A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Appeal of a bare‑bones EV truck

  • Many are genuinely excited by a simple, cheap, US‑made EV that’s closer to an old Ranger/kei truck than a luxury SUV.
  • Seen as ideal for: in‑city errands, campus/factory fleets, small trades, and as a second/third car in multi‑car households.
  • Strong nostalgia from people who loved Honda Fits, small Rangers/S‑10s, micro‑cargo vans, etc., and feel abandoned by today’s market.

Use cases, range, and limitations

  • Base pack: ~150 mi projected; extended: ~240 mi. Supporters say that easily covers the typical ~40 mi/day US driving if you charge at home.
  • Critics worry about:
    • Degradation, cold weather, and highway speeds cutting real range (especially with cargo).
    • 1,000 lb tow rating and modest payload vs traditional trucks.
    • Rear‑wheel drive only, no 4×4, limiting rural and off‑road utility.
  • Consensus: good “local tool,” poor fit as a sole family truck or road‑trip vehicle.

Price, incentives, and comparisons

  • The headline “$20k” is after the $7,500 federal credit; list price is about $27.5k and likely higher with options.
  • Some call that very competitive vs $30–40k+ new Tacomas/Mavericks; others note you can get used Tacomas, Fits, Bolts, Leafs, or trailers for similar or less.
  • Skepticism that a new US startup can actually hit that price once safety, tariffs, and low volume are real.

Minimalism, apps, and telemetry

  • Big enthusiasm for:
    • No giant touchscreen, no subscriptions, fewer ECUs, no built‑in modem.
    • Physical HVAC/controls and “bring your own tablet/speakers.”
  • Split on a companion phone app:
    • Pro: convenient for charge scheduling, preconditioning, diagnostics, updates via phone instead of in‑car modem.
    • Con: fear of creeping surveillance, cloud dependence, long‑term app rot, and “smart” features bricking the car.

Modding platform and design choices

  • Many view it as a “Framework laptop of trucks”: one chassis, bolt‑on SUV kit, extra battery modules, user‑installed stereos, wraps, racks, even DIY autonomy kits.
  • Plastic, unpainted body panels: liked for cheap wrapping and customization; others worry about brittleness and expensive crash repairs.
  • Manual windows/locks: celebrated by some as avoid‑failure simplicity, derided by others as needless penny‑pinching.

Regulation, safety, and market reality

  • Questions about crash performance, 5‑star goal, and how plastic panels behave in impacts with today’s massive trucks.
  • Long side‑discussion on how CAFE rules and the chicken tax pushed US buyers and automakers toward large trucks and away from small ICE pickups.
  • Repeated skepticism: render‑heavy marketing, non‑functional show car, ambitious timeline; fear it could join the list of EV vaporware.
  • Underlying debate: are Americans who say they want small, simple vehicles actually going to buy this, or will it remain a niche hit among enthusiasts and fleets?