√Electric SsangYong Musso due from 2023, 1100km range possible

SsangYong could be working on an electric version of its familiar Musso ute as soon as next year – potentially offering up to 1100km of range – if the Korean car maker’s new owner gets its way.

An all-electric version of the SsangYong Musso ute could be in development for a launch as early as 2023, according to an unsubstantiated overseas report – capable of a driving range claim on par with a Toyota HiLux diesel.

Korean news outlet Daily Car reports struggling Korean car maker SsangYong’s new owner – electric bus maker Edison Motors – is working on an electric version of the Musso ute, fast-tracked for launch as soon as one year from now.

The publication claims Edison Motors “plans” to install a battery pack with a capacity between 110kWh and 220kWh – which the company “expects” will enable between 550 and 1100 kilometres of claimed electric driving range.

Should the figures prove true, they would see the electric Musso ‘e-Motion’ become the longest-range production electric vehicle ever sold – with long-distance capabilities on par with Australia’s top-selling Toyota HiLux diesel ute (1143km highway range), and one of the largest batteries ever fitted to a production car.

However, the wording of the report suggests the range claims may simply have been extrapolated from SsangYong’s first electric car, the Korando e-Motion, which features a 61.5kWh battery and a 307km range claim – equating to 4.99km/kWh, identical to the claimed figures for the ute.

In the real world, the figures would be adjusted to account for an electric Musso dual cab’s greater mass and inferior aerodynamics – compared to a mid-size family SUV with a slipperier body and aero-focused wheel covers.

Edison Motors is said to be fast-tracking the electric Musso for launch, as in diesel guise the Musso (in standard and long-wheelbase forms) accounted for more than half of all SsangYong sales in South Korea last month (2556 vs 4540 total).

Above: SsangYong’s first electric vehicle, the Korando E-Motion.

Development of the new electric ute is already underway, Daily Car claims, and could be launched as little as a year after Edison’s acquisition of SsangYong is complete – following its selection as the preferred bidder in January.

“We have a lot of know-how in converting an already-released internal combustion engine vehicle to an electric vehicle, and development for the [Musso electric vehicle] launch has already progressed to a large extent,” a high-ranking SsangYong official reportedly told Daily Car (translated).

“In general, it is a stage where we can introduce a [battery-electric] version of a mass-produced car within a year if all circumstances are resolved to some extent,” the executive added.

This rumoured electric Musso is expected to be a different vehicle to the dual-cab pick-up version of SsangYong’s upcoming ‘J100’ electric SUV, due at an unspecified point after 2022.

This dedicated electric ute, confusingly, is rumoured to revive the Musso name in South Korea – as the ute Australia knows as the Musso is badged as the ‘Rexton Sports’ in its home market, with Australia’s long-wheelbase XLV variant known as the ‘Khan’ in Korea.

Should the Daily Car report prove true, it would seemingly make SsangYong the first mainstream car maker to launch an electric ute in South Korea – let alone two – though compatriot Kia has confirmed plans to introduce two new electric utes globally in 2026.

However, it’s worth noting Edison Motors has form in declaring ambitious plans for electric vehicle launches, as the company maintains it will release 10 new electric vehicles “by 2022”, 20 “by 2025” and 30 “by 2030”.

It’s unclear exactly how it will reach its lofty goals, with many of those first 10 EVs yet to surface. It’s also not clear if the company is referring to different model lines, or individual model variants.

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