The Bad News Nobody Is Telling You About Electric Pickup Trucks And SUVs
Story by Brian Anderson • Yesterday 3:01 PM
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Electric vehicles are hot right now and the EV truck and SUV market is sizzling, for good reason. What's not to like about a monster machine with spaceship accents and speed that rivals European supercars? It turns out a lot, as there are many negative aspects nobody is talking about. Poor aerodynamics and excessive weight limit the range of big EV trucks and SUVs, which in turn limits the primary functions of the vehicles, like towing and off-roading. They are also not nearly as environmentally friendly as people think and are a lot more deadly in traffic accidents. Plus, they ain't cheap.
A Lack Of Aerodynamics Creates Heavier Vehicles
Many big EV trucks and SUVs cost as much as a house and cut through the wind about as well. Since the lack of aerodynamics of these vehicles means less range, manufacturers try to compensate by equipping them with larger battery packs. Bigger batteries equal more weight, which becomes a self-defeating problem of its own. The Rivian R1T weighs in at an astounding 7,148 pounds, but that's small potatoes compared to the 9,000 pounds of the GMC Hummer EV. The Hummer can't even be driven on the Brooklyn Bridge which has a weight limit of 3 tons (6000 pounds). That added weight, in turn, limits the vehicle's range.
To fix the bad aerodynamics issue of big EV trucks and SUVs, adding bigger battery packs un-fixes it by negatively affecting the range. The Hummer EV can go 343 miles on a full charge in perfect conditions. The Rivian R1T only gets 314 miles and the 2024 Volvo EX90 is billed as having a range of "around 300 miles."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/the-bad-news-nobody-is-telling-you-about-electric-pickup-trucks-and-suvs/ar-AA176UQm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=4df99f6268b646f180d804d8b973c786
