Isuzu, a Japanese vehicle manufacturer, will unveil at the upcoming 45th Bangkok International Motor Show (March 27 to April 7 in Thailand) its first electric model—D-Max one-ton pickup truck.
The D-Max is a mid-size pickup truck that has been manufactured since 2002 in Thailand. The initial two generations shared their platform with the Chevrolet Colorado, while the current third generation is different and shares a platform with the Mazda BT-50.
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EV pickup segment expands
There are several all-electric pickup truck models available in the U.S., including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, and soon Ram 1500 REV. Most of them are full-size. However, the market also needs smaller models.
Isuzu says that the all-electric D-Max BEV version has been developed to meet a broad range of commercial and passenger vehicle needs while retaining the tough underlying performance expected of pickup trucks.
The vehicle is equipped with a dual-motor, full-time all-wheel drive system, with a peak power output of 130 kilowatts (40 kW front and 90 kW rear) and peak torque of 325 Nm (108 Nm front and 217 Nm rear). That's enough to offer a top speed of 81 mph (130 km/h) and take up to 2,204 lbs of cargo (1,000 kg) or tow up to 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg).
Interestingly, the battery pack is just 66.9 kilowatt-hours, although the manufacturer does not explain whether it's total or net battery capacity. Nonetheless, that's at least one step below the 98 kWh Standard Range battery used in the Ford F-150 Lightning full-size pickup (net capacity).
The 67 kWh capacity for a mid-size pickup might be enough for basic needs, although we would not expect much range, especially when towing. Isuzu does not provide any range estimates in its press release. The vehicle probably is targeted for local use and mostly shorter trips.
The Isuzu D-Max BEV is set for market launch in mainland European markets such as Norway in 2025. The model will also be available in the UK, Australia and Thailand (where most likely it will be produced alongside the internal combustion engine version). Isuzu says that the electric D-Max might be available in "other countries based on market needs and the maturity of EV charging infrastructure."
It's doubtful that the Isuzu D-Max BEV will enter the U.S. market, however, we are curious when we will see smaller all-electric pickup trucks because right now the target seems to be the full-size segment.
