An advocate for electric vehicles has recently criticized the increasing size of utility vehicles, arguing that these modern utes pose greater risks compared to the traditional work utes used by tradespeople. Sarah Aubrey, a prominent influencer in the electric car community, took to social media to express her concerns through a brief yet impactful video.
In her video, Aubrey contrasts the design of a classic Ford Falcon ute from the early 2000s with that of a contemporary Ford Ranger Raptor dual-cab ute, questioning the necessity of the significant size increase over the years. Pointing to the older model, she nostalgically asks viewers, “Do you remember when utes looked like that?”
She emphasizes that the Falcon represents a typical tradie’s vehicle, built for functionality and practicality. Aubrey’s critique intensifies as she turns the camera to the newer, bulkier Ranger Raptor, highlighting the stark difference in design. “Why do they look like that now, when they used to look like this?” she questions, suggesting that the original design was already perfectly suited for its purpose.
Through her video, Aubrey aims to spark a conversation about the evolution of utes and their impact on safety and practicality, urging viewers to reconsider the current trajectory of vehicle design. Her message resonates with those who advocate for more sustainable and safer vehicle choices.
She then shows a newer Ford Ranger Raptor dual-cab ute, built about 20 years later.
‘Why do they look like that, when they used to look like that? Why do they look like that when they were perfectly usable as that,’ she said.
Ms Aubrey claimed that the smaller Falcon ute was ‘safer’ than the Raptor ute.
‘That is much safer for pedestrians and cyclists because it’s like a car,’ she said, before pointing at the Ranger again.
Sarah Aubrey filmed a short video calling out newer utes, which she shared on social media.
Ms Aubrey compared the newer Ford Ranger (left) with an older Ford Falcon ute (right)
Ms Aubrey called a Ford Ranger Raptor a ‘vanity wagon’
‘Look at the height of that, even just compared to that Falcon ute, look at the height.
‘So weird how that old ute is perfectly functional and is being used by an actual builder,’ she said.
‘Almost like it’s way more practical and has a far larger tray than the vanity wagon behind it. After all, aren’t they meant to be for work?’
She went on to highlight some of the safety issues she claimed were associated with modern utes.
‘Why have utes gotten so big and so high? As a consequence, they’re much more dangerous to everyone else on the road, for pedestrians, cyclists and for people in normal-sized cars.
‘They have appalling blind spots and high hoods which increase the risk of fatalities.’
She said because of this, ‘road and pedestrian deaths are rising, and unfortunately so are our emissions’.
‘If we want to decarbonise we need to make it safer for people to walk and cycle or to choose a smaller car. This race to the bottom for the biggest vehicle is having catastrophic consequences.’
Raptor fans swear by its off-road prowess – built for adventure, not just the worksite
Melbourne car enthusiast Stephano Calabro lashed out at Ms Aubrey’s video, telling Daily Mail that manufacturers sell larger utes because ‘people want to drive them’
The video has been viewed nearly 67,000 times and sparked hundreds of comments, with some backing the EV campaigner and others criticising her.
‘I was driving my little Corolla, and I got sideswiped by a ute that took off my mirror. As well as putting the wind up me. Yep, the ute was so high, it couldn’t see me,’ one said.
‘I’d say 95 per cent of those truck utes I see on the road, have never seen a ladder in them,’ a second said.
But others said that she was ignoring the key problem.
‘The older ute is actually not safer,’ one said.
‘The amount of safety built into these new cars is such that if an ant crosses the road, they beep and slow down and put the brakes on. I’d love to see the old Ford Falcon do that.’
A second said: ‘You’ve got a vendetta against tradies for some reason. I never used to hear you complain about the massive 4WD vehicles that existed on our roads long before we started driving dual cabs.’
‘The older Ford utes are fantastic and run forever, only two-seater though,’ a third said.
Ms Aubrey said ‘road and pedestrian deaths are rising, and unfortunately so are our emissions’ due to the newer utes
‘The other ute is family-friendly and can also be used for camping, and has a larger towing capacity. Different horses for different courses.’
Others suggested cyclists were the problem on the road.
‘Cyclists would be a lot safer if they stayed on the cycle paths that each state pays millions of dollars to install. But 80 per cent of cyclists don’t use them, go figure.’
Melbourne car enthusiast Stephano Calabro lashed out at Ms Aubrey’s video, telling the Daily Mail that manufacturers sell larger utes because ‘people want to drive them’.
‘They wouldn’t sell them if we didn’t want them, I think people should mind their own business when it comes to what people want to drive,’ Mr Calabro told the Daily Mail.
‘I like my Nissan Navara, I can see everything clearly, and it’s good for going off-road.’
Ms Aubrey’s comments follow the Electric Vehicle Council’s call on governments nationwide to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
While the council has stopped short of calling for petrol and diesel utes and trucks to be banned, it has not ruled out making that demand in the future.
Mr Calabro told Daily Mail the council’s electric car proposal makes him ‘feel very uncomfortable and very angry’.
‘I love my four-wheel driving, I love my petrol cars, I love my diesel cars, and with electric cars you spend more time at the charging stations than actual driving, instead you go to a service station, you fill up, and five minutes later you’re gone,’ he said.
‘Electric cars can’t go long distances – they’re great for the city – but they’re still not great for the economy, whereas petrol and diesel cars you can pretty much do anything with them really.’
