Hyundai's Electric Truck To Rival Ford Ranger Coming In 2024

Hyundai's Electric Truck To Rival Ford Ranger Coming In 2024

Hyundai officials have confirmed that an electrified pickup truck will hit the Australian market in 2024, with a full EV following a year later.

Hyundai Australia has confirmed that it will introduce an electrified pickup truck in 2024, reports CarExpert.

Addressing media at the Australian launch of the new Sonata, Chief Operating Officer John Kett said more details will be shared next year, so we could expect a reveal later in 2024.

“We think [the truck market is] heading down that path, and I think it’s quite exciting, isn’t it?” said Kett. Hyundai Australia’s COO has previously acknowledged that a fully electric pickup won’t work in isolation, so the brand will probably introduce a hybrid at first. It’s unknown at this stage whether the Hyundai truck will be a regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, but we’d bet on the latter.

That would make a lot of sense, as Hyundai will want to cater to as many people as possible, much like the Ford Ranger and similarly sized trucks do in Australia.

Ford has already revealed a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger, which is expected to launch in Europe in 2025. That’s still a while away, so Hyundai has time to knuckle down and develop its first-ever midsized pickup.

“Most people that are concerned about the electrification of automotive worry about the price entry point at one side and its ability to provide the applications that Australia needs. That announcement [demonstrates] that someone can do it – we haven’t heard about the capability of it.”

The announcement Kett is referring to is Chinese manufacturer BYD’s news that it will introduce a plug-in hybrid truck by the end of 2024, with a fully electric version in 2025. Hyundai may not be a trailblazer in this segment, but Kett is confident the Korean brand will make a move when the time is right.

“Most certainly, when we think about what we may or may not do, we think about pricing, but also concentrating on the capability, and when we’re ready to talk about it, I think we’ll meet both parts of the story,” he added. “What do they say? Build it, and the consumers will come? We’re getting closer, so just be patient.”

In the United States, Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz, a compact pickup that competes with the Ford Maverick. It’s practical for its size, but the unibody means it isn’t a true workhorse. If Hyundai wants to do well in markets like Australia, America, Thailand, and South Africa, the upcoming truck will have to adopt a tough and rugged unibody configuration.

Kia, owned and operated by Hyundai Motor Company, is already working on a new truck, reportedly called the Tasman. We expect the Hyundai to borrow heavily from its Kia-badged sibling to keep costs down. Expect a teaser for Kia’s new truck to be revealed soon.