Nissan Said to Be Considering All-Electric Small Pickup Truck

•    Nissan is reportedly looking at developing an electric pickup truck.

•    The model would be roughly the dimensions of the Frontier.

•    Last year’s Surf-Out concept suggested the company was at least open to the idea of an all-electric pickup.

The only pickup offered by Nissan in Canada at the moment is the Frontier, renewed for 2021. Remember that the full-size Titan model was discontinued about two years ago. In the U.S., it remains, but the company has yet to make a significant breakthrough in the market. 

The product is interesting, but the competition is simply too strong. 

However, it appears the company does not intend to accept its fate without a fight. According to Automotive News, Nissan is considering building a small electric pickup for the United States. The latter could fill the gap left by the possible departure of the Titan, but also meet a demand and attract new customers to the brand. 

Tyler Slade, the chairman of the Nissan Dealer Advisory Board, told the publication that dealers want to see a mid-size electric pickup added to the company's offerings. He added that it would make perfect sense for Nissan to offer a model similar to the Frontier in size. Nissan has always been more successful with this pickup format, so it's familiar territory. 

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2022 Nissan Frontier | Photo: Nissan

Last year, Automotive News reported that Nissan was looking at producing a pickup that would sit below the Frontier. There were no details about its mechanical configuration, but clearly the idea of producing EVs in pickup format was and is out in the air at Nissan HQ. 

If Nissan were to move quickly with such a vehicle, it could benefit from a head start. While several full-size electric pickup trucks are coming to market in the coming months, there are no all-electric mid-size or compact versions on the market. Chevrolet is looking into it, too. 

Nissan Surf-Out concept - Rear | Photo: Nissan

As for the style that a small electric pickup could take, we can always hark back to the Surf-Out concept presented last year by Nissan, along with a few other fantastical prototypes and design studies. 

At the time, the manufacturer said it wanted to launch 15 new electric models by 2030. Time will tell us if an all-electric successor to the Frontier is one of them.

Nissan Surf-Out concept - Bed | Photo: Nissan

Nissan Surf-Out concept - Three-quarters rear | Photo: Nissan