Why The Nissan Hardbody Should Be Reborn As An Electric Pickup Truck

Nissan is in the perfect place to seize the light-duty truck market and recall on some strong legacy.

The Nissan Hardbody pickup truck remains a common sight long after its discontinuation in 1997. Like the battered Toyota Tacomas from the previous millennium, Nissan Hardbody trucks continue to command "I know what I have" prices. The truck is as durable as the "Hardbody" name implies, and many of them are indeed still working hard without complaint (perhaps harder than the latest luxury F-150). No one driving a Nissan Hardbody ever said "Don't scratch the bed liner!" As the company ends production of the full-sized Titan truck, the company has dropped hints that it may reintroduce a light-duty truck to its product line.

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The Nissan Hardbody is one of the earliest successful Nissan (at the time, Datsun) vehicles in the U.S. It was a compact pickup truck produced from 1955 to 1997. Its double-walled truck bed made it exceptionally durable. A large number of surviving Hardbodies gives Nissan a huge advantage if it reenters the light truck market. The company's previous Hardbodies are already advertising for it simply by still existing. Furthermore, Nissan already has established itself as a manufacturer of reliable, affordable electric vehicles such as the Leaf.

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Nissan tantalized the automotive world in 2021 with the electric Surf-Out concept truck, and has since hinted that it may make a midsized truck as an EV. An anonymous source has stated that while Nissan hasn't promised an electric light-duty truck, the possibility of a new Hardbody remains open. As for those wondering if a new Nissan Hardbody will come to America, Nissan intends to launch 15 new EV models in the U.S. by 2030. The company's most recent EV-related announcements suggest that it is aiming its first EVs at people who want unremarkable, sensible transportation like its new Ariya C-SUV. Bringing back one of its most respected trucks in electric form would be the perfect next step in the direction Nissan is already taking. So while no promises can be made, a Hardbody EV (or at least something similar) seems likely. The market is so, so right for a new compact electric truck.

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Pickup trucks and SUVs have become the modern-day luxury vehicles of choice. For various complex social reasons, Americans now prefer to show off their status with fully-optioned trucks rather than the top-of-the-line sedans of years past.

This has quickly made the small, indestructible truck obsolete to automakers. There's more profit if you lengthen the truck a bit and install a carbon-fiber dashboard. A bit of Alcantara on the interior can nearly double the MSRP. The industry's move to large and luxurious trucks leaves a whole market segment vacant and ripe for the taking: the small truck that can handle anything.

For those who want a small truck, the current options are limited. Honda sells the Ridgeline, but that is built on the foundations of the Odyssey minivan. (Honda prefers to call it a "mid-size adventure truck," which puts a positive spin on the fact that this truck probably shouldn't be part of one's landscaping business.) Ford reintroduced the Ranger in response to an outpouring of demand for a small truck, but the current iteration is longer than a classic mid-1990s F-150. This is the perfect situation for Nissan to reenter the light truck market. Competition is low, but demand is growing for a truck that can easily fit inside a garage. Furthermore, the Ford F-150 Lightning has already gotten the public to accept a truck without an engine. Nissan would therefore need to prove very little to the car-buying public. The company has already established itself as a competent maker of electric cars. Its small trucks still speak for themselves - years after discontinuation. And the public's skepticism about electric trucks has worn away.

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The large truck is one of the most iconically masculine vehicles of all time. Truck commercials always show construction workers, farmers throwing hay, and other classic images of grunting men. While the burliness and grittiness of extra-large trucks may seem immutable, one should keep in mind that SUVs once shared that brawny reputation. The world of SUVs has a long history of Jeeps, Suburbans, Chevrolet Blazers, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Ford Broncos. In the early 2000s, when SUVs were getting their first luxury styling, they were still the vehicles of choice for campers, off-roaders, and other adventurous people. But despite the SUV's long rugged history, in just 15 years its reputation has quickly changed from "goes offroading and gets covered in mud" to "seen in line at Starbucks after dropping off the kids." By now, everyone openly acknowledges that a Land Rover will only rove over suburban parking lots. Even the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which still looks like a German military vehicle, is now seen as a sign of upscale glamour.

The large truck is currently on the same path. For one thing, the ever-rising price point keeps away many of those farmers and construction workers who star in the commercials. Changing the interior from vinyl to Alcantara has helped status-seeking customers make peace with the price. However, the burly marketing illusion may fail as these heavy-duty galumphers are only seen in office parking garages, and never in front of a small-town feed store. Eventually, no amount of publicity photos showing the trucks kicking up massive dust plumes in the rugged desert will compensate for the fact that relatively few people would dare risk micro-scratches in the paint on such expensive vehicles. It's easy to see how a Nissan electric pickup truck could seize on the opportunity, contrasting itself against the massive F-150 Lightnings that rarely carry more than a briefcase and a laptop bag. The Nissan Hardbody already has a reputation for toughness. They’re still seen hauling anything that can fit in the back, and they bear a sort of mud-and-grit "patina" that marketing departments can only dream of. As the tough image of large trucks rings ever hollower, light-duty trucks may be the next thing for those proving their brawn with their money.

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At present, it's uncertain whether Nissan will bring a new Hardbody (electric or otherwise) to America - or even produce one at all. It's natural that automakers electrified their top-of-the-line products first. Electric cars are new, fresh, and exciting. (Yes, the history of electric cars goes back over a century. But nearly nobody drove one until now). It only makes marketing sense that the thrilling new powertrains should go into the expensive models before making their way to the practical cars. But at present, no one has put out an economical, durable light-duty electric truck for the "I need to haul lumber and camping supplies" crowd. The compact Nissan pickup truck has a reputation for small trucks that still stands more than 20 years after the company last produced one. The growing acceptance of electric vehicles, combined with Nissan's history with small trucks, puts the company right where it needs to be for a new Nissan Hardbody to be a success.

Writer and occasional reluctant perpetrator of engine swaps, James O'Neil is a malaise era enthusiast and also fascinated by the many ways the auto industry has since recovered from those dark days. Cars of choice: Toyota Corolla (any year) or 1982 Chevrolet Caprice.