Toyota may be offering the Hilux with a much vaunted 48-volt hybrid system, but when it comes to fully electrifying their pickup truck, Isuzu may have just beaten them to the punch. Shown as a thinly veiled concept, the D-Max EV Concept foreshadows a fully-electric version that may be heading to showrooms in the very near future.
Using the current D-Max as basis, Isuzu engineers have ripped out the turbo diesel engine in favor of a pair of electric motors. The eAxle, as Isuzu calls it, puts out 54 horsepower (40 kW) and 108 Nm in the front axle and 122 horsepower (90 kW) and 217 Nm in the rear axle. Combined, it makes 176 horsepower and 325 Nm of torque. Top speed according to Isuzu is 130 km/h thanks to a single-gear system.
Interestingly, thanks to the dual motor setup, this gives the D-Max EV Concept full-time all-wheel drive. In addition, it still has a payload capacity of 1,000 kilograms and a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms. The battery uses a lithium-ion construction with a capacity of 66.9 kWh.
Underneath, the rear suspension’s been reworked to a De-Dion Axle.
Visually communicating the BEV powertrain, Isuzu designers have reworked the D-Max to seal off the front grille, reshape the bumper, and of course, add blue highlights to the exterior.
Production of the D-Max EV is expected to start sometime in 2025.
Meanwhile, for those who aren’t sold on battery electric technology just yet, Isuzu has also previewed their own 48-volt hybrid system.
Understood as a solution to markets where battery electric technology is still not viable, the Isuzu D-Max MHEV uses the same 1.9-liter Blue Power engine. Only here, it is supplemented by a small 48-volt electric motor. This engine code—codenamed RZ4E-TC still produces the same 150 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 350 Nm from 1,800 to 2,600 rpm.
That said, the electrified 1.9-liter Blue Power engine will help reduce the combustion engine’s overall work load, especially at low speeds and accelerating from a standstill. It will also help reduce noise and vibration as well as cut the CO2 emissions.
So among the ASEAN mass market pickups, only Toyota and Isuzu has released actual prototypes of their EV pickups, while the others are still just promises. These manufacturers are gambling that EV pickups are the future in ASEAN as diesel/gas slowly becomes outlawed or emission standards become too strict, so they are racing on who will get their mass market EV pickup out first.
ReplyDeleteAside from BEV, what are the other available options? BEVs may not be fit for everyone especially those who live in rural areas.
ReplyDeleteIsuzu and Toyota actually have MHEV with the latter being available now, though full size trucks with parallel hybrid system from Ford and Toyota and Extended Range Series PHEVs like the upcoming Ram 1500 Ramcharger are also coming soon but in the USA only.
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