The United States is becoming one of the most difficult markets to crack, with automakers struggling to navigate expensive tariffs and customers who aren’t even willing to pay $25,000 for a vehicle. It used to seem pretty easy when everyone wanted an electric vehicle — but the government incentive is gone. In fact, the government appears to be actively fighting EVs.
Now, automakers are left trying to solve a puzzle with a bunch of missing pieces. With most solutions leading to a dead end, car brands around the world have decided that the answer is to make a cheap pickup truck.
Volkswagen wants to join the U.S. pickup truck market, but is it too late?
Ford recently turned its back on the F-150 Lightning, but that wasn’t because the American automaker was done with pickups. Instead, Ford wanted to drop the pricier Lightning in favor of a cheaper line of EVs under $40,000, including a $30,000 electric pickup. This seemed promising for a market that can’t afford the average $50,000 price tag of new vehicles, but this plan could become a bit of a bust as more automakers infiltrate the space.
Kia recently shared more information about its electric pickup for the American market. We don’t know much beyond the fact that it will be available as an EV and an extended-range EV (EREV). It’s not really much to go by, but the brand that’s usually focused on affordable commuters seemed confident.
Said CEO Ho Sung Song to Automotive News: “We are now seriously studying how to get into the pickup truck market in the United States through a different model that is not the Tasman. We have to develop different, new segments for our business. One is the light commercial vehicle segment. Another is the pickup truck segment. This is an opportunity, not a risk.”
The next automaker to follow? Volkswagen. Its electric compact SUV, the ID.4, is reaching the end of production. Now, Volkswagen has time to focus on the upcoming Atlas and maybe other new vehicles, like a pickup truck. Volkswagen recently confirmed that it will introduce a new vehicle to its lineup designed to “meet U.S. consumer needs.” VW never explicitly said that this means a pickup, but it seems very likely.
Volkswagen has been working on pickup concepts for a while now, including the 2018 and 2019 Tanoak concept pickup. CEO Kjell Gruner told Car and Driver a few years ago that a pickup truck for North America has been “one of the growth options” the brand is discussing. Then, Gruner said a pickup truck has not been “ruled out” at the 2026 New York International Auto Show.
I get it, alright? When outsiders think of America, they think of cowboy hats, burgers, football, and trucks. The Ford F-150 is one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States after all. There is no denying that America loves its trucks. However, it seems like every carmaker in the world had the same idea at the same time. Now, there are tons of pickup trucks coming to the U.S. market in the next few years.
On top of Kia’s truck, Ford’s truck, and Volkswagen’s possible truck, we also have the upcoming Slate pickup truck, the new Scout relaunch, and existing pickups like the Ford Maverick, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, and Toyota Tacoma. I feel like it’s becoming truck overload. Everyone wants to make a cheap truck, but will these trucks find interest with so much competition? Or will the Ford F-150 just take all of the sales per usual?
We don’t know much about Volkswagen’s pickup, so it’s tough to say if it could keep up with the top players in the American pickup truck space. If it’s anything like the Tarok, it could be a smaller pickup with a car-like unibody chassis, five seats, and tons of innovative space in the cabin and bed. VW imagines it being more space and fuel efficient than a regular truck. Not much else is known, but it sounds like all of the other trucks are on the way. I think it will be tough to stand out at this point.
VW previously stated: “Whether there’s demand for a more versatile compact-plus-sized pickup remains to be seen. But based on the reaction to the Tarok Concept in New York, Volkswagen has the potential to make one a reality — and bring another distinctive vehicle back to American roads.”
I guess I’d try to cope too if I lost 50% of my operating profit due to tariffs. Volkswagen is hoping its new lineup will do the trick.
