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For sure! F = μN, so if the weight of the vehicle is too low there will be very little friction force keeping the tires from losing traction while breaking accelerating and turning. Practically speaking, it's common to load your pick-up truck with sand bags in snowy environments in order to increase the amount of weight on the back tires since some models of pick-ups don't have much weight in the back half. Personally, I have fishtailed off the road when there was nothing in the truck bed in icy weather.



Indeed F = μN, but also F = ma, so you don't need as much F to accelerate a lighter vehicle (that is, one with lower m).

What you're describing about your pickup is the balance of weight, not the total weight.


You are forgetting forces to overcome effects which are independent of mass. For example, you might find that your car is blown off the road by a light breeze.


Hah, yeah, an earlier version of my post said something about external/edge effects as you approach 0 mass, but I didn't think it was germane to my main point.

> For example, you might find that your car is blown off the road by a light breeze.

We should be so lucky! An EV as light as a bike...


I wonder where the danger point really is. I've driven some lighter, smaller cars that were borderline dangerous in a stiff crosswind.




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