Hyundai is apparently planning to introduce two new electric pickup trucks in its Ioniq lineup, as per the South Korean legacy automaker’s two separate trademark applications lodged in Australia.
Trademark application
Drive first reported Hyundai’s application for the “Ioniq T10” trademark, hinting at a potential Ford F-150 Lightning rival.
The trademark filing is under names for “automobiles, electric cars … trucks, lorries, [and] sports utility vehicles.”
Interestingly, the “10” would likely place the e-pickup at the top of the Ioniq lineup as it will be larger than the “7” e-SUV. Meanwhile, the “T” seems to indicate “Truck,” which is the most common term for an ute in America.
Apart from the Ioniq T10, the automaker also had another filing for the T7 trademark. It hints at a potential arrival of a smaller electric pickup than the T10. According to the report, it may succeed the Santa Cruz model in the US market.
Markets
Although Hyundai filed the trademark in Australia, the T10 will not be exclusive in the sunburnt country. The report suggested that it will also arrive in the North American market.
Considering that Hyundai may focus the T10 on the US, it may be bigger than most dual-cab utes in the Australian market. In that sense, it may have a size closer to a Ford F-150 Lightning than a Ford Ranger.
As for the design, it is highly likely to feature some of the notable qualities of the award-winning Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. It will also potentially employ the same mechanical components as its siblings, such as batteries and electric motors.
Hyundai’s US presence
Hyundai’s electric vehicle sales reached a whopping 269,000 units in 2023. This year, the South Korean automaker aims to beat that figure with approximately 300,000 EV sales.
The brand’s strong performance enabled it to overthrow American legacy automakers Ford and GM to gain the second-highest spot in the most popular brand in the US, just behind the Musk-led company.
Hyundai’s success in the US market is indeed remarkable, considering that it currently does not qualify for any federal tax credit for electric vehicles (only through leasing).
Unfortunately, Hyundai has yet to announce more details about the new electric pickup trucks. As for the market launch, Hyundai is not expected to release the T10 until 2025 or 2026 at the earliest. However, it is worth noting that these speculations must still be taken with a grain of salt as these are just “speculations” after all.
