Utes are massively popular in Australia. We love the *ahem* utility of them, along with the fringe benefits tax exemptions that many ute buyers can benefit from. But where are all the electric utes?
Sadly there aren’t actually many electric utes coming down under. Not even some of the big-name ute makers like Toyota or Mitsubishi are getting into the mass electric game for some time, dragging their feet and having limited electric vehicles in their range.
But it won’t stay this way forever. We will see electric utes at some point in Australia, with very few confirmed and more that we’re holding out hope for. Here’s a look at electric utes coming in the future.
The LDV EV T60 – the only electric ute available in Australia
The LDV EV T60 was recently released in New Zealand, becoming the country’s first electric ute. Shortly after in September, the ute was launched locally, alongside a van and people mover. This means that the T60 EV is the first electric ute to go on sale in Australia.
With a range between 300 and 350km depending on the load, the LDV EV T60 is capable of carrying a 980kg payload, although it’s only available in RWD.
The LDV eT60 starts at $92,990 in Australia.
The electric utes coming to Australia
The BYD Ute
BYD local distributor EVDirect confirmed in June 2022 that it would be releasing a ute as a member of its fleet in the Australian market in 2023, however, as reported by Drive, it’s more likely that the all-electric model might be available from 2025, while the hybrid model may come in 2024.
We don’t know much about the BYD Ute just yet, but it’s likely to use BYD’s proprietary Blade battery technology.
The Ace Yewt
Lacking the futuristic flare of many of the other utes on this list, the Ace Yewt is not a huge car, but it is more reasonably priced than other electric utes.
Priced at $25,995, with a release date originally marked for 2023 (we haven’t heard much about it for a long time), the Ace Yewt is capable of between 150 and 200km travel at partial load, with a maximum speed of 100km/h, achieving that in about 14 seconds.
It also has a maximum payload of 500kg and is being manufactured in Australia.
The electric utes that are likely to come to Australia
Most of the below electric utes haven’t been confirmed, but we have an inkling that they’ll make their way down under at some point.
The Rivian R1T
Confirmed for a local launch, the Rivian R1T likely won’t come to Australia until after 2024, long after the Amazon and Ford-backed startup has tested the waters in Europe. It can tow 4,989kg and is capable of 0-100km/h in about 3.3 seconds. All of this said, the last we heard about the R1T coming down under was in 2021, so plans may have changed.
The Rivian R1t is priced at $US68,575, which is about $99,675 in Australia (but it will likely cost more for us Aussies).
Oh, and not to get your hopes up, but although a Rivian sure is in Australia, it belongs to a private mining company for commercial purposes. It doesn’t mean you’ll get one any sooner, I’m afraid.
The Ford F-150 Lightning
The Ford F-150 Lightning is not currently scheduled for Australian release, although trademarks have been filed within the country. It’s a massively powerful truck-like ute, capable of 0-100km/h in about four seconds, and considering that Ford is planning to release five electric vehicles in Australia by the end of 2024 (the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit are the first), it makes sense that the F-150 Lightning would be among the lineup.
It has a 3,492kg towing capacity and about 370km driving range. It’s also priced at $US39,947, which translates to about $58,079 in Australia (though it will likely cost much more than that).
The Chevrolet Silverado EV
If Ford brings an electric ute to Australia, then Chevrolet will likely not be too far behind. While The Chevrolet Silverado EV hasn’t been confirmed for the local market, the ute very much does exist in the U.S., and parent company General Motors is supposedly evaluating the market for opportunity. The Silverado EV starts at $US74,800, with a max EPA-rated range of 724km, and a maximum towing capacity of 6,000kg.
The electric Toyota Hilux concept
Although Toyota is currently trialling an electrified Toyota Landcruiser at mining sites in Australia and while there’s a startup electrifying Hilux’s, Toyota has also built a concept for an electric Hilux.
The standard Hilux is one of the most popular utes in Australia, so it makes sense that one day we might see this concept vehicle. Additionally, it’s expected that a production-ready version of the Toyota EPU concept may one day make it to the market.
An electric Kia ute
Kia is entering the ute market soon, and it’s expected that an electric version will follow soon after the arrival of the ‘Tasman’. No word conforming to this just yet.
20 sporting legends. One Kia ute. Who deserves to have their name on the back?#kiasgettingaute #kiaute pic.twitter.com/3iFh3OvA0z
— Kia Australia (@kiaaustralia) March 3, 2024
A smaller version of the Tesla Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck was originally expected to come to Australia, although the preorder button was removed in 2022.
Interestingly, before then, Musk confirmed that the Cybertruck was not intended for sale outside of the U.S., however, a smaller version of the Cybertruck might be released for the international market.
Wait, that’s it?
There are plenty of other electric utes currently in development, but whether or not they’ll be coming to Australia we’re unsure of.
But we do hope that these cars make their way down under. Perhaps Australia having fuel efficiency standards will help with that.
Image: LDV Australia
Want more Aussie car news? Here’s every EV we’ve reviewed in the last two years, all the EVs we can expect down under soon, and our guide to finding EV chargers across the country. Check out our dedicated Cars tab for more.