Hyundai isn’t exactly the first brand you’d think about when someone says the word pickup truck. However, that hasn’t stopped the South Korean automaker from dipping its toes in the highly competitive market. After all, it has done so with the Santa Cruz, a compact, unibody light-duty pickup.
But it seems that the company wants to have a go at a different segment of the pickup class. During Hyundai’s most recent CEO Investor Day presentation, it said that it will further expand its drive towards electric vehicles and expand EV platforms in the coming years. The company is working on what’s called the IMA platform, a new modular chassis for battery powered vehicles.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Traffic violations shot up after no-contact apprehension policy suspension, says MMDA
Despite the Zenix’s arrival, Toyota will continue to sell the diesel-powered Innova in PH
During the presentation, the company hinted at making an electric pickup truck down the line. With that, it doesn’t seem likely that the EV pickup will be a traditional body on frame model, which is what Kia will launch by 2025.
There is no exact launch year just yet, but the new platform will "encompass nearly all vehicle classes, ranging from small and large SUVs to pickup trucks, along with the flagship models of the Genesis brand". With that in mind, we’re more likely to see a unibody pickup. It remains to be seen if it will be the same size as the current Santa Cruz or a larger model.
If Hyundai wants in on the electric pickup movement, it has to move in as fast as it can. Ford, Chevrolet, and Ram already have EV trucks, and their offerings are full-sized too. Then there’s further electrification in smaller truck classes. For instance, Ford is the first in the compact class with the Maverick Hybrid, while the midsize segment has the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid.
