Ute

On seeing it, Henry Ford remarked to his American designers they needed to pay attention to, quote, the kangaroo chaser.

The idea was not unique to Ford in the 1930s, as other makes such as Hudson's Terraplane chassis and engines were imported into Australia and fitted with Ute bodywork, and Studebaker's Coupe Express based on their Dictator car with passenger compartment but not the integrated bed.

But for nearly 17 years, Ford had the market in Australia to themselves.

Updating their ute as their cars updated through the 40s, in 1951, Holden introduced a competitor based on their 48215 model, and in 1952, the Chevy Style Line Special Coupe Utility.

And between 78 and 87, over two generations, Subaru sold the Brat with four-wheel drive and based on their Leon wagon and added jump seats to the bed to avoid import tariffs.

And then they tried again with the Baja between 2002 and 2006 based on the Outback wagon.

Honda's Ridgeline truck shares a unibody chassis with the Pilot and the Odyssey, and even Toyota floated a new Ute concept in 2003 with the X-Runner.

Designed by Toyota Australia, it was based on the Avalon.

An extra 10 centimeters in vehicle length was linked to about 11% increase.

Ute's and US-style pickup trucks were associated with about a 60% higher pedestrian fatality risk than conventional passenger cars.

The trend matters as Australia's vehicle fleet grows.

The average weight of passenger vehicles involved in Victorian pedestrian crashes increased by about 130 kilograms between 2012 and 2024.

They're much closer than the family car they might have got out of, or even the little runabout car.

The average footprint of light vehicles in Australia has increased by 7%.

And it's almost 18%, though, for Utes and US-style pickups.

I passed a big pickup, a Ram, today as I just walked to work.

We want our Unity nuclear battery to be the F-150 truck of the nuclear industry.

The microreactor on the Ute is called the Unity Nuclear Battery.

One megawatt with a target cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour.

It is expected to run for five years before refuelling, and the plan is to sell them commercially starting in 2028.

You're defending a badge so hard you've got brand loyalty coming out of your ears like a rash.

Boys, boys, before someone throws a spanner.

What about the actual humans in Matt's orbit? Jamie, Justin, Norm? Because I feel like this is less about Utes and more about whose dick is longer at the barbecue.

Oh, it is absolutely about appendages.

Always was.