Volkswagen Id.4 vs Foton T5

What's the difference?

The all-electric Volkswagen ID.4 Pro has finally landed on our shores! Hurrah! The benefit of waiting almost half a decade for it means we get some mid-life technology upgrades and interior features for the single variant that's available to us (at least for now).

The biggest question this mid-size SUV really poses, though, is has it been worth the wait? Is it practical enough? Is it fun enough? Let’s find out.

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.