We finally have a new generation of pickups

Ube pandesal, Dalgona coffee, QR code menus, Tiktok, sushi bake - these are some of the trends that sprung up during the pandemic lockdowns. One thing was very lasting though as literally everyone saw the disappearance of smog in the city with the lack of emissions on the streets. I’m talking about electrification.

- By VINCENT VILLA

Unlike your workmate’s YouTube account, electrification gained momentum and kept on going. Brands started bringing in battery-electric cars, then hybrids, and of course the construction of charging stations began. SUVs, sedans, crossovers, small hatchbacks, even mini hatchbacks started arriving in the Philippines. The price point was high in the beginning, but they definitely got lower over time with a number of options now under 1-million pesos.

The only category missing in the mix is the pickup segment. Of the big boys in the pickup game like the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Mazda BT-50, and Ford Ranger - three are electrified somewhere else in the world although only the Ford Ranger is the real hybrid with its PHEV version. The Hilux and D-Max both have mild-hybrid systems only. If you want real efficiency and true reduction in emissions, a real hybrid, plugin hybrid, or battery-electric system is the way to go.