I don’t really think it’s a straw man. If you look into it the vast majority of pickups are used to tow or haul once per year or less. People aren’t actually buying them for practical reasons.

Do you have a source? Have you spent time in the Midwestern, Sourthern, or Northeastern parts of the USA? Or is it that you live in the Bay Area, and the few people that own trucks in the Bay Area don't use them much?

I have spent less than a week of my life the Bay Area, so you can stop repeating that line. Here is a source: https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-siz...

> And they might also protest that trucks provide capabilities that other vehicles lack. But, as it turns out, a significant portion of truck owners never use their trucks for these capabilities. According to Edwards’ data, 75 percent of truck owners use their truck for towing one time a year or less (meaning, never). Nearly 70 percent of truck owners go off-road one time a year or less. And a full 35 percent of truck owners use their truck for hauling—putting something in the bed, its ostensible raison d’être—once a year or less.

> And a full 35 percent of truck owners use their truck for hauling—putting something in the bed, its ostensible raison d’être—once a year or less.

contradicts

>> the vast majority of pickups are used to tow or haul once per year or less.

According to your article, 65% of trucks are used for hauling multiple times every year.

well, you are right, I got that number wrong. I would guess that few of these couldn't also be achieved by, say, minivan with the seats down, given how few trucks have full-size beds (another hint they're not for work).

I have a truck without a full suze bed and use it for (personal) work at least once a week throughout the year, daily during logging and snow plowing season.

I might consider an electric truck, except that even new gas trucks are way outside my budget. It'll be at least a decade or two before even used electric trucks are reasonably priced.