- The boss of Toyota in North America says an electrified powertrain could work for a compact pickup
- Toyota showcased a concept of a compact pickup last year dubbed the EPU
- Ram could enter the segment with a local version of South America’s Rampage
Toyota has ventured into many segments in recent years, but one notable absence is the compact pickup truck category in North America. While the company doesn’t have immediate plans to directly challenge the successful Ford Maverick, it has expressed interest in the compact pickup market. In true Toyota fashion, we can expect any future offerings in this area to be electrified.
The automaker has flirted with the idea of a new compact pickup for the U.S. market, unveiling the attractive EPU concept, which is built on an electric platform and nearly identical in length to the Maverick.
Read: Toyota USA ‘Fighting’ To Bring EPU Compact Truck To Production
This recent study sparked speculation about a production version, and during a recent interview with Auto News, Toyota Motor North America CEO Ted Ogawa confirmed the company is actively studying this segment of the pickup market, although there are no concrete plans at this time.
Asked what Toyota thought about a Maverick fighter, Ogawa said:
“Good question, but we have no plan for that. Still, we are studying in that area, including the electrification movement. For example, the full-size pickup, [full] electrification is not good chemistry with these customers. However, in midsize or smaller size, there is more electrification opportunity compared to the full-size area.”
“So for us, it’s one of the opportunities to think about — the smaller size than Tacoma pickup in the future. So we will keep on talking with [Toyota Motor Corp.] side,” he continued. ” The truck area has a very severe hierarchy — size, displacement — traditionally. It’s higher price, but with three classes [compact, midsize, full-size] there’s a lower price, but the cost of more electrification is high. So that’s now the challenge.”
As the Tundra and Tacoma have swelled in size over the years, they’ve left behind customers looking for a smaller truck. The Ford Maverick has been selling well since its introduction and in the not-too-distinct future, Ram should launch its new compact Rampage pickup in the U.S. market.
Toyota could almost certainly create a compelling compact-size pickup truck, even without directly competing with the Maverick or Rampage. However, only time will tell if they choose to enter this growing market.
