Top 10 mid-size electric utes on the cards for Oz

Aussies can’t get enough utes and an increasing number of them are also falling in love with electric vehicles.

It’s little wonder then that more and more manufacturers are jumping on the zero-emission pick-up bandwagon with confirmations, teasers and reveals of all-new battery-powered utes.

We published an article back in 2019 listing the top 12 most significant electric utes that were a chance for Australian release, but a lot can change in three years and, given the array of new players now on the radar, it’s time to revisit the subject.

Here are 10 zero-emission mid-size utes – in no particular order – that are either confirmed for Australia or likely to become available here.

Just for good measure, we’ve thrown in a handful of full-size battery-powered pick-ups and four locally converted electric utes also on the horizon.

And bear in mind these are all EVs; hybrid and/or plug-in hybrid powertrains are also earmarked for almost all of Australia’s most popular utes, including the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and GWM Ute.

1. LDV eT60

LDV caught most of the industry off-guard when it launched its zero-emission LDV eT60 in New Zealand earlier this year and the Chinese challenger brand will next week officially become the first car-maker to offer an electric ute Down Under.

Not only has LDV beaten its Asian rivals to the EV pick-up punch, it’s caught all of the established heavy-hitters napping as Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi battle it out for national ute sales glory.

Power and torque are provided by a solitary electric motor mounted to the leaf-sprung live rear axle, developing 130kW/310Nm and drawing current from an 88.5kWh lithium-ion battery.

LDV says the EV system is good for up to 325km of driving between charges and can be recharged at up to 80kW, but maximum braked towing capacity is a poultry 1000kg compared to the T60 diesel’s 3000kg. 

2. Geely Radar RD6

One of the most exciting Chinese electric utes on the horizon for Australia is the Geely Radar RD6, a bespoke EV ‘lifestyle’ ute offering a claimed range of up to 632km – according to the generous CLTC measurement – and around 200kW of power.

Three battery capacities are set to be offered in its native Chinese market – 60kWh, 88.5kWh and 100kWh – all of which can be charged at up to 120kW using DC fast-charging infrastructure.

The RD6 is underpinned by the huge Geely Group’s new dedicated-electric SEA monocoque architecture, which gives it a point of difference compared to the established crop of ladder-framed load-luggers, however, payload capacity suffers as a result: 450kg versus about 1000kg.

Still, pricing should at least be competitive based on its sub-$38K starting number in China…

3. Kia utes

Korean powerhouse Kia will be launching not one but two battery-electric pick-ups by 2027 – one “strategic model for emerging markets” and one “dedicated electric pick-up truck”.

We’ve just seen the first internal combustion prototypes of the former getting around suburban Korea, but we’re yet to see even a teaser of the electric version or the bespoke electric pick-up being developed for markets around the world.

As a result, details are exceptionally thin on the ground at the moment, however, Kia insiders have indicated the global model will ride on a traditional ladder chassis to allow for a greater array of powertrains: EV, petrol, diesel and maybe even hybrid.

Kia Australia has long been an advocate for a mid-size ute to rival the dominant Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, and if demand for its other electrified offerings is anything to go by, an electric one-tonne pick-up is sure to be a hit Down Under.

Kia sister brand Hyundai is also expected to offer its first direct rival for the HiLux and Ranger, but its electrification plan is not yet clear.

4. Toyota EV Pick-up

The Toyota HiLux has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle bar none for six years now so it’s no surprise the world’s biggest car-maker is working on a battery-electric version of the next-gen HiLux that’s due for release by 2024.

Shown in concept form in December last year, the Toyota EV Pick-up previews what’s been touted by many as the zero-emissions version of the all-new HiLux.

The concept blends styling elements of the current model and the bigger Toyota Tundra into a rugged-looking hay-hauler that on face value looks like it will continue the HiLux’s legacy of being one of the most off-road capable utes on the market.

We don’t have any concrete details as yet, but odds are it will ride on the TNGA-F architecture seen under the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Toyota Tundra, the latter of which will likely be offered exclusively with a V6 petrol-electric powertrain.

5. Ford Ranger/Volkswagen Amarok

You can’t talk about the HiLux without at least referencing its fiercest rival, the new Ford Ranger, which apart from hybrid powertrains has been all but confirmed to receive pure-electric power at some stage in its life cycle – apparently unlike its homegrown T6 platform twin, the new Volkswagen Amarok.

The revelation came at the North American launch of the Ford F-150 Lightning, where Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley said the brand was “already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City in Tennessee for another electric pick-up truck”.

With some European countries banning the sale of new combustion vehicles as soon as 2030, you can reasonably expect to see electric versions of the new Ranger in the second half of this decade – perfectly in line with the release of the aforementioned Toyota…

6. INEOS Grenadier FCEV

Outside of the Ford and Toyota favourites, few off-roaders have stirred up as much fanfare as the inbound INEOS Grenadier, which will be offered locally in not only wagon but ute forms and, eventually, with a Hyundai-sourced hydrogen fuel-cell EV powertrain.

Testing of zero-emission prototypes started this year ahead of an unknown release date for the Grenadier FCEV, which should offer a 700km-plus driving range and the added bonus of drastically reduced refuelling times compared to a plug-in EV, since refilling a hydrogen tank only takes a little longer than topping up a regular fuel tank.

7. BYD Tang

BYD may be a relatively new brand Down Under but it’s actually one of the world’s biggest manufacturers and, as such, it’s plotting a major product onslaught – one that should include an electric ute due here by the end of next year.

Local BYD executives have confirmed the development of just such a vehicle, pre-emptively dubbed the BYD Tang, and emphasised their interest in securing it for the Australian market.

Very little is known about the Tang so far, beyond its circa-450km driving range, but going by the positioning of BYD Australia’s first model, the Atto 3 small electric SUV, it could become Australia’s most affordable electric ute.

8. Chery utes

Another Chinese brand eying a move on the zero-emissions light commercial segment is Chery, which recently confirmed it was planning as many as four new-generation pick-ups, with at least two of them set to feature a battery-electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain at the very least.

According to brand executives, the initial offerings will be ‘lifestyle utes’ underpinned by existing monocoque platforms within the small-medium and large pick-up segments, while another bespoke tray-back EV may be developed around the newer C0X skateboard architecture.

9. Shrunken Hummer EV

We’ve all seen the full-size GMC Hummer EV by now, but not everyone might know that General Motors is reportedly considering a shrunken version designed specifically for export purposes.

GM sources say the shrunken Hummer electric pick-up is something of a priority project at the moment as the Detroit giant struggles to meet demand for the monstrous full-size off-roader.

Tipped to be roughly the size of a Ford Ranger, a smaller Hummer EV could feasibly make its way Down Under via GM Specialty Vehicles following either a local conversion program or even factory right-hand drive production if there’s enough demand from markets like the UK and South Africa.

10. GWM Ute

When it was unveiled at the 2020 Beijing motor show, the GWM Ute appeared in both diesel and all-electric forms, and the latter has since been confirmed to offer a 450km driving range.

GWM Australia is yet to confirm a local release for the electric ute, which was revealed with an 150kW/300Nm e-motor, but you can beat it won’t leave fellow Chinese brand LDV alone in the fledgling e-ute market for long.

Full-size electric pick-ups

While EV and FCEV technology is only just making its way into Australia’s dominant mid-size pick-up market, the full-size US pick-up segment is awash with zero-emissions options, at least in North America.

Big-name electrification heavy-hitters include the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Tesla Cybertruck and the soon-to-be revealed RAM 1500 EV.

None of these big electric dual-cabs are imminently expected in Australia, but Rivian has confirmed its intention to launch here and the F-Series EV could join Ford Australia’s official F-150 RHD remanufacturing program Down Under, where the F-150 Lightning name has already been trademarked.

Aftermarket

A number of engineering companies are offering turnkey EV conversion solutions for a range of existing utes, at this stage primarily to fleet buyers.

These include Tembo e-LV, which has deals to supply at least 10,000 retrofit EV kits by 2027, plans to have its first Toyota HiLux-based EV certified and roadworthy in 2023 and is also developing a fleet of LandCruiser 70 Series electric utes for Toyota Australia by 2025.

The H2X Warrego is another Aussie-developed electric ute – this time based on the Ford Ranger and powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology – that’s intended for launch by mid-2023.

Yet another Aussie EV start-up, SEA, plans to produce a HiLux EV in 2023, fitted with a 700Nm electric powertrain that provides about 300km of range.

And finally, local start-up Roev has revealed plans to manufacture electric utes and convert both HiLux and Ranger vehicles to zero-emissions power as soon as 2023.

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