Ford and Volkswagen currently have a collaboration agreement in three strategic sectors: commercial vehicles, electric cars, and autonomous driving. For this reason, some of its latest vans are joint developments (Ford Connect and Volkswagen Caddy), something that will increase in the future, as the Ranger and Amarok pick-ups will also become sisters in their new generations.
Developed by Ford Australia, these models will only differ from each other by their design, because under the skin they will be identical. Although initially they will only be marketed with gasoline and diesel engines, it has been confirmed that they will also have 100% electric versions, thus becoming a smaller and more affordable alternative to proposals such as the Ford F-150 Lightning.
“We are interested in [launching] a purely electric version. It’s still early days, but it’s something we’re considering within the lifecycle, “ explained Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles board member responsible for marketing, following the publication of the first details of the second-generation Amarok.
It is interesting to note that while the Ranger will indeed get a plug-in hybrid variant from 2023, Volkswagen has decided to dispense with the mechanical option, which is in line with its current goal of prioritizing pure electric car sales instead. the detriment of plug-in hybrids.
The electric Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok could hit the market in 2025
According to Krause, this decision responds to the fact that a plug-in hybrid Amarok would not offer a long enough range in electric mode. “Right now, we are not satisfied with the electric range of the plug-in hybrid model. I would never say never, but we are looking more for a fully electric version. We believe it is possible. We would need to modify certain elements. But yes, we are seriously considering an electric variant .”
The truth is that, until now, most manufacturers have focused on the development of large electric pick-ups ( half-ton ) for the US market: Chevrolet Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck… Therefore, the new Ranger and Amarok would be pioneers in their category… were it not for the launch in 2023 of the expected EBRO electric pick-up, a model developed in Spain based on the chassis of the current Nissan Navara that will be manufactured in Barcelona and offered in markets as diverse as Africa, Europe, and South America.
