Australian car remanufacturing heats up! 2023 Atlis XT electric ute heading Down Under to rattle Ram 1500 and crunch Chevrolet Silverado

Emerging American battery-electric vehicle (BEV) specialist Atlis has confirmed its upcoming XT 4x4 full-size pick-up will be sold in Australia from 2023, with it to be remanufactured to right-hand drive by Queensland-based Australian Manufactured Vehicles (AusMV).

The conversion deal is like the ones Victoria-based Walkinshaw Group has with Ateco Group for the Ram 1500 and 2500, and GMSV for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2500, which are also sold in New Zealand.

That said, the Atlis-AusMV partnership will go a step further, with remanufactured XTs to be exported to the Southeast Asian market, too, with more than 19,000 examples to be produced for the region through 2025.

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“According to the Climate Council, Australia's goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2035 equates to the need for 75 per cent of new-vehicle sales to be electric,” Atlis founder and CEO Mark Hanchett said.

“Many traditional automakers have overlooked Australia when launching new EVs for a variety of reasons, but we see things differently. Our long-range, fast-charging electric work trucks are ideal for this market.

“We don't need legislative imperatives and other incentives to ship vehicles to Australia and AusMV knows how to get them into owners’ hands.”

So, what does the three- or six-seat XT have to offer? Well, it’s quad-motor powertrain’s peak power is more than 447kW, while its maximum torque is an absurd 16,270Nm, although it’s not yet clear where that output is measured.

Either way, the XT can sprint from a standstill to 97km/h (60mph) in five seconds flat, while its top speed is 193km/h. More impressively, though, the XT has a braked towing capacity of 15,876kg and is available with a 250kWh-plus battery.

Remarkably, the XT can complete a full charge in just 15 minutes when using a 1.5MV DC fast charger with a CCS connector, while regenerative braking is also supported. Its range options include 483km, 644km and 805km.

Utility-wise, the XT is fitted with independent front and rear air suspension and has a payload of up to 9072kg, with its tub measuring either 1981mm or 2438mm long.

For reference, the XT’s wheelbase ranges from a whopping 3658mm to 4470mm long, while its ground clearance 305mm. Needless to say, it means business, so stay tuned for more.