{"id":36574,"date":"2022-11-21T11:19:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T16:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=36574"},"modified":"2022-11-21T11:19:49","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T16:19:49","slug":"an-electric-volkswagen-pickup-new-global-head-says-not-this-decade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=36574","title":{"rendered":"An electric Volkswagen pickup? New global head says not this decade"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\"Volkswagen
\n\t<\/figure>\n

As more and more all-electric pickup trucks make their way to the US market, those consumers holding out for a Volkswagen branded model may need to let go and look elsewhere. According to Volkswagen\u2019s<\/a> new global head of passenger cars, an electric pickup truck is not a priority at the moment, despite comments from the German automaker\u2019s newly appointed head of North America validating such desires. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A a global legacy automaker, Volkswagen Group and its coinciding marques have become household names in a number of vehicle segments, from sedans to SUVs, but it hasn\u2019t produced a pickup truck in over thirty years<\/a> \u2013 at least not in the US.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the group\u2019s focus has been on complete electrification<\/a> throughout its global lineup, and has recently seen many of the struggles that coincide with shifting your entire business model to nascent technology. Part of the shakeups that ensued this year at VW HQ included an ousting of CEO Herbert Diess<\/a> in favor of Porsche head Oliver Blume.<\/p>\n

Concurrently, the head of Volkswagen North America Scott Keogh announced he was stepping down<\/a> after five years to become CEO of the group\u2019s revived Scout marque<\/a> focused on delivering electric pickup trucks and SUVs. Executive Chair of VW South America Pablo Di Si took over for Keogh just over two months ago and already feels the US\u2019 desire for a Volkswagen pickup is justified, as long as it\u2019s electric.<\/p>\n

Before you get your hopes up, however, you\u2019re going to want to hear what the global head and CEO of Volkswagen passenger cars Thomas Sch\u00e4fer had to say.<\/p>\n

\"Volkswagen
Two renderings of potential vehicles from the new all-electric Scout brand spun out by Volkswagen Group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Volkswagen electric pickup \u201cnot a priority at the moment\u201d<\/h2>\n

According to interviews from both Di Si and Sch\u00e4fer<\/a> reported by Automotive News Europe<\/em>, an electric Volkswagen pickup is further away than many US consumers would like. Despite Di Si\u2019s foresight that the US market in particular could be very enticed by a VW branded truck, the head of passenger vehicles says no, even with a new EV platform being developed for the new Scout marque.<\/p>\n

During a small roundtable in Los Angeles before the 2022 Auto Show, Sch\u00e4fer explained that Volkswagen has a clear blueprint for the future, and those plans do not include an electric pickup truck:<\/p>\n

\n

At the moment, our focus on the lineup doesn\u2019t include it. At the moment, we have a clear lineup all the way through the second half of this decade. Then again, in the American market, if you do not play in certain segments, then you have to stay in a certain market share area. But the question of (VW\u2019s new platform for Scout) is not our priority at the moment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sch\u00e4fer\u2019s crushing comments to dealers and consumers who have been waiting for a VW pickup comes just three months into his tenure as passenger car CEO, and about six months after Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh shared a more optimistic outlook:<\/p>\n

\n

This platform could provide an opportunity for other group vehicles. Yes. I want to be clear on this thing: This platform could definitely provide an opportunity for non-Scout vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Where and when still leaves too much grey to truly paint a picture of a future colored with electric Volkswagen pickups. Plus, the decision is ultimately up to Sch\u00e4fer at this point, so the future remains bleak. However, believers like Di Si are not giving up just yet:<\/p>\n

\n

What are the relevant segments in the US? SUVs and pickups. Are we going to have a pickup? I will try. Do we have one now? No. Right now, my focus is on strengthening the SUV portfolio. I will address pickups at the right time, but right now, I have other issues to tackle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Di Si spoke highly of the Volkswagen Tarok concept (featured above) that debuted in Latin-America in 2019 during his time working in that region:<\/p>\n

\n

That was my baby. There is no pickup here \u2014 yet. But time will tell. I think we have the knowledge. I think the segment is relevant. And we are going to play the game and see where that kind of takes us.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While a future that includes an electric Volkswagen pickup seems unlikely right now, people like Keogh and Di Si are advocating for it. Only time (and the market) will tell. <\/p>\n

\n

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"graphical<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As more and more all-electric pickup trucks make their way to the US market, those consumers holding out for a Volkswagen branded model may need to let go and look elsewhere. According to Volkswagen\u2019s new global head of passenger cars, an electric pickup truck is not a priority at the moment, despite comments from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36574\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}