Volkswagen is nearly ready to unveil the second-generation Amarok, a pickup sold in a long list of global markets. While the truck will launch with four- and six-cylinder engines, the Wolfsburg-based company confirmed that it’s debating whether to release an electric version of it. The Amarok is not expected to be sold in the U.S. market.
“We’re looking at a pure electric version. It’s still early, but it is something that we are considering within the [Amarok’s] life cycle,” revealed Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ board member for marketing, in a recent interview with Australian website Drive.
Krause added that, if built, the electric Amarok will be the only electrified model in the portfolio. He all but ruled out launching a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid truck because his team is “not satisfied with the electric range” of the setup that Ford will reportedly use. Volkswagen’s next-generation Amarok and Ford’s new Ranger are closely related under the sheet metal, though they shouldn’t look anything alike.
What’s clear is that an electric option will not be offered at launch. However, building an Amarok that runs on batteries is technically feasible, according to the same report. “Obviously we’d need to modify certain elements,” Krause explained, but the body-on-frame architecture can take a large lithium-ion battery pack and an electric powertrain. If it’s possible in the Volkswagen, it’s likely possible in the Ford; the two trucks share a number of parts. Ford hasn’t commented on the odds of seeing an electric version of the newest Ranger, though.
“Yes, we are seriously considering an electric variant,” summed up Krause.
In the meantime, the next-generation Amarok is scheduled to launch at the end of 2022 with a global engine palette that will include one gasoline-burning and four diesel-powered options with displacements ranging between 2.0 and 3.0 liters. Longer than its predecessor, the truck will offer rear-wheel-drive and permanent all-wheel-drive options and either two or four doors, though not every configuration will be offered in every market.
Source: www.autoblog.com