While in the world the big manufacturers are busy competing over who has a larger and more electric (pickup) truck. Ford with the F-150 Lightning, Ram with the REV, Silverado EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and even Rivian with the R1T - the one who may be the pioneer of the electric revolution in the world of pickups in Israel is actually Isuzu. The small Japanese car manufacturer presented its first electric vehicle, the D-Max BEV, which will have its official debut at the Bangkok Motor Show in a week.
The D-Max, which belongs to the 1-ton pickup truck group like Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, and in the past also Mitsubishi Triton, are challenging vehicles to convert to electric. Unlike vehicles planned in advance for electric propulsion. Pickup trucks are limited in space for batteries due to their ladder frame and even if they overcome this issue, they face the energy dilemma of electric cars - what is the balance between the battery size, the weight it adds, and the shortened range as a result. Add to that the aspect of a commercial vehicle like a pickup truck intended for heavy work and the hauling of cargo and/or towing - and you get a very challenging combination.
In the heart of the tender is a propulsion system called e-Axles, which means two electrically powered axles that provide the vehicle with constant dual propulsion. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle will also be fast and have excellent performance, alongside low noise levels and low vibrations compared to the diesel version.
The technical specifications presented with the prototype may differ from those of the final version, so the manufacturer's emphasis on more precise details may be different. However, currently, the power output is 174 hp (163 in the regular diesel version) and a torque of 33.1 kgm (36.7 in the regular version) - but these will of course be available already from zero kilometers.
The load capacity remains at 1 ton, and the towing capacity of 3.5 tons is also preserved. According to the manufacturer's data, it will use a battery of 66.9 kWh. This raises doubts about its ability to produce a decent range or be suitable for serious work that includes towing and loading. Since even in the case of efficient engines with good energy efficiency of let's say 15-17 kWh per 100 km, we are looking at a range of about 400 km at most.
UMI, the importer of Isuzu to Israel, reported that the electric D-Max is expected to arrive in Israel at the end of 2025. Due to the fact that BYD does not intend to market in Europe, and we do not have its electric tender, and that the Tesla Cybertruck is not currently intended for marketing outside the US, and models like the Ford Lightning and the electric Hummer in the tender version are coming to the country only through parallel import and at high prices, the D-Max EV may well be the model that will generate an electric revolution in the category, and thanks to emissions-free propulsion, it will bring new customers from the leisure vehicle market.