China’s LDV will be the first car-maker to launch an electric ute in Australia, due alongside a zero-emissions van and people mover in November 2022.
Chinese car-maker LDV has announced it will launch three electric vehicles in Australia this year – a van, people mover and Australia’s first electric ute.
Due to arrive in November 2022, the long-awaited LDV eT60 – an electric variant of the company’s diesel-powered T60 ute – will headline the range of electric vehicles, launching alongside the eDeliver 9 electric van and Mifa 9 people mover.
The LDV eT60 double-cab ute is equipped with a 130kW/310Nm electric motor which drives the rear wheels, powered by an 88.5kWh battery pack.
LDV claims the 2300kg LDV eT60 has a driving range of 330km on the European WLTP test cycle, however this is only achievable when the electric ute is unloaded.
According to LDV, the eT60’s driving range is slashed reduced by as much as 50 per cent when towing at its maximum capacity of 1500kg.
An onboard 11kW AC charger allows the LDV eT60 to be charged from five to 100 per cent in approximately nine hours, while the electric ute can DC fast-charge from 20 to 80 per cent in about 45 minutes.
While Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed, the LDV eT60 is priced from $NZ79,990 drive-away in New Zealand – about $72,000 when converted to Australian currency, approximately 65 per cent more than the T60’s flagship diesel model.
In addition to the LDV eT60 ute, the Chinese brand will bring the eDeliver 9 van to Australian commercial customers, joining the expanding electric van market which includes models from Renault, Mercedes-Benz and Ford.
Based on the diesel-powered LDV Deliver 9, the eDeliver 9 is available overseas in three body styles – Big (short wheelbase), Bigger (long wheelbase) and Cab Chassis – offering between 9.66 to 10.97 cubic metres of load volume.
LDV is yet to confirm which variants will be available in Australia.
The LDV eDeliver9 utilises a 150kW/310Nm electric motor on the rear axle which is powered by the same 88.5kWh battery pack as the eT60. AC and DC charging capabilities are unchanged from the electric ute.
In New Zealand, only the range-topping LDV eDeliver 9 Bigger is equipped with the 88.5kWh battery pack, offered alongside 51.5kWh and 72kWh variants of the Big and Bigger.
The LDV eDeliver 9 88.5kWh is priced from $NZ99,990 drive-away in New Zealand – equivalent to $AU87,900, approximately 40 per cent more expensive than the flagship Deliver 9 LWB automatic in Australia.
LDV’s third electric vehicle to arrive this November will be the Mifa 9 people mover, the Chinese car-maker’s only all-new model due to launch in Australia.
The seven-seat Mifa 9 is the first LDV model to be built on a dedicated electric platform, with UK-delivered variants powered by a 180kW/350Nm electric motor, coupled to a 90kWh battery pack.
On the European WLTP test cycle, the LDV Mifa 9 achieved a claimed driving range of 440km, with an onboard 11kW AC charger topping its battery up from five to 100 per cent in 8.5 hours. Using a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in 36 minutes.
The LDV Mifa 9 will be equipped with a suite of safety technology including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning system, lane departure warning, lane change assist, emergency lane keep assist, electronic stability control and a fatigue reminder.
LDV says an eight-seater variant of the Mifa 9 electric people-mover is due to arrive in early 2023.
Drive understands a new-generation, petrol-powered LDV people mover (known as the G90) is expected to follow the Mifa 9 next year, replacing the G10 Wagon which was axed in June.
LDV is expected to confirm Australian pricing and specifications of its three electric vehicles closer to their local showroom arrival in November 2022.
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