Volkswagen looking to electrify Ranger-based Amarok

Volkswagen will soon take the camouflage off the second-generation Amarok and launch it for the 2023 model year. But even before the German automaker does that, they are already looking to make an all-electric version of the upcoming pickup truck.

The Amarok is based on the revised T6 Ranger and is a product of VW's partnership with Ford. VW says engineering studies are underway for the Amarok's Ford-developed chassis to support a battery pack and an electric motor.

In addition, the German carmaker said they're planning to have an Amarok EV on sale during the second generation's product lifecycle, which means the all-electric variant will arrive before 2030.

VW wrote off the possibility of a plug-in hybrid variant for the pickup truck as they apparently were not satisfied with the electric range that a plug-in hybrid could provide. In addition, emissions-based road taxes in European countries are set to penalize combustion-engined vehicles more, making an all-electric version a more viable option in the future.

Ford is already set to use the MEB electric platform of the VW ID.4 and ID.5 to build their future EV crossovers. This confirmation from Volkswagen opens up the possibility of a Ford Ranger EV as their alliance is also geared towards electrification.

Source: AutoCar UK