An electric VW pickup truck—a model VW has not spoken about in any of its presentations—would undoubtedly exhibit the brand’s commitment to the North American market. As per a report from Motor Intelligence, trucks accounted for 79.1 percent of sales for the whole U.S. auto industry in Q1 2022, up from 77.1 percent from the same period in 2021. This is a segment VW of North America does not currently participate in.
That could, and should change as VW’s CEO Herbert Diess said the brand’s transition to making electric vehicles would be “fast” and “bigger than anything the industry has seen in the past century.”
VW Group CEO hints at a VW pickup truck
During a Reddit Ask Me Anything event held in February 2022, Diess was asked if there would be an electric truck similar to the Ford F-150 Lightning for North America. He replied, “Good Idea!”. In April 2022, the CEO was featured on CBS News, where the host (Lesley Stahl) brought up the topic of VW not having announced any plans to make an electric truck for the American market, to which Diess candidly said, “Not yet.”
For the new Amarok, VW has taken an efficient approach by partnering with Ford rather than pouring millions into a costly development process. Image – VW
VW America’s CEO is upbeat about an Electric VW truck
The company’s CEO may be noncommittal, but its North American executive has not hidden the enthusiasm for a potential electric truck. In an interview with Business Insider on April 16, 2022, VW Group of America CEO, Scott Keogh, said an electric VW pickup truck was a model the company was “actively looking at” and that it would be a “chance of a lifetime” to introduce such a model in the current EV transition era.
Keogh’s remarks indicate how the VW MEB electric architecture, which underpins vehicle sizes from the VW ID.3 to the upcoming ID. Buzz is flexible and allows the manufacturer to experiment with different body styles without heavy investments in engineering new platforms.
Gas-powered Ford Ranger & 2022 VW Amarok are twins
For its upcoming second-generation Amarok (which will not be sold in the U.S.), VW partnered with Ford for the platform, which by that time was ready with upgrades for its Ranger, and incidentally suited what VW required for a new Amarok, Ford’s chief platform engineer for Ranger, Ian Foston told Drive.com.au. This is a clear example of the challenges faced with internal combustion trucks, where costly R&D is required for a single product. The chassis/technology is often not shared among other models (in the case of Ford, the Ranger forms the basis for the Everest SUV, which is sold in Asia and Oceania, helping the company spread costs).
With the electric platform, especially VW’s MEB architecture which is modular to accommodate varying body sizes, the carmaker has a serious chance at entering the North American truck segment, which is also seeing new players with the like of Rivian, Tesla, and even carmakers like Hyundai and Kia having confirmed the development of electric trucks.
On the VW Tarok Concept truck
To date, the closest VW of North America has come to the truck segment is in the presentation of concept vehicles. In March 2018, at the New York Auto Show, the VW Atlas Tanoak concept was revealed, which, despite being well-received, was acknowledged by VW’s Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy, Hein Schafer, as not being capable as a body-on-frame truck and still needing considerable investments.
The Atlas Tanoak concept was quickly dismissed by VW for requiring significant investments and not being competitive with ladder-frame rivals. Image – VW
In 2019, VW presented the Tarok concept, a smaller truck (comparable to the Ford Maverick) catering to the lifestyle buyer. This was subsequently also written off for the American market, citing its niche segment with low priority. In 2021, the then VW of North America’s executive VP for sales and marketing, Duncan Movassaghi, stated that the brand would focus on expanding its electric lineup and keep ICE vehicles competitive than enter a low volume segment with the Tarok.
Likely to be made in the United States
What we know for certain is that VW’s electric pickup truck for the U.S. would be made in North America to avoid the chicken tax (a 25 percent tariff on light trucks imported to the USA in retaliation to the EU’s tariffs on American chicken imports, effected in 1964 by president Lyndon Johnson). Volkswagen’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is tooling up to produce MEB platform vehicles starting this year with the VW ID.4 and could be the perfect base for the electric truck.
Volkswagen is further developing the MEB platform to extract gains in range, charging power, and acceleration. Image: Volkswagen/Dr. Silke Bagschik’s presentation
The VW electric truck, courtesy of its MEB architecture which is constantly evolving, would ensure it is relevant against its rivals. With DC charging power soon exceeding 200 kW (currently at 170 kW), a highly-capable future AWD variant, and range options potentially exceeding the 300-mile mark on EPA, the VW ID. Buzz is a shining example of how serious the carmaker is in its approach to EVs. What remains to be seen is whether VW’s electric truck targets the lifestyle buyer (smaller footprint and a highway warrior) or takes the fight to large trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning or the Chevy Silverado EV.
Featured Image – VW
Keyword: Electric VW truck (pickup): What we know so far