A new generation of super-sized US-style pick-up trucks is taking over Australian roadsthe humble ute, but they’re triggering mass outrage.
Aussies have long been in love with the humble ute, but a new generation of super-sized US-style pick-up trucks are taking over our roads, and they are sowing serious division.
But whether you love them or hate them, the monster vehicles seem to be here to stay – with big brands ramping up manufacturing to keep up with soaring sales.
American-style pick-up trucks are taking over Australian roads, and not everyone is a fan of the monster vehicles. Picture: Channel 9
In the last year to June, sales of American “pick-up trucks” – like the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet’s Silverado – have boomed, up 85 per cent on the same period last year.
That is according to 9 News, which also reports that truck manufacturers refit around 1200 vehicles each month – because the vehicles are imported as left-hand-drive models and need to be converted to right-hand-drive to suit Australian roads.
In 2021, General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) reported 2118 Chevrolet Silverado sales. In late 2022, the 5000th locally-remanufactured vehicle came off the assembly line in Victoria.
Meanwhile, RAM Trucks revealed in October 2022 that 604 units had been sold in September – up 45 per cent on 2021 year to April 2023, with a total of 17,115 RAMs sold to Australian customers since production began.
This surge in demand has seen other car brands take notice, with one of America’s best-selling vehicles – the Ford F-150 pick-up – on its way to Australian shores this year. It is expected to be followed by the Toyota Tundra in late 2023 or early 2024.
While Queensland started as the biggest market for the big vehicles, Victoria and NSW have since taken over; even in metro areas, much to the disapproval of locals.
Adam Davey, who owns a Silverado Chevrolet, told 9 News he preferred the American brand because of its towing capabilities.
“Absolute weapon of a tow vehicle. If these trucks shouldn’t be on city roads neither should buses,” he reasoned.
“The smaller vehicles do get pushed around a lot by the heavier load on the back.”
He urged those concerned by the high fuel consumption of the US trucks to “get a Prius”.
But not everyone is on his side.
Social media has been flooded with complaints about the massive vehicles, with many users sharing photos of the obnoxiously-parked trucks and slamming them for taking up multiple spots.
The Ford F-150 is one of America’s best-selling vehicles, and it is heading down under.
Drivers are snapped and called out for overhanging another car space in a crowded car park, or taking up multiple spaces by parking on top of lines.
Some pick-up drivers seem to cruise the “stupid American trucks” through carparks to pull up wherever they please.
Aussies are not happy by the pick-up drivers’ obnoxious parking. Picture: Reddit
The trucks have been slammed for their impractical size. Picture: Reddit
On one Reddit thread, commentators pointed out these vehicles were “bigger than the Australian Standard parking spaces” which were designed to accommodate the largest 4WDs or small vans from about 2004.
While Aussies are probably most familiar with utes being the vehicle of the tradies, so could maybe understand the pick-ups being a super sized version, Reddit users said the trucks were definitely not going on job sites.
“Not a tradie vehicle. Probs an upper manager of some building group who has never touched a tool other than his own,” one frustrated Australian wrote.
“Not even an upper manager. Can be some eshay kid of cashed-up bogans,” another responded.
The American-style trucks are apparently bigger than the standard Australian parking space. Picture: Channel 9
Others said they were the vehicle of “insecure white collar workers”, and another wrote they were for “Boomers towing a 200k caravan”.
“I’ll be honest, 99 per cent of tradies I work with f***ing hate these things. It’s usually some 60-year-old grey nomad that thinks his 900kg Jayco popup needs a vehicle that barely fits in an Australian lane to pull it.”
The vehicles have become so ubiquitous they’ve been dubbed an “emotional support vehicle” (ESV for short), mockingly implying owners of these cars only buy them to compensate for their own shortcomings – even that they were “used to carry fragile egos”.
“These ESVs make me irrationally angry. I can’t fathom the type of t*rd who buys these,” one furious commentator wrote.
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But their massive size has only seemed to make more of a splash – for buyers and road users. Picture: Channel 9
A variety of other creatively insulting nicknames have also been termed, including “Seppo” (short for septic tank, which rhymes with Yank), “Yank tanks” and “freedumb trucks”, as well as a string of others that are too crude to publish.
“ … this isn’t about utility, it’s just being about saying a big agressive f**k you to everyone else,” another user wrote.
But there are some fans of the pick-up trend, singing the praises of “the best cars around”.
Keyword: Aussies split over the super-sized US pick-up trucks clogging Aussie roads