What happens if you cross a 1970s Datsun 620 pickup with a modern electric vehicle? Well, you might end up with something like the Alpha Wolf.
The Wolf is a small truck. Truly small, like that Datsun was, fitting a market that is no longer served by today's "bigger is better" midsized and full-sized pickups. The Wolf was unveiled last month, with a couple of still images and some general information that boiled down to "It's an electric pickup truck."
Now, the California-based Alpha Motor Corporation has given more details of the truck's powertrain, batteries, and capabilities. If the name Alpha sounds familiar, that's because this is the same company that debuted the JAX rally car early this year.
The Alpha Wolf is truly a small pickup, seating two passengers and measuring just 188 inches (4,775 mm) in length. Its width is 76 inches (1,930 mm) and it stands 66 inches high (1,676 mm). The truck bed is 69 inches long by 65 wide by 16 deep (1,753 by 1,651 by 406 mm), for a total of 34.5 cubic feet (977 liters) in cargo volume.
For reference, those numbers are very similar to the dimensions of the Kia Sorento we reviewed recently. The Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado (both midsized pickups) are about 35 to 38 inches (889 to 965 mm) longer than the Wolf.
That makes the Alpha Wolf a truly compact pickup truck. Performance is good, though, with a claimed total of about 250 or more miles (402 km) of range with its 75-kWh battery – larger batteries are likely to be offered. It has a 3,000-lb (1,360-kg) towing capacity, and a choice of either single-motor front-wheel drive or dual-motor four-wheel drive.
The Wolf is basically a small work and/or off-road truck that happens to be an EV. Better yet? Its price tag starts at just US$36,000 and tops out at $46,000 (not including any EV credits). That's less than one would pay for the lowest-end Tacoma or Colorado for sure.
Whether or not the Wolf or any other Alpha vehicle actually makes it to production – and with these specifications – is something we can only guess at. The company is currently accepting reservations from prospective buyers.
The Wolf marks four vehicles that Alpha has introduced so far, all based on the same electric vehicle platform.
Source: Alpha Motor Corporation
More load capacity? No.
More passenger room? No.
Better gas mileage? No.
Larger frontal area? Oh yes! What an embarrassment.
Regarding TCO, there is the battery pack replacement to consider because it will decrease in performance over time (all batteries do that) and need replacement. My 93 had turned over 365K when I sold it to my mechanic. Original engine, still running like a top to this day.
I’d absolutely consider one of these, if it makes it to production with those specs!
Thanks to the "chicken tax" tariff bill putting a 25% import duty on light trucks, we haven't have pickups this size in the USA for many years. Initially, manufacturers were able to work around it by importing the Isuzu LUV / Chevy P'UP, Mazda and Ford Courier, Dodge and Mitsubishi D-50 and Plymouth Arrow trucks with the beds not installed as "parts". The Subaru Brat squeaked by as a "passenger vehicle" by having the two seats welded into the bed.
But those loopholes were closed and the little trucks were replaced by American or Canadian built larger trucks like the S10/S15, Ranger, and Dakota. Subaru, when they wanted to bring back something similar to the old Brat, had to make it a 4 door + open bed to make it "not a light truck" subject to the 25% tariff.
Ford imports their Turkey built Transit Connect vans with rear interior finish, seats, and windows. Then unless specially ordered with all that, they remove it all and replace the rear side and door windows with solid panels. They come into the USA as passenger vehicles and most leave Ford's hands as light trucks.
Today all that remains in force of the "chicken tax" bill is the 25% import tariff on light trucks. It did nothing to spur manufacturers to build the small trucks here, despite the market demand.
Since the imports were stopped, those little trucks have held their value. People will buy a rusted out hulk of a Courier, LUV or P'UP and restore it. I dunno about the Mitsubisi/Mopar ones.