Why are giant US trucks and utes able to be sold in Australia?

A viral video has stirred up a debate over whether massive US pickup trucks are fit for Australian roads.

Social media has erupted once again over the big ute debate dividing Australia.

A TikTok clip, showing a Ram truck parked so far over the curb it blocked an entire pathway in Sydney, has amassed almost 300,000 views and more than 1000 comments.

Posted by chazzy.d.83, the clip poses the question: “Why are Rams even allowed to be sold?”

“If it doesn’t fit in a standard parking space, it should be registered like a truck,” one user said.

“Rego should be based on weight,” chimed another.

Others were quick to defend the truck.

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“Does nobody consider that people need bigger trucks for work? He could be a contractor, he has tools, he could even have a big boat,” wrote one commenter.

Another added “Even if they just want them because they like them - so what? It’s their money.”

This is the debate dividing Australia, on one hand they’re overkill for general run around and way too large for infrastructure. On the other, they have legitimate towing capacity, payload advantages and road presence.

Australia’s favourite ute, the Toyota HiLux has a maximum towing capacity of approximately 3,500kg. In comparison, the Ram 1500 has a braked towing capacity of 4500kg.

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But as we know, Australia is not built for these Yank Tanks, our parking bays are small and our underground car parks have height limits.

Recently, a City of Sydney councillor has revived a proposal to introduce higher parking fees for so-called “killer SUVs” and imported US pickups - vehicles that Greens councillor Matthew Thompson said are more likely to kill pedestrians and cyclists especially children.

A previous motion was knocked back 7-2, but Thompson has vowed to return with a more detailed plan.

Despite all of the noise around large utes on Aussie roads, Yank Tanks are not new.

Photo of Ford pick-up parked in Australian parking bay. Picture: Supplied

They began being imported into Australia in the 1970s with Ford assembling the F-250 and F-350 models.

However, these vehicles were not widely adopted due to their size but now there’s been a resurgence in interest, particularly for models like the Chevrolet Silverado and the RAM 1500 and 2500.

Some Aussies, love them.

They’re big, bold and perfect for tradies or regional drivers.

Plus, it’s legal to drive these 6-metre-long pickups with a standard licence.

But some Aussies see them as ridiculous, dangerous and not built for Australia.

Originally published as Why are giant US trucks and utes able to be sold in Australia?