Bargain electric ute incoming: Nissan plotting baby electric pick-up truck that could see Surf-Out concept come to life
Nissan has revealed that it is plotting the introduction of an all-new affordable battery-electric pick-
up truck that will sit beneath its current combustion-powered Navara.
Announcing that an entry pick-up was under investigation during an interview with
Automotive News, Nissan’s global product planning boss Ivan Espinosa confirmed a small
electrified ute was on the car-maker’s radar.
“One thing you can be sure about is we’re going to keep investing in the truck segment,” he said.
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Created in the wake of the decision to pull the plug on its full-size Nissan Titan, the new
unnamed pick-up will help maintain the brand’s presence in the US pick-up segment, while
capitalising on demand for small trucks like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.
“How do we evolve… is the question that we are discussing internally. Eventually, we will
have to electrify the truck,” Mr Espinosa says.
A second Nissan exec said the small pick-up wouldn’t be a rival for battery-powered
trucks like the Rivian or the incoming Tesla Cybertruck.
Instead, the zero-emission Nissan utility would have price tag of less than US$40,000
($A63,000) positioning itself as one of the more affordable all-electric pick-up trucks in the
segment.
There was some confusion over the electrified remarks that could suggest that a hybrid may
also be offered. If so, it’s likely the new truck will be a joint-venture with Renault who
recently revealed a 4.9-metre ute for Latin America with an advanced 48-volt E-TECH
mild-hybrid powertrain, but that car will be priced at around US$20,000, suggesting the Nissan
version will be fully electric.
No timings have been provided as to when we’ll see the Nissan truck, but it’s thought to almost
certainly be inspired by the ultra-cool 2021 Nissan Surf-Out concept that embraced a look
that will prove a hit among the lifestyle pick-up truck brigade.
