Another electric ute dumped

Volkswagen has dropped plans to build an electric version of its Amarok ute.

Three years after publicly announcing that the eAmarok was to hit showrooms by 2026, the German brand’s commercial division has now confirmed the plans aren’t delayed but entirely scrapped.

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Speaking to CarsGuide at the recent launch of the new electric Transporter van (also co-developed with Ford), Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles boss Nathan Johnson reaffirmed recent comments from global CEO, Stefan Mecha, that “there's nothing at the moment” in terms of a battery-powered ute.

“You know, this platform that they're working on, and there are other opportunities within the Volkswagen brand from electrification and we’ll explore those. But nothing's on the cards just yet,” Johnson added.

It’s a major change from late 2022, when Johnson’s predecessor said there was a “massive” opportunity for the eAmarok and predicted Australia would be one of the five biggest markets for the ute globally.

However, since then the electric ute market has failed to materialise as anticipated. While the Ranger PHEV, BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV have brought hybrid technology into the segment with some success, fully electric models remain a niche proposition.

LDV was the first brand to offer a publicly available electric ute in Australia, the eT60. However, it cost more than $92,000 and the brand sold less than 100 examples of the vehicle in more than two years.

Toyota recently revealed the HiLux BEV, with a 144kW/474Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain but a limited driving range of only 240km. It is also expected to have a reduced payload capacity and reduced towing capability, which are key elements for many ute buyers.

Instead of worrying about the electrified ute market, Volkswagen Australia is turning its attention to its upcoming Walkinshaw-tuned version of the Amarok. The previous generation model was given performance enhancements from the company behind Holden Special Vehicles and the booming right-hand drive conversion business for Chevrolet, Ram and Toyota.