Australia's first electric ute revealed, and it's coming this year

Australia’s first all-electric ute will arrive in November, with the LDV eT60 set to touch down in showrooms before year’s end.

The LDV model will beat major players in the ute space like the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara to the feat, but don’t expect it to replace your diesel-powered workhorse just yet.

While the majority of ute buyers are gravitating towards a 4x4 dual-cab ute due to their versatility as weekday worksite warriors and weekend off-roaders, the LDV eT60 will only be offered up in 4x2 double-cab form – at least for now.

Read More About LDV T60

Will Australia's first electric ute be Chinese? Can GWM's electric Ute beat the LDV eT60 to market, or will the Ford Ranger or Mitsubishi Triton kick off a new wave of electrified utes? Kia Carnival? Honda Odyssey? Nah, the LDV MIFA 9 could be Australia's first all-electric people mover! Where to next for LDV? Plenty of fresh metal available overseas for the challenger brand to take on Ford Ranger Raptor, Kia Carnival and Isuzu MU-X

Powering the electric ute is an 88.5kWh lithium-ion battery, which will enable a WLTP-certified driving range of 330km.

To recharge, the eT60 will need around nine hours when using an 11kW charger, while DC fast-charging means it can also go from 20-80 per cent battery in just 45 minutes.

Pricing and specs are still to be confirmed for the all-electric model, but it isn’t the only tailpipe emissions-free light-commercial vehicle that LDV has in store for Australia.

Also being launched in November will be the eDeliver 9 large van, which will compete against the Mercedes-Benz eVito and incoming Ford E-Transit.

Also equipped with an 88.5kWh battery, the eDeliver 9 has a driving range of 280km when in mid-roof form, which LDV Australia calls “the ideal partner in last mile delivery situations”.

Charging the eDeliver 9 will be similar to the eT60 ute however, with about nine hours needed on an 11kW charger, and 45 minutes to go from 20-80 per cent on an 80kW DC fast-charger.

Finally, LDV will return to the people mover segment after the discontinuation of the Kia Carnival and Honda Odyssey-rivalling G10 earlier this year.

This time however, it will field the all-electric Mifa 9 seven-seater (also confirmed for a November arrival), with an eight-seat version due later next year.

LDV is already expecting a five-star Euro NCAP score for the Mifa 9, which boasts autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning, lane change assist, and more as standard safety gear.

The Mifa 9 also sports a larger 90kWh battery for a driving range of up to 440km, while its charging tech is also a little faster – need 8.5 hours on an 11kW charger and just 36 minutes on a DC fast-charger to go from 20-80 per cent.

Full details on all models are expected closer to their market arrival, but for now LDV Australia general manager Dinesh Chinnappa is talking up the fact the Chinese brand has beaten more established rivals to market.

“Every major OEM is committed to developing electric vehicles, but what is less spoken about is the growing influence of China’s EV market on the rest of the world – and we in Australia are now benefiting from that influence with the arrival of eT60, eDeliver 9 and Mifa 9,” he said.

“The Australian auto industry is at a crucial pivot point and embarking on a journey many countries commenced years ago.

“LDV is at the forefront of this journey for commercial vehicles. We have moved from challenger brand to innovator brand. With 92 dealers across the country it’s important we continue to lay the key building blocks for the brand’s future – which is why we’re excited to announce the upcoming arrival of Australia’s first electric ute, eT60, the eDeliver 9 large van, and the Mifa 9 luxury electric