Volkswagen Group has a plan to win back America's heart: a US-made pickup truck by 2030. According to a Reuters report, the German automaker intends to dive into the competitive but high-margin pickup and large SUV segments - areas it currently avoids like a plague of diesel emissions scandals.

The report is anonymously sourced, and VW declined to comment, so take it with a grain of salt - or perhaps a whole pretzel. But the logic is sound: Americans love their four-door trucks, the vehicular equivalent of a Swiss Army knife that can haul passengers, cargo, and anything that doesn't mind a bit of weather. Sure, a hatchback or wagon might be more sensible, but that's probably why you're reading Ars Technica.

Tariffs and some positively antediluvian emissions regulations make the US a haven for vehicles that are uncompetitive or unsellable elsewhere. The US pickup market is projected to hit nearly $200 billion in sales in 2026, with growth continuing each year. The global car might be dead, but regional tastes are alive and well - and Americans really, really like trucks.

Reviving its American operations is crucial for VW Group, which had a rough year last year and expects more of the same in 2026 as sales slump in China and North America. Executives plan to streamline by closing factories and laying off workers by 2030, a plan supported by the Porsche family (which owns just under 32 percent of the company) but vehemently opposed by the state of Lower Saxony (20 percent stake) and unions holding half the supervisory board seats. Because nothing says 'competitive' like a good old-fashioned labor dispute.

Nothing is finalized, so concrete details are as scarce as a charging station in rural Montana. We don't know the size, price, or powertrain - gas, electric, or hamsters on wheels. But some possibilities emerge.

First, VW could just start building the Amarok in the US. It's a truck designed for South America, but Ford's Ranger was designed for non-US markets and now sells here. That would work, but it would be boring - like bringing a soccer ball to a tailgate.

Then there's Scout, VW's new premium off-road brand, designing body-on-frame pickups and SUVs in Michigan to be built in South Carolina, with battery-electric or range-extended powertrains, due in 2028. If VW wants to compete with the F-150 and other heavy hitters, a body-on-frame platform is essential. But will it cannibalize Scout sales? That's the million-dollar question - or the $200 billion question.

A more intriguing idea: platform sharing with a twist. We've seen a ~$25,000 electric pickup from Slate Auto, and next year's electric Ford Fathom will cost under $30,000. Could VW see a trend and go small and cheap? Developing a low-cost EV truck from scratch by 2030 is a tall order, but VW could use its MEB platform (underpinning the ID Buzz and ID.4). The ID.4 just ended production at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, so there's capacity. But what if VW licensed a platform from another automaker - like Ford?

In Europe, Ford borrows VW's MEB platform for the electric Capri and Explorer, much to the horror of European Ford fans (and American Mustang fans, who still bristle at the Mach-E's name). So why not flip the script? Ford has been developing a lower-cost EV architecture - the Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform - by a small team working independently. Ford's first EVs were solid but pricey; maybe full-size electric trucks were the wrong approach. Pickup buyers care about specs: towing capacity, range, and not stopping three times to charge on the way to the lake. That's why the electric F-150 replacement was delayed for something smaller and more affordable - the Fathom, due next year.

Could VW license the UEV platform for its own electric truck? It's a tantalizing thought, even raising the possibility of exporting some back to Europe in bright yellow paint with Skoda badges - Felicia Fun EV, anyone? We can dream, can't we?