Thread: EV general discussion

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

We've had this discussion. Of all the people who buy twincab utes, the majority of them drive around the city empty and are used for the same duties we've always used the family laser for. For the vast majority of of users, for the vast majority of the time, a small hatch would be the best tool for the job, but if your ego is too big for that a PHEV is not a bad option.

Yes there are some that hook a trailer on and make them work but I bet the actual percentage who do that often are probably much smaller than you think.

There are multiple videos now on YT of tow tests of the "wave" of phev utes. They seem to go ok. Unless you are towing something really big they work fine and offer you a nice big battery to run your stuff off when stopped.

Australians buy a lot of dual cab utes. our best selling "cars" are dual cabs.

VFACTs June 2025: Dual-cab utes dominate sales in Australia

Even if 99% of the use is this ... Its still an utterly useless piece of crap, as the reason it was generally purchased is to do something like tow the boat ... or the caravan 1/2 dozen times a year. If it can't do this, it is useless junk.

Most of these people the lunies refer to as "don't need something".... actually do need, just not often. They will never by the useless ute above, even if they only tow one time per year, it ​still can't do that. ie: its useless at its designed task.

I have a 4wd that can tow 4 tons. I very rarely tow a loaded car trailer or caravan with it. This stupidity above is not capable of even doing what my 35+ year old 4wd can do. What progress

Just liek an electric throw-away. the use case for this stupidity is very small. If you didn't need the tow capacity, you probably wouldn't have purchased it in hte first place.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Robert making the case for PHEV utes.

https://youtu.be/7F3L2RwzQe0?si=sitezP8gsGnsfnls

It sounds great. Let me know how yours work out when you buy it. (wait ... what do you mean you wouldn't buy it as the one reason you would purchase such a thing .... it can't do ).

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

It sounds great. Let me know how yours work out when you buy it. (wait ... what do you mean you wouldn't buy it as the one reason you would purchase such a thing .... it can't do ).

Totally useless for us,our utes are loaded all day and used for work,oh,and holidays,etc.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

Even if 99% of the use is this ... Its still an utterly useless piece of crap, as the reason it was generally purchased is to do something like tow the boat ... or the caravan 1/2 dozen times a year. If it can't do this, it is useless junk.

Most of these people the lunies refer to as "don't need something".... actually do need, just not often. They will never by the useless ute above, even if they only tow one time per year, it ​still can't do that. ie: its useless at its designed task.

I have a 4wd that can tow 4 tons. I very rarely tow a loaded car trailer or caravan with it. This stupidity above is not capable of even doing what my 35+ year old 4wd can do. What progress

Just liek an electric throw-away. the use case for this stupidity is very small. If you didn't need the tow capacity, you probably wouldn't have purchased it in hte first place.

Where do you live? not in the city I'm guessing. Dual cabs out the wahoo in this street. There is one camper trailer, a visiting van,one box trailer and a jetski.

Dual cab utes are sold because people want to portray the image that they could hook the van up and do a lap of australia if they wanted to. Not that they own the van or have any intention of doing it. But their car looks like they could.

Remember when wagons were not considered sexy? Car marketing has made off road cars appear strong and masculine. Even for women.

I just walked out the front to the mail box of my little street. I can see 13 4x4 ute/suv's. one camper trailer, one van. The house across the road has a jetski. They also have three 4x4 utes (one for each member of the family) plus one work ute (the only one in the street).

If I count further up the street that I can't see from my house I think there are 5 4x4 utes and one SUV. And one box trailer.

It's farcical.

EDIT: The reason I can list all these off is because my defender is the only 4x4 that lives in a garage in the whole street because when the houses were built people drove normal cars. When I moved in here there were no cars on the street and now it's just lined with 4x4 utes 24/7

https://youtu.be/Ijlk0GTQbB4?si=mzoLZTWY20mJf7uo

Apart from the visiting RAM and the giant van down the street, all the towable items in this street could easily be towed by a PHEV 4x4. Actually everything other than the giant van is well smaller than what we used to tow with dads Falcon. Actually even my 2.6 astron sigma could tow that lot. All of them are well below the tow capacity of a Model Y.

Most non-work vehicles are bought for their pose value, or as CRF points out to propogandize a fantacy lifestyle.
Just look at how many lifted 4x4s sport rooftop tents, dual spare wheels, maxtracks, jerry cans, aggresive mud tyres, et al, but conspicuously shine with nary a mark or bush pinstripe.

Bull****. Utter rubbish.

DC utes are popular because they are practical- they’ll do a bit of everything.

Load of junk to get rid of? In the back
Wet clothes from the beach, in the back.
Bikes? In the back
Weekend away.. perfect
Going fishing? Yep that works too
Load of soil or plants? Trays the go!



As for some PHEV DC - hmm Shark?
Lower Tow rating than a 2015 Prado… and when using the Petrol ‘generator’ they drink like a V8 from 1978.

This is REAL world experience. A good mate has one - loves it - but once it’s not doing the urban triangle it drinks like a fish. His own words “Like a V8, stop at every roadhouse”.

Its most recent trip to Townsville from Adelaide and back had it consuming a LOT more fuel than the Dmax travelling with it. Without towing Shark was around 14-15l/100km. And it wants Premium!


How about you stop telling people what they want, or what they should have.. in the next few years that DC owner may be planning a larger boat/van/trailer…. A vehicle is a multi year purchase/investment for most people. Why buy something underrated for possible future plans?

Why don’t you dump the Defender and get a Shark?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Most non-work vehicles are bought for their pose value, or as CRF points out to propogandize a fantacy lifestyle.
Just look at how many lifted 4x4s sport rooftop tents, dual spare wheels, maxtracks, jerry cans, aggresive mud tyres, et al, but conspicuously shine with nary a mark or bush pinstripe.

Must be a QLD thing.

Down here there’s all that on every DC in town - and they’re all spotless. The local detailer does a roaring trade tidying them up after a weekend away.


Only bush striping on mine is the b pillar trim and it’s done a lot of tracks.