Volkswagen E-Amarok expected within years

VOLKSWAGEN could offer an electric or electrified hybrid version of the new-generation Volkswagen Amarok in the coming years – and the brand is leaning more towards a pure EV, GoAuto has learned.

The 2023 VW Amarok pick-up range has launched in Australia with a choice of three turbocharged diesel engines and a petrol option, but none of the current powertrains have any form of electrification.

But that does not mean the German brand’s commercial vehicles arm is not planning on adding a more environmentally focused option in due course.

The new, second-generation Amarok ute is the product of a collaboration with Ford, and the latter has stated in the past that the underpinning architecture of the new-gen Ranger and Amarok products is ready for electrification.

Indeed, the Ranger is expected to receive a plug-in hybrid powertrain from 2024 in Australia, although specifics on the powertrain remain under wraps.

It is not clear, either, if the Ranger – which the Blue Oval brand calls a “global product” – will also have a battery electric vehicle (BEV) option though it seems almost inevitable, given the very label the brand has put on its pick-up truck.

Being that the Ranger and Amarok share a platform, it would make sense that the VW model would, in theory, also be in line for some form of electrification as part of the future product rollout, and Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles director, Ryan Davies, said the company is more likely to go for a BEV rather than a hybrid.

“Our team in Hannover have outlined that if either were to be an option, they would be following the BEV path. We haven’t heard anything further on that topic at this point, but like every new product, we have to do an assessment on what the business case for that is,” he said.

“Whether it be BEV or hybrid – and I think this is an area where things may change a little bit as well, who knows – but an Amarok with BEV application doesn’t just have a market in Australia, it’s got a global market that would be applicable.

“It’s an interesting topic, and one that, arguably, Australia wouldn’t be a major player in because Europe is such a high-demand market for BEV or PHEV, that could be the reason why they adopt that strategy. But we’d be all over it, whether it be BEV or PHEV.”

Mr Davies outlined the brand’s plans for electric models in its range that will arrive before any such electrified Amarok, including two different electric van products that will appeal to different markets and audiences.

“We will start production at the end of next year for I.D. Buzz and I.D. Cargo, so that’s confirmed, to introduce those vehicles in early 2025, quarter one, 2025,” he said of the new-generation products that are fully electric and look different to anything we have ever seen from the VW commercial arm.

“Around about the same time, we’ll also launch the new Transporter to the market. And what the engine line-up looks like there is still to be determined and confirmed… but diesel is going to be a large part of the commercial vehicles sector for some time,” he said.

“We haven’t rolled out what the next-gen Transporter range will look like, but that will be done by the end of the year I would say. We don’t anticipate what we have now disappearing from the next-gen Transporter range, but what the engine variants are still remains to be seen.”

Commercial vehicles with electric powertrain choices are starting to filter through into the Australian market, with Chinese brand LDV being the first to market with a dual-cab ute, the eT60, while also selling a large commercial van, eDeliver 9.

Of course, there have been others: Renault has offered fleet customers the option of the Kangoo ZE electric van for years, though with limited success; Peugeot will soon add its ePartner BEV to local showrooms; Mercedes-Benz now offers an electric version of its Vito midsize van, called eVito; and Ford has the e-Transit large van arriving here soon, while the smaller e-Transit Custom EV van is due here in 2024.