Foton T5 vs Fiat Ducato

What's the difference?

It’s still early days for battery-electric workhorses in Australia but Chinese brand Foton is making a concerted push into the zero-tailpipe-emissions commercial-vehicle market with its T5 EV.

The Beijing-based manufacturer, which has topped commercial-vehicle sales in China for almost two decades, is offering the ‘new energy’ electric T5 cab-chassis with a choice of GVM ratings: 4500kg for car licence operation or 6000kg for Light Rigid truck licence holders.

With a claimed fully-loaded driving range of 180km and unique-for-EV 3500kg braked tow rating, Foton says the T5 EV can also provide fleets with upfront and operational cost reductions of around 20 per cent compared to diesel. And it can be fitted with a wide variety of service bodies, including its own ready-to-work Tipper variant.

Foton is aiming to expand local sales by focusing on customers involved in last-mile logistics, local councils, construction and infrastructure support, for which this vehicle is best suited. We recently trialled a T5 EV to see how it stacks up as an alternative to diesel.

The Ducato originated in 1981 through a joint venture between Fiat and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, which are both now part of the recently formed Stellantis conglomerate. The Ducato has evolved through four decades and several generations, with more than 2.6 million sold in a variety of body styles (including popular motorhomes) and wheelbases.

The current generation van, which competes in the 3501-8000kg GVM commercial class, is also marketed as the Peugeot Boxer, which was tested at maximum GVM by CarsGuide in 2020. Despite many similarities between them, the latest iteration of the Ducato is more than just a badge-engineered version of its French sibling.

The MY21 Fiat Professional Ducato Series 7 is equipped with an all-new drivetrain, updated safety and convenience features and a class-leading two-tonne-plus payload capacity, which we recently put to the test.