The Tesla Cybertruck is very polarizing. People seem to love it or hate it. I love it but it is not the kind of vehicle I want. I want a small vehicle. The MG4 and BYD Dolphin or even Seagull appeal to me for their size. I currently own a VW Saviero, a small pickup that is less than perfect but, in general meets my needs.
Many years ago I owned a VW Rabbit Pickup — sorta like the Saviero of 40 years ago. It was a great vehicle being a lot less “plastic” that the Saviero. Small, easy to drive, economical and with a realistic-sized bed. If you need a refresher, this article should help. Note that the pickup was very much the same as a regular Rabbit — just with a different back end — and I eventually converted a regular Rabbit to electric.
Now, let’s jump forward to today. What if someone built a pickup the size and with the capabilities of the Rabbit but electric? I would make sense to be rear wheel drive (which works well with EVs because of the weight distribution from the batteries). It had a capacity of say 500 kg. A range of 300 km. And was small enough that a normal person was comfortable driving it.
Would anyone buy it? I would. It would meet my requirements, fit in my garage and be easy to drive. Yeah, some people would want a double-cab one but, like the Saviero, you can offer one with a much shorter bed so the overall vehicle is about the same size. No, it would not be a popular car in countries such as the US where a “land yacht” is what people want to drive but, in Europe, Latin America, I think so.
Will someone build one? Tesla could. BYD might.
