At the recent reveal of the newly facelifted Isuzu D-Max, the head of the brand confirmed that it’s currently developing a fully electric version of the ute.
As reported by Auto Express, Isuzu President and COO Shinsuke Minami told the media: “Isuzu is actively taking efforts to realize a carbon-neutral society. Going forward, Isuzu plans to produce a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) pick-up truck in Thailand.
“Isuzu will first introduce it in Europe and then examine its gradual rollout by meeting the needs of each market, including Thailand.”
Minami didn’t go into any further detail about the EV ute, leaving its technical specifications to the imagination.
We’re also left in the dark as to whether Isuzu plans to share its upcoming electric platform with Mazda, considering the current generation D-Max and BT-50 utilise a common chassis.
In terms of launch timing, a separate report by Nikkei Asia states that the model will be released in Norway as soon as 2025. It will then be launched in Thailand, where utes makes up 40 per cent of all vehicle sales.
Isuzu has yet to confirm its plans to launch the electric D-Max outside of Europe and Thailand, leaving Kiwis unclear as to whether the model will be sold in New Zealand.
There’s still no word regarding a local launch of its newly facelifted diesel-powered model either, after making its debut recently.
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