"Released as an Electric Vehicle from the Start"
150,000 Units Demand in the Market
Design of Compact 'Thessen' Also Considering Electrification
Hydrogen Vehicle Plans Also Revealed
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle plans to launch a 1-ton electric truck in the Korean market in 2025. The design of this year's partially updated mid-sized truck, 'Thessen,' also reflects electrification plans.
On the 2nd, at the '2023 Thessen Media Day' event held at the Gunsan plant, Kim Bangshin, president of Tata Daewoo, stated, "Tata Daewoo has a diverse lineup ranging from 2.5 tons to 25 tons, but there is no 1-ton truck," adding, "We plan to produce it solely as an electric vehicle and launch it in domestic and overseas markets in 2025."
(From left) Kim Jung-woo, CEO of Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, Kim Bang-shin, President of Tata Daewoo, and Kirishi Wagh, President of Tata Motors, attended the '2023 The Ssen Media Day' event. [Photo by Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle]
They mentioned that compared to competing models (such as Hyundai Motor Company's Porter), the truck is being developed to have a maximum driving range per charge that is 20% longer. President Kim also said, "Our goal is to produce a better vehicle than existing models when compared to competing trucks that will be released three years from now." He also emphasized that a robust design was incorporated to prepare for cases where actual owners might overload the vehicle.
Currently, the domestic 1-ton truck market is dominated by Hyundai Motor Group. Last year, Hyundai's Porter II sold 92,411 units, making it the best-selling vehicle in the domestic automobile market. Kia Bongo III also sold 64,826 units, ranking fourth in domestic sales. Tata Daewoo estimates the market demand at 150,000 units and aims to capture the electric vehicle demand within that market.
He stated that the '2023 Thessen' introduced this time was also designed with electrification in mind. Furthermore, he said that by 2025, all models will have their interior and exterior redesigned to launch a completely revamped model.
In addition to electric vehicles, plans for hydrogen vehicles were also revealed. President Kim said, "We are developing a hydrogen internal combustion engine truck and plan to showcase a prototype by the end of 2024."
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