The growing size of cars and trucks in America is not news. With SUVs gaining popularity in recent years, people have truly embraced the motto "the bigger, the better." Other countries seem to be having trouble understanding the trend.
A post on r/f***cars shows a photo of an American-made truck in an Australian shopping center parking lot.
"I really don't understand why people in my area buy these vehicles," the OP wrote in the caption.
According to Statista, the U.S. had the largest pickup truck market in 2023, with a revenue of $75.1 billion — far more than most countries in Europe or Japan, which typically lean toward smaller cars, if at all, for efficiency and reduced fuel costs.
While some people need trucks to haul gear for occupational purposes, many pickup purchases are merely status symbols. But trucks are getting so big that their hoods stand almost 5 feet tall, causing what many believe is a safety issue for blindspots for the truck's driver and visibility for other drivers.
Beyond that, pickup trucks create significantly more air pollution than smaller cars — almost 4,500 pounds more per year on average, per The New York Times, which is more defensible if being used for heavy-duty work on a regular basis but less so for a trip to the mall, some argue.
It's stats such as this one that make it harder to shrug and say, "To each his own." Unfortunately, there are times when other people's choices affect all of us.
This is why walking, biking, e-biking, and using public transportation whenever possible can make such a huge difference, while being worth it to use a fuel-efficient car for when those are not possible. Not only will all of those save you gas money, but it's better for your health and the environment.
While it's not an option for everyone, many people are now opting for car-free living, which can save a huge chunk of change. No more worries about payments, insurance, parking, operating costs, or blowing a tire. If you are dependent on a vehicle because of your location and career, make sure you're driving as efficiently as possible to make your tank last longer.
There's also the option of investing in an EV. And there are plenty of options; for example, Chevrolet set a new standard with its 2024 Silverado EV, establishing industry records with the largest battery pack on the market to boost power and efficiency. Even high-profile figures, like climber Alex Honnold, are swearing by their electric pickups.
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No way 👎 Conversely, the giant truck caused quite the bash sesh in the Reddit thread, although one person noted the owner might need this type of vehicle for his job.
"Seeing the fuel bill from that truck will give me a depression," one person wrote.
"The question is … how people are allowed to import cars that are bigger than parking spaces in the first place," said one Redditor.
"You don't need a car this big to survive," another said matter-of-factly.
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