SsangYong plotting world-first electric pick-up

Korea’s self-styled SUV specialist could put the likes of Tesla, Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford to shame with the world’s first all-electric ute.

The new battery-powered pick-up was confirmed by SsangYong’s managing director of product planning, Sungchin Park, during a media conference in South Korea recently, when the company outlined a range of new and updated models coming in the next five years.

More SUVs, more utes, a people-mover and an all-new high-tech hero model to rival the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-5, due in August 2019, will be part of the plan.

There’s a new people-mover under consideration for Australia, as well as an all-new D-segment seven-seat SUV to rival the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.

The ground-breaking new SsangYong EV ute, codenamed H100, is currently under development and will raise eyebrows, said SsangYong’s executive director of export markets, Daniel Rim.

“I can’t speak about technical features. We’re still developing this project. The original plan was to use the C-platform, but we’re looking at different options,” he said.

“A new platform for EVs will underpin it. I think it will be AWD,” added Rim, who wouldn’t be drawn on whether it will feature twin motors like some Tesla models, one for each axle.

With backing from its parent company Mahindra, SsangYong is planning to develop another electric vehicle on the EV platform -- most likely a Mazda CX-5 sized machine influenced by the e-SIV concept (pictured). It will arrive before the pick-up and there’s talk of a 2020 introduction in Australia.

In contrast, Rim said the EV ute won’t be ready to roll for another five years and it’s not guaranteed for Australia, but it may still give SsangYong bragging rights as the world’s first EV pick-up.

“Yes if Tesla doesn’t beat us to it. I’ve seen some concepts from Tesla, the pick-up truck concept. I think we are launching around 2023. It’s changing. It depends on different countries and their regulations,” he said.

Although EVs have failed to make an impact with Aussie buyers, Rim says the EV playing field will be very different in the coming years.

“EV currently is only one per cent [of new-vehicle sales] globally. When it gets to be five per cent it’s a different scenario. When it gets to 10 per cent it’s a whole other ballgame,” said Rim.

“The cost and the weight is going down, while the range is going up. Our target is 450km, NEDC, for a C-segment SUV.”

Whether that translates to an Australian introduction of the EV ute remains to be seen.

SsangYong Motors Australia managing director, Tim Smith, said that an EV ute would be a nice-to-have, rather than a must-have vehicle in Australia.

“I don’t think it would work now,” he said.

“But the market’s changing quickly. A hybrid or EV would work around town and if we had an LCV with an electric option and there’s market demand for it – everything would depend on market demand – then yes, certainly.”

The compact EV SUV is another story altogether, given Smith’s far more positive tone about its Australian introduction.

“Would I bring it here? Absolutely,” he said.

“If we’re talking about customer choice, we’d be mad not to at least work bloody hard to get that car here by 2020.”