Volkswagen Says It Will Not make The Amarok EV Variant

Volkswagen has made a U-turn in its plans, abandoning the development of a fully electric and plug-in hybrid version of the global Amarok model.

The Germans have confirmed that instead of electrification, the popular pickup truck in the current generation will remain faithful exclusively to diesel and gasoline engines, which, at least for now, delays its entry into the electric era.

This decision is interesting because the global Amarok shares a platform with the Ford Ranger, which offers a plug-in hybrid option. Ford’s system combines a 2.3-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor and an 11.8 kWh battery, enabling up to 40 kilometers of electric-only driving. Initially, there was interest in Volkswagen adopting this technology, but it has since declined.

Nathan Johnson, director of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand, confirmed that CEO Stefan Mecha “has made it clear… that PHEV and BEV Amarok are no longer being considered at this time, in this generation,” emphasizing that it is a global decision.

The possibility of electrification is not entirely ruled out. Johnson suggested that this could change with the introduction of the next-generation Amarok, expected to arrive by the end of the decade. Since the current model was launched in 2022, its successor is still a few years off. By that time, electrification in the mid-size pickup segment is likely to become standard, making a hybrid or all-electric version almost unavoidable.

While the global market remains without an electrified Amarok, a completely different story is brewing in South America. There, Volkswagen is continuing to develop the first generation of the model, and a completely new hybrid successor has already been announced for 2027. This model will be based on a platform from Chinese manufacturer SAIC, Volkswagen’s partner, and will be produced at the General Pacheco plant in Argentina.

Although it will share its underpinnings with Chinese models such as the Maxus Interstellar X and LDV Terron 9, Volkswagen will apply its own design language. It is important to note that this new hybrid Amarok will be available exclusively in South American markets, thus avoiding overlap with the global version.

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