I had an electrifying experience in a pickup more than a decade ago that wasn’t so good.
But, putting aside that negative episode, I’m feeling pretty positive about the pickup’s future, and I expect a lot of people will be similarly charged up about it in days to come.
My bad experience dates back to 2009, and it wasn’t the pickup’s fault, at all.
My 80-year-old father had been stricken with lung cancer and was quite weakened physically by the time we got the diagnosis.
Although we knew we needed to confiscate the keys to his treasured pickup, we couldn’t bear to do it and knew he would put up a fight. Anyone who’s been there will empathize.
One day, he offered to drive me to work, from Fenton to Festus, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. The next half-hour was among my most harrowing. Seat-belted in the passenger seat, I was wishing for an airbag – anything – to obscure my front-seat view, and a crash helmet.
Somehow, we survived, along with the other drivers on the interstate that day, and one good thing came out of it. At least I could provide firsthand testimony that Dad’s driving days had to be in the rear-view mirror.
That day, as today, there were lots of pickups on the road. Is anything more prolific on America’s byways?
The pickup, described by Wikipedia as a light-duty truck, has been around since the automobile’s earliest days, although no one knows how it picked up its name. Studebaker was the first to use the term “pickup” in an official way in 1913.
Over the years the pickup has steadily gained in popularity until now, across America, it seems nearly everyone has one or wants one.
So, I wasn’t surprised when I Googled “Most Popular Vehicle in America” and found that three pickup models, each from a different maker, were the top three best-selling vehicles nationwide in 2020, with two other pickups also in the top-10 group.
In Jefferson County, your eyes will tell you that pickups are mighty popular. But if you like data, the Jefferson County Assessor’s Office has some.
The latest personal property statistics show countians own approximately 100,000 pickups and SUVs (those two categories are lumped together in the data collection) compared with 61,000 cars.
In 10 years or so, I’m betting the pickup will still reign supreme, but I’m also betting many of them will be powered by electricity instead of gasoline.
Automakers must think so, too.
Five electric pickup models are poised to hit the market in America in the next few months, with others in the works for 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Of course, electric-powered vehicles won’t be for everyone. Just like electric cars, the purchase price for electric pickups will be higher than their gas-fueled counterparts, although there is a corresponding expectation that operation costs, over time, will be lower.
Charging stations are no longer rare, but they’re also not plentiful. And miles-per-charge may seem too limiting for some. It’s about 230 miles to 500 miles for the five pickup models on the horizon, with higher sticker prices for those on the upper end of that scale.
There’s a lot to consider. I talked it over with friend Bruce McKinstry of
De Soto, who’s owned a truck of one kind or another since 1974. He’s doing his research now, but said he hopes to buy a “bit more futuristic” pickup one day.
Nowadays, he drives a 2011 half-ton Ram pickup with 130,000 miles on it, using it to haul supplies for remodeling projects.
“I love that truck,” he said with warmth, “and I hope to get another 60,000 miles or so out of it.”
After that, though, he hopes to be charging his truck, not filling it with gas. It has to do with both economics and environment.
“My truck sucks up gas. I’m lucky to get 10 miles per gallon when I’m pulling a trailer. Electricity is cheaper, and you’re not leaving a huge carbon footprint.”
Bruce said his brother has a Tesla electric sedan and gives a glowing review, on all fronts.
My husband talks about a “someday” purchase of an electric pickup, too.
I found a couple of things to get excited about in the publicity blitz that accompanied Ford’s May unveiling of its 2022 electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup, that potentially will hit car lots by the fall.
Because there’s no combustion engine, the vehicle will have a “frunk,” a front trunk, to provide extra storage space. And get this – depending on the model, the pickup can serve as a generator to power a home for up to three days in the event of a crisis.
I think I’m over my pickup grudge. As long as we can get it in the garage before our kids take away our keys.
