LA MOTOR SHOW: Plug-in Karma pick-up teased

Just a day after it unwrapped the stunning Karma SC2 Concept at the LA motor show, Karma Automotive has followed up its hypercar with a tease of an all-new pick-up truck.

Little is known about the Ford F-150 rivalling pick-up Karma has been secretly readying,  other than it will get an advanced hybrid engine and is being developed under the codename 'EREV Conversion Project'.

Claimed to demonstrate the flexibility of the car-maker's next-generation plug-in hybrid powertrain, it's thought the futuristic pick-up will be powered by a range-extender hybrid powertrain.

That means that in most circumstances the pick-up will run on pure-electric power alone and rely on a small petrol engine to charge its batteries on the move when charge runs low.

Developed at the car-maker's Californian headquarters, it's not yet known if the EREV Conversion Project will translate into a real production vehicle but the teasing images suggest a realistic design for a pick-up.

Featuring a short, stubby front bonnet, ultra-slimline front headlights, a roof with solar panels and an illuminated 'Karma' logo, the pick-up sports an unusual belt line and sporty rear window.

The only fly in the ointment, for those who actually buy pick-ups, is the fact the EREV gets an impractically short rear bed that would trouble even a lifestyle ute buyer.

It's not known what platform the Karma pick-up is based on but the hybrid utility could be underpinned by the car-maker's all-new dedicated pure-electric architecture that may have been developed to package a small range-extending petrol engine.

There's no word on when the pick-up could arrive if it was green-lit for production, but 2022 could be a realistic ETA.

Commenting on the concept, Karma CEO Lance Zhou said: “Extended-range powertrains represent a smart alternative to full battery systems, especially in larger vehicles used by businesses and fleets.”

It's thought that as well as potentially previewing a future production pick-up, Karma Automotive will use the forthcoming concept as a tool to help sell its future tech to other car-makers.

Following the relaunch of the brand back in 2015 the car-maker has created Karma Technology, Karma Design, Karma Innovation and Customisation and Karma Capital consultation services for other brands.