Does the New Isuzu EV Pickup Truck Make Sense in America?
The Isuzu brand hasn’t existed in the American automotive market for many years. That hasn’t stopped the brand from selling large numbers of vehicles in foreign markets. A new Isuzu D-MAX BEV electric pickup truck launches in 2025 to compete directly with the Ford F-150 Lightning.
How popular is the Isuzu D-MAX?
The new Isuzu D-MAX BEV is an electric version of the already popular D-MAX truck. This Isuzu truck goes head to head with the extremely popular Toyota Hilux in terms of sales. In January, Toyota sold 9,354 Hilux models compared to 9,325 D-MAX trucks. Adding a new electric version of the Isuzu truck could make it much more popular than the Toyota pickup.
Didn’t Toyota create an electrified Hilux?
The electrified version of the Toyota Hilux hit the market in December. This truck featured a small hybrid system and a 2.8-liter diesel engine. This configuration isn’t approved for the American automotive market but makes sense in many foreign markets without the same restrictions we have in the United States.
An electric version of the Hilux, called the Hilux Revo BEV sold in Thailand in 2022. It hasn’t been heard from since.
What does the new D-MAX BEV include?
Isuzu plans to unveil this electric pickup truck at the Bangkok International Auto Show at the end of the month. According to Isuzu, this new EV pickup truck is ideal for:
“a broad range of commercial and passenger vehicle needs.”
The D-MAX BEV has a rugged exterior, which makes it competitive with the popular Toyota midsize pickup truck. This should help it deliver:
“tough underlying performance expected of pickup trucks.”
This new Isuzu electric truck has a new 4WD system with e-Axles on the front and rear to improve performance on rough and rugged terrain. Some of the specs for this new truck are:
| Drivetrain | Full-time 4WD |
| Battery Capacity | 66.9-kWh |
| Horsepower | 174 horsepower |
| Torque | 250 lb-ft |
| Payload | 2,200 lbs |
| Towing Capacity | 7,700 lbs |
What markets will see this truck first?
The new Isuzu D-MAX BEV will arrive in select European Markets starting in 2025. Australia, Thailand, and other countries will also receive this new electric truck. This will make it the second electric pickup truck in most markets.
The first Ford F-150 Lightning models arrived in Norway last month. Ford intends to expand the market for this electric F-150 into other European markets.
Could the D-MAX BEV open doors for an American launch?
The American electric pickup truck market might be too competitive for Isuzu to bring the D-MAX BEV to our shores. In addition to the Ford F-150 Lightning, we have the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and Rivian R1T.
While it is unlikely that this electric Isuzu truck will arrive in America, it could be a huge global hit and a huge factor in the D-MAX line’s outselling of the Hilux models after the 2025 launch.
Source: Electrek
