On several occasions we have stated that the pick-up segment, one of the most important in the United States, will be the first to be massively electrified in the coming years: there are more and more brands, both traditional and recently created, which confirm their plans to market electric vans in the short term.
Atlis XT, Bollinger B2, Chevrolet Silverado, Fisker Alaska, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra, GMC Hummer EV, Lordstown Endurance, Neuron EV T-ONE, Nikola Badger, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck … these are just some of the already confirmed models. Brands such as Karma and Nissan are also working on their electric pick-ups, and even RAM (FCA) is considering launching a battery-powered version of its popular 1500 model.
Everything seems to indicate that the next brand to join this trend will be Volkswagen, one of the most reliable companies betting on the electric car. According to Thomas Ulbrich, a member of the Volkswagen board, Rivian’s efforts to make an electric pick-up have caught the attention of the German brand.
Volkswagen would be interested in developing an electric truck; However, the future of its pick-up range is in Ford’s hands: as a result of the recent alliance between both companies, Ford will be in charge of the development of the Volkswagen Amarok, which from its next generation will be the sister of the Ford Ranger.
At the moment, it does not seem that the next Ford Ranger is going to be electric; However, the larger F-150 will receive a 100% electric version in 2022. Therefore, it is unreasonable to think that Volkswagen could have its version of that model, which would open the doors of a category in which it had not had a contender until now.
The majority of the Volkswagen Group’s electric models will be based on the MEB Entry, MEB, and PPE platforms, all of which are modular (the first for small cars, the second for medium-sized vehicles, and the third for luxury and high-performance models). As a result of the alliance with Ford, the American firm will use its German partners’ MEB platform in two electric cars that will be sold on the European market. At the same time, Volkswagen will do the same with its commercial vehicles.