But again the data we have isn't "they only tow a few times a year" it's they tow zero or for some a max of one time a year.
If I had to move a bunch of stuff 0 times a year I definitely don't need a pickup truck....but lots of people like that still buy em.
Certainly "zero" as a multiplier in any value equation negates that value for that application. However, 1 does fall on the scale, and I deliberately included hauling things in the bed as an example of a infrequently used application. I've also seen your argument made for folks only loading up for vacation a couple of times a year. Or going off road. There are several applications that may not be used often, but those events are higher on the "criticality" scale for the need to have a vehicle capable of that, hence it scores high on the criticality axis for having a vehicle that has that capability. And if, although each application is only used once a year, but you use several different applications, the collective value increases.
If I had to move a bunch of stuff 1 time a year I definitely don't need a pickup truck- I need a rental truck that one time because it's gonna be massively cheaper than taking the cost hit of owning a truck instead of a more practical vehicle for what I actually use a vehicle for the other 364 days a year.
You use "definitely" there as if it's a given. I don't believe it is. I had a travel trailer and tow rig. I don't believe I've seen rigs for rent that are necessarily set up for towing a large travel-trailer/5th-wheel, with appropriate suspension, shocks, brake controllers, tires, etc... that I'd also want to load my family up and drive across country for 2 weeks. I can certainly tell you that my comfort level in driving a rig like that I don't also maintain is close to zero.
That having been said, a quick search suggests a 3/4 ton runs a bit over $200/day. call it $1500/week with fees, taxes, etc... So a 1-2 week vacation will cost you $1500-3000 just in rental for a
single yearly vacation. Take the average of $2250 and multiply that by a 72 mo. loan and you're at ~$16K.
As for " masively cheaper", if talking purchase price, I've quite frankly seen luxury sedans go for as much or more than a nice tow rig. Heck, I paid more for my S than my F-350 Crew Cab Long Bed with turbo diesel... towing upgrades included. A Model Y is about $50K, lets say a Cybertruck is $70K. A quick search suggests a 3/4 ton runs a bit over $200/day. Call it $1500/week with fees, taxes, etc... So a 1-2 week vacation will cost you $1500-3000 just in rental for a
single yearly vacation. Take the average of $2250 and multiply that by a 72 mo. loan and you're at ~$16K... add that to your Model Y purchase price and your massive savings evaporates. So that argument doesn't hold.
As for operation costs, the cost to for "fuel" for the Cybertruck is already substantially lower than an ICE mid-size sedan. If I have solar on my roof, energy costs may approach zero, and EV maintenance costs are also quite low. So that argument doesn't really hold either.
I often see these "you don't use it often, just go rent" arguments from folks I suspect never towed/hauled/off-roaded. Have you?