Ford unveiled the Ranger for global markets in November 2021, but without saying anything about a plug-in hybrid setup. We now know it's officially going to happen at some point in 2023. However, the Amarok with which it shares the revised T6 platform won't follow suit since Volkswagen argues the unspecified electric range simply isn't enough. For the time being, the German ute will stick to four- and six-cylinder engines, topped by the V6 TDI.
Speaking with Autocar and Drive during a media presentation for the 2023 Amarok held in Wolfsburg, a member of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles' marketing team shared a juicy tidbit. Lars Krause said "we're looking at a pure electric version. It is still early, but it is something we are considering within the lifecycle."
2022 Ford Ranger global model
By having it on sale during the second-gen Amarok's product lifecycle, it can only mean the EV will arrive before the end of the decade. The new truck goes on sale towards the end of 2022, and should it have another 12-year lifecycle, it's going to stick around until the early 2030s. Logic tells us VW would launch the purely electric model before 2030 since it wouldn't make sense to have the EV on sale for only 2-3 years.
VW's representative is confident the 2023 Amarok's Ford-developed chassis can support a battery pack and electric motor: "We think it's possible. Obviously, we'd need to modify certain elements. But yes, we're seriously considering an electric variant.” Autocar speculates both electric trucks could be built by Ford in Michigan, but nothing is official at this point. The British magazine goes as far as to say the zero-emissions Amarok will be launched as early as 2025.
With Euro 7 regulations scheduled to come into effect in the not-too-distant future, an electric Amarok would certainly help VW Commercial Vehicles meet fleet emissions targets to avoid having to pay hefty fines. It's especially true since the PHEV variant has already been ruled out, so selling the truck in the European Union with an all-electric drivetrain seems logical.
In addition, emissions-based road tax in more and more European countries will penalize vehicles with combustion engines furthermore in the following years, thus making the Amarok EV more viable.
