to do that job. Do you need to haul a giant camper twice a year? Just a rent a pickup truck capable of towing it.
Buying a thing only saves money if the alternative is REGULARLY renting that thing.
It is likely impossible to rent a truck for pulling your trailer. Most contracts have a no towing clause. Uhaul only allows towing their trailers. When you find the rare exception you are risking they are sold out that week. And the cost when you do find it is high enough to pay for the additional payments for most of the year.
Ok, so if you only pull a trailer once or twice a year, why do you own a trailer? It’s back to the same problem. What’s the point of owning something you’re only going to use extremely rarely? Cars are ultimately depreciating assets. They’re not like owning stock in a company or even real estate. Every penny invested in a vehicle is ultimately money thrown on a bonfire. The wise way to own a car is to figure out your 95% of use cases and buy based on that. Then just rent specialized vehicles for the rare oddballs.
We have a newish Corolla and and old mid-2000s Ford Ranger. Between the two vehicles we have 99% of our use cases covered. We can move most furniture and shop and garden materials with the truck. We can use the sedan for commuting and road trips. But there are doubtless uses that our setup won’t cover, and that’s OK. If I need to move a household full of stuff, or if I desire to pull a giant trailer, or go offroading, then I’ll need to rent something else.