Mitsubishi’s first battery-electric pick-up due by 2028 will be based on the new Triton, but may not be called a Triton
Mitsubishi has confirmed it will offer a battery-electric version of its next-generation Mitsubishi Triton ute within the next five years, but effectively ruled out a hybrid version of Australia’s third most popular ute.
That means the replacement for Mitsubishi Australia’s best-selling model will eschew the Japanese brand’s trademark plug-in hybrid technology, and the new Mitsubishi Triton – which is expected to make its global debut around mid-2023
– will almost certainly be an all-diesel model when it arrives Down Under in early 2024.
Speaking with Australian media at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation’s head office in Tokyo recently, the car-maker’s Executive Officer responsible for Product Strategy, Koichi Namiki, said there is more demand for an all-electric version of Mitsubishi’s popular Triton ute than a plug-in hybrid.
“To be honest, plug-in hybrid, it’s a possibility. [But] As you might know, maybe in Australia too, some of the fleet companies [are] requiring a battery EV – pure-electric models for these kinds of commercial vehicles,” said Namiki-san.
“So we understand that there is a demand [for an electric ute], but [for a] PHEV pick-up truck at this point in time we don’t see a lot of demand.”
When Mitsubishi announced its mid-term business strategy to investors in mid-March, it promised to roll out 16 new models – including nine EVs – globally over the next five years (by March 2028).
The highlight of Mitsubishi’s ‘Challenge 2025’ product plan was a vehicle named ‘Pickup BEV’, which was shown under wraps alongside 15 other new models including the all-new Triton, which has been spied testing in Thailand and was also partly developed in Australia.
However, despite appearing to be bigger and boxier than the new Triton, Namiki confirmed the cloaked electric pick-up would indeed be based on the combustion-powered, ladder-frame Triton – rather than being a separate model – but said it may wear a different nameplate.
“Yeah, you can consider this [Pickup BEV] as a version of Triton,” said Namiki.
“Because you know, we can produce many vehicles based upon [the] size of the company, but we do have a plan to electrify the pick-up truck in the future. We are not sure if it will be called Triton or not.”
Separately, Mitsubishi officials quashed expectations that the new Triton would become available with a beefed-up version of the Outlander PHEV’s powertrain (or any hybrid system, including Nissan’s unique e-POWER range-extender EV tech, given Mitsubishi is developing the next Navara for its sister brand).
In fact, Mitsubishi’s global EV Powertrain Engineering boss, Takashi Shirakawa, said that while petrol-electric hybrid technology is vital right now, it isn’t necessarily in the Japanese brand’s long-term plan.
“We believe plug-in hybrid will not be a major powertrain, even in [the] future,” said Shirakawa-san.
“Battery EV is more simple and easy to understand, and just the problem is charging speed and cost, basically. So then if those gaps will be improved by technical evolution, maybe battery EV will have a major role with most of [the] ordinary customers.”
Until then, Shirakawa said PHEV powertrains would remain the manufacturer’s immediate priority.
“We are trying to stand out in [a] niche market until 2050,” he said.
“Some customers need PHEV and most OEMs do not put the priority on PHEV. If we continuously improve PHEV, our product may attract some customer[s] because PHEV has a standard compensation for break of performance of battery EV. Because battery EV is [an] excellent product; it’s quite [a] unique product.”
Shirakawa-san also alluded to the difficulties in packaging EV battery packs that are big enough to offer a decent range and low enough to maintain acceptable dynamics in a ladder-frame platform such as the Triton’s, leaving the door open for an entirely different electric ute based on an EV-style ‘skateboard’ platform from Mitsubishi after all.
“First of all, [ladder-] frame vehicle [makes it] difficult to sit down the battery pack. Like [an] American full-size pick-up [which uses a] skateboard structure, yes we can do [that],” said Shirakawa.
“But as I mentioned before, battery itself is heavier and [a] bigger vehicle has a huge penalty that comes from weight, so basically battery EV is not a good solution for bigger vehicle.
“We see some opportunity in battery EV frame vehicle, but at this stage we are still thinking how to make a product that’s useful and reasonable for customers.”
As previewed here in this speculative render from Russian media outlet Kolesa.ru – based on the camouflaged XRT Concept ute revealed two weeks ago – the all-new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton will be significantly larger, squarer and bolder than the model it replaces.
While a Ralliart-badged flagship – as suggested by the XRT concept – is expected from launch this time round, all new Triton variants are expected to be powered by the same four-cylinder turbo-diesel – most likely an upgraded version of the current model’s 2.4-litre engine with more competitive outputs of about 150kW/500Nm.
That should in turn also give the next Triton, which will spawn a new Pajero Sport off-road SUV in 2025, a competitive 3500kg towing capacity, while multiple transmissions, body styles and drivetrains are expected once again.
Only time will tell whether that’s enough for the first new Triton since 2015 to maintain or increase its sizeable market share in one of the world’s biggest ute markets alongside several other all-new utes due by 2025 – including a new Toyota HiLux and Kia’s first pick-up.
Digital images: Kolesa.ru
For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales’ Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast
Join the conversation at our Facebook page Or email us at [email protected]
Keyword: 2024 Mitsubishi Triton ute to go EV – but not PHEV