Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) may not be synonymous with pickup trucks, at least not in the same way as Ford or General Motors, but that does not mean that the South Korean conglomerate has shied away from them.
At the recent 2023 CEO Investor Day, HMG confirmed that electric trucks are in the pipeline, but stopped short of revealing more details. Based on its EV roadmap – of which plenty of details were shared – we can make an educated guess on what HMG's future trucks might offer.
HMG’s new electric vehicle strategy, christened Hyundai Motor Way, aims to ramp up efficiency and manufacturing while reducing costs. And the new Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA), which was first revealed in 2022, is expected to rationalize costs and drive up profits.
The IMA is HMG’s second dedicated EV platform after the Electric Global Modular Architecture (E-GMP), which underpins the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, Kia EV6 and EV9, and the Genesis GV60. The second-generation platform will be far more scalable, according to the brand.
It will underpin nearly all vehicle classes, from small and large SUVs, pickup trucks, and flagship models from Genesis. Thanks to IMA, HMG brands will be able to share over 80 common modules across different segments, allowing enhanced flexibility and efficiency in the development process.
As many as 13 dedicated EV models from Hyundai, Kia and Genesis will use the IMA, said the carmaker at the investor day conference.
Kia has already confirmed that it will launch two electric trucks by 2027 – a dedicated electric truck, and a “strategic model for emerging markets.” Could HMG be referring to Kia’s IMA-based truck in the latest investor day session? We don’t know for sure, but it’s possible. Hyundai and Genesis could also be working on their own versions of an electric truck.
Hyundai currently sells the Santa Cruz truck in the US, whose sales figures seem optimistic. The brand sold 36,480 units of the truck in the US in 2022, an increase of 263 percent compared to the year before. Although the Santa Cruz is only sold as a gas model and is based on the Tucson crossover.
If HMG combines the right ingredients, like a decent range, competitive towing and payload capacities, along with reliable and accessible charging infrastructure, its upcoming electric trucks might warrant future truck buyers’ attention. Would you consider electric trucks from Hyundai or Kia? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
