Not buying it

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49066325)

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

1. Urban Environment and Infrastructure:

Limited Space:

European cities are characterized by narrow streets, tight parking spaces, and smaller roads, making it difficult to maneuver and park large pickup trucks.

Urban Focus:

A significant portion of the European population lives in urban areas, where smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles are better suited for daily commuting and errands.

2. Cost and Fuel Efficiency:

Higher Fuel Prices:

Fuel costs are generally higher in Europe compared to the US, and pickup trucks, with their often larger engines, tend to be less fuel-efficient, making them more expensive to run.

Taxes and Import Duties:

Import duties and taxes on vehicles, particularly those considered large or luxury, can be substantial, further increasing the cost of owning a pickup truck.

3. Cultural Differences:

Vehicle Usage:

In some European countries, pickup trucks are primarily seen as commercial vehicles for work purposes, rather than a general-purpose vehicle for everyday use like in the US.

Alternatives:

Europeans may prefer smaller vans or multi-space vehicles for transporting goods or equipment, or they might utilize trailers towed by smaller cars, which are more common and practical in their environment.

Safety Concerns:

Some European countries have stricter regulations regarding vehicle size and safety, and large pickup trucks may not always meet these standards.

4. Growing Popularity (with caveats):

Emerging Trend:

While still not as common as in the US, pickup trucks are becoming more popular in Europe, particularly among certain demographics and for specific purposes.

Lifestyle Vehicles:

Some manufacturers are marketing pickup trucks as lifestyle vehicles, appealing to those who enjoy outdoor activities or need a vehicle for both work and leisure.

Specialized Uses:

Pickup trucks are also used by tradespeople and businesses that require hauling equipment or goods, but even in these cases, smaller vans or specialized vehicles may be preferred.

In summary, while pickup trucks are not as prevalent in Europe as they are in North America, their presence is growing, driven by changing consumer preferences and the availability of more versatile and fuel-efficient models.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49064754)

ChatGPT can say "North African and Middle Eastern immigrants" here.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49067052)

2. Europeans are Poor, so if they drive it's something small af

3. Many Europeans don't drive even if they aren't Poor

4. Europe has $8/gallon gas

5. Europe has Displacement Tax sometimes

6. Europe has Small Parking Spaces

7. Non-work trucks only got popular in like 1999 in the U.S. due to a combination of factors - the SUV zeitgeist, prole drift, prole overcompensation for economic Ruin, and the decline of sedans. Large sedans and personal luxury coupes were loathed by Gen X and later boomers and car reviewers. Euro/Jap cars were seen as superior because of Handling and Engineering even if they vibrate hard af on a smooth straight road and have weak air conditioning, couches on wheels became a Joke. Trucks replaced couches on wheels. If a prole couldn't have his weirdly-named domestic Car with allusions to pre-WWI royalty and Sabre-wielding grenadiers like Cutlass Supreme or Grand Marquis without being a joke, then he'd drop the pretense of being an emissary of the Crown of Queen Victoria and just double-down on his Scumminess. IOW, the Clique System was becoming more and more salient. You couldn't just be a Normal Guy who smoked 3 packs a day and had an ashtray in the armrest of his Lesabre, being both Educated or Uneducated and handy around the house with meaty hands and no tattoos and whose wife doesn't cheat on him and making like $50k in 1978 dollars. No more Normal Bros are allowed after the End of History. Clique Stratification is how we play the zero-sum game of modernity. Technology no longer advances. It Disrupts. The Engineers of old created and displaced infrastructure. In the age of the Loser, we can only displace one another. Hence, we Stratify in order to avoid ignominy and Loseriness. This segues to the State of Gaming btw, which I'll leave for another day.

—cowgod

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49068442)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49072086)

In big cities like Rome, the streets were laid out for donkeys or whatever. Zero parking lots, few garages. You need to RAM your vehicle into whatever tiny space available, and finding a spot for a 1500 or F150 would mean driving around the entire day and still failing. It would be hard even to move down streets.

Small towns are no different. The residential and commercial buildings are all packed in tight. No place to park, and you also need to navigate tiny streets barely wide enough for one car. People hop their little smartcars onto sidewalks all the time to get past ongoing traffic. Meanwhile four scooters are zipping around them.

There is a lot of open and empty rural space, tho. Idk why they dont have trucks out there. Probably just too expensive to buy them, and lack of infrastructure to build or import them to sell to city dwellers means even more expense.

The market conditions just dont support pick ups

Having one would be like having a school bus in the US as your personal vehicle. Major pain in your ass as nothing is built to accomodate you

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49068453)

Note that equivalent models cost almost double what they would in the US though.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49071501)

The average European makes like 40k

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5745128&forum_id=2...id#49072043)