Electric Toyota HiLuxes and Ford Rangers! Aussie company offering conversions for popular utes

A Brisbane-based company is offering fleet conversions for businesses that wish to electrify their utes, with pricing now confirmed by the company.

The two main targets for the fleet conversions are the obvious picks - Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, not only Australia’s most popular utes but also the two most popular vehicles in the country for sales.

Pricing for a conversion kicks off at $47,990 for a ‘standard range’ conversion on a 4x2 ute built for or after the 2020 model year, with an ‘extended range’ conversion costing an extra $6000. The conversion cost does not include the initial purchase price of the ute.

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The standard pack offers 240km of range from a 64kWh battery, while the extended version with a 69kWh battery boasts 360km, both reasonable ranges given the utes weren’t designed with electrification in mind.

For an older ute, built between model years 2016 and ‘19, the costs are $48,990 and $54,990 respectively for the two ranges.

For 4x4 utes, prices kick off from $50,990 for post-2020 utes, or an extra $1000 for older utes. The same $6000 increase applies to utes being converted to Extended Range capacity.

The converted utes are fully certified for safety, retaining their existing OEM safety systems, and can also be used as vehicle-to-load (V2L) power sources, useful for worksites as long as the ute can be charged relatively conveniently.

The utes can be charged with 80kW DC charging, or using slower 11kW AC charging (as from a wall socket).

CarsGuide asked Roev how the conversions affect towing capacity and payload, but a spokesperson said data for those specifications is still under testing and yet to be finalised.

Founded by tech industry leaders and motoring enthusiasts Noah Wasmer and Paul Slade, Roev aims to “remove millions of tons of CO2 emissions by accelerating transport electrification and renewable energy uptake”.

The company has committed to converting 1000 utes in the first year of its operations, with orders open from December 2022.

“There is huge demand for electric utes in Australia, particularly among large fleets,” says Roev CEO Noah Wasmer. 

“We are actively listening to customers to ensure that our product solutions meet their operational needs.”

"Australia needs electric utes in massive numbers, the race isn't between car companies - it’s a race to protect our environment and the future for our children. 

“Conversions are one way we can tackle the problem, but we also need imports and the mainstream brands to come to the party.”

At a recent drive event in Canberra, independent senator David Pocock drove one of the company’s converted utes.

“Electric vehicles are the future and utes are no exception” said Senator Pocock.

“It is great to see Australian businesses like Roev are doing incredible work to make sure that the benefits of electrification can be enjoyed by those who need the functionality of a ute.”