Is Nissan building a small all-electric ute?

Tuesday, 10 August 2021

Nissan could be considering an electric ute to slot in below the Navara.

As utes and trucks get larger and larger, room at the lower end of the size spectrum has opened up for new compact pick-ups. Ford has seen it and launched the Maverick, as has Hyundai with the Santa Cruz. Now, rumblings have reached us of Nissan wanting to join in the fun.

According to Automotive News, which cites “a person familiar with the matter”, Nissan is looking at supplementing the Navara and Titan pick-ups with a smaller ute, around the same size as the aforementioned US-only rivals.

Meet the Maverick - the half-tonne (well, 680kg) ute we deserve to get here.

Interestingly, the report’s source says Nissan will differentiate itself by using an all-electric powertrain.

That would almost certainly give it the torque advantage (as well as obvious fuel consumption wins) and potentially open it up for international export, as EVs are inherently easier to convert from left- to right-hand drive. Rivian is planning on doing just that to sell the R1T and R1S truck and SUV in Australia and New Zealand in the future.

**READ MORE:

The Navara-based Dongfeng Rich 6 EV. It’s a China-only offering, but maybe Nissan will reuse its internals for international markets?

* Road Test review: Nissan Navara ST-X

* Nissan Navara axed in Europe from next year

Ford teased this Ranger-like image recently while discussing future EVs.

* Nissan Navara 'all but guaranteed' to electrify

Interestingly, Nissan already has a base for an electric small truck, in the form of the Chinese market Dongfeng Rich 6. It’s a ute based on the third-generation Navara and is available as an EV.

Power comes from a single 120kW/420Nm electric motor and a 68kWh battery good for more than 400km of range, so Nissan could theoretically take it as a base, update various bits and pieces as necessary, maybe add another motor for all-wheel drive, and get to market sooner.

Using the Rich 6 would also easily enable an electric Navara, as well as the smaller offering.

If Nissan does pull it off, it would be the only (so far) manufacturer to offer a ute entirely powered by electricity. But it wouldn’t be alone for long, as both Ford and Toyota are working on electric utes of their own.

Ford teased a Ranger-sized electric pick-up a while ago in an official video, and could probably shrink the F-150 Lightning platform down for Ranger duties fairly easily.

Meanwhile, Toyota has gone on the record in saying that it will “bring electrification to the pickup truck lineup in the near future, including hybrid and BEV powertrains.” Toyota’s idea of a “near future” might be a while away, though.

Additionally, Mitsubishi could rebadge the Nissan e-ute as an electric version of the Triton.