VW Talks US Pickup Again And It Could Be A Range-Extender EV
VW is keen to build new hybrid SUV models in the United States
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by Brad Anderson
The company has been mulling over a pickup in the US for several years.
This new model could be inspired by the Atlas Tanoak Concept from 2019.
Hybrid versions of the Atlas and Tiguan will launch in the coming years.
VW has confirmed plans to launch two new hybrid models in the United States within the next few years as it works to regain ground in a segment it previously stepped away from. The German automaker is also still considering the possibility of introducing a pickup truck to the North American market, though that model has not yet received approval for production.
Read: New VW Amarok To Gain A GT Performance Variant From Walkinshaw
The brand is no stranger to pickups. Volkswagen currently sells the Amarok in several global markets, including Australia, and has already previewed a new generation aimed at South America. In 2018, it unveiled the Atlas Tanoak concept, followed by the Tarok concept in 2019.
Pickup Dreams
Speaking with Car and Driver on the sidelines of the New York Auto Show, Volkswagen Group of America president and CEO Kjell Gruner said the possibility of a pickup truck is still under consideration. “That’s one of the growth options we are discussing,” Gruner said. While no official decision has been made, he added, “That’s a discussion we are having this year.”
Gruner also noted that if VW does move forward with a truck, it wouldn’t have to follow the traditional body-on-frame formula. Instead, it could feature unibody construction and be offered as a range-extender EV.
“We need to find the synergies with other vehicles we have in the market, from the platform side, the manufacturing side, to make it viable,” Gruner told the magazine. “Especially if you look at battery-electric vehicles, I would argue you don’t need body-on-frame because you have rigidity anyway from the skateboard platforms.”
One of the more straightforward options would be to build a VW pickup on the same platform and with the same powertrain as the upcoming Scout models. However, since both the Scout Terra and Traveller use body-on-frame construction, Volkswagen likely wants to avoid creating internal competition, at least until the new brand has had a chance to gain traction in the market.
VW showed the Amarok Tanoak concept at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
Hybrid Plans Take Priority
It’s not just the possibility of a pickup that American consumers can look forward to. During the same interview, Gruner said new hybrids are just around the corner. They will be the first hybrid models VW has sold in the US since the Jetta Hybrid was axed a decade ago.
The two new models are expected to be based on the Tiguan and Atlas. It will follow the lead of other car manufacturers, including Hyundai, focusing on traditional hybrids rather than plug-in hybrids.
Interestingly, Gruner added that while it would be faster to import these vehicles directly from Europe, they want to build them in North America. In theory, this shouldn’t be too difficult, as the Atlas is built in Tennessee and the Tiguan is manufactured in Mexico.
This approach could help VW streamline production and improve competitiveness in a market that continues to shift toward electrified options, even as full EV adoption faces headwinds.
