Caravan-ready EV utes coming to Australia

Diesel might still rule the roost, but there’s an onslaught of battery-electric utes headed this way… and some of them will be geared up for touring adventures.

The EV market is growing steadily in Australia across passenger car, SUV and light commercial van segments, but make no mistake, there’s an onslaught of EV utes heading this way, from some of the biggest brands in the business and from others you’ve perhaps never heard of.

Most of them will naturally target the top-selling mid-size ute segment that’s currently dominated by the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – battery-electric versions of which are in the works – however you can also expect EV versions of larger full-size pick-ups and, at the other end of the market, electric lifestyle utes.

We’ve put together a list of utes and pick-up trucks that are tipped to land on Aussie shores in the next few years – full battery-electric as well as hydrogen fuel-cell electric – starting with the ones we’ve seen, those expected to be shown soon and, not least of all, the fast-growing full-size EV pick-ups.

And, yes, that includes the Tesla Cybertruck.

The LDV eT60 was the first, and remains the only, battery-electric mid-size ute to be sold in Australia through a leading national distributor, featuring a single-motor powertrain based around an 88.5kWh battery pack and offering up to 330km range (WLTP).

Unfortunately, the eT60 misses the mark in a number of key areas, from price through to range and capability, but an all-new replacement is anticipated later this year and should bring meaningful improvements across the board.

Details are thin on the ground for now, but the early word from LDV is to expect 4x4 capability and a range of more than 600km.

The Riddara RD6 is the export version of the Geely-produced 2024 Radar RD6 (although it’s more likely to retain the Radar name here) and is primed to offer two battery capacities, proper ute proportions and some respectable if not amazing load-lugging abilities.

Recently confirmed for release in Thailand later this year, it should only be a matter of time before it’s locked in for the Australian market – likely landing in the first half of next year.

Another player coming sooner rather than later is the Tembo Tusker, which is currently going through Australian Design Rule (ADR) approval and carries a price tag of $74,000 plus GST and on-road costs.

Primarily aimed at fleet providers, single- and dual-cab versions of the Tusker have been confirmed for Australia along with a maximum driving range of up to 400km, 1000kg payload and a 3000kg braked towing capacity.

While more of an advanced concept than outright production model, the Toyota HiLux Revo BEV shows Toyota is serious about offering fleet operators an electric version of the best-selling Toyota HiLux.

In the wake of a national tour and media drives, Toyota has confirmed an electric HiLux will enter production in late 2025, setting the scene for an Australian introduction – possibly in the first half of 2025.

While the Revo has been designed as an EV from the ground up, Toyota UK has been working on converting the current diesel-powered HiLux into a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and recently tasted success as the 10 prototypes head into the next phase of their development.

Toyota Australia has already confirmed it would be more than happy to see at least one of the vehicles come Down Under for local testing and evaluation, potentially paving the way for a genuine multi-pathway HiLux line-up – diesel, hybrid, BEV, FCEV – by the end of the decade.

A close-to-zero-emissions hydrogen-fuelled combustion-engine HiLux is also anticipated.

Isuzu has followed Toyota’s lead in showing a near-production battery-electric version of its best-selling ute, the D-MAX, which was confirmed at the time of its unveiling as being developed for the Australian market.

A production model will be ready for the Norwegian market next year, based on the prototype that features a 130kW/325Nm dual-motor powertrain and 66.9kWh lithium-ion battery.

Crucially, the D-MAX EV can still tow 3500kg and maintains the diesel’s circa-1000kg payload.

It might have been missing in action in recent times, but Chinese brand Foton is preparing to reignite its Australian presence with the Foton Tunland G7 EV, which is tipped to enter local showrooms in the second half of next year.

Headline specs for the Tunland G7 EV include a 500km range, 130kW/330Nm outputs, a payload of 1090kg and 3000kg maximum braked towing capacity.

The all-new Kia Tasman is one of the most eagerly anticipated utes in recent years and Kia won’t be stopping with traditional combustion power – it plans to launch a battery-electric derivative of its new workhorse in 2026.

Details are still to be confirmed, but the 2026 Kia Tasman EV is likely to feature a large battery as found in the EV9 SUV, and will not cut any corners on its way to becoming one of the major players in the emerging electric ute market.

Sharing its R&D with Kia, Hyundai is also cooking up a pair of electric utes that are expected to materialise as the IONIQ T7 lifestyle ute (along similar lines to the Santa Cruz sold overseas) and the larger IONIQ T10, which will be a Ford F-150 Lightning rival.

Hyundai Australia boss John Kett recently told carsales that any sort of announcement was “a long way off”, despite previously confirming at least one electric ute would come to Australia.

With the turbo-diesel 2024 JAC T9 finally on its way to local showrooms, attention has now turned to the long-promised battery-electric version originally tipped to arrive sometime this year.

Odds are the looming LDV eT60 rival will now arrive during 2025.

Preliminary specifications include a 150kW/290Nm single-motor powertrain based around a 77kWh battery pack, delivering only a modest 300km driving range (WLTP) and 11kW AC charging capability (77kW DC).

GWM has been working on an electric ute since the start of the decade, and while some preliminary specs were announced in 2021, the trail has largely gone cold… until just recently.

GWM Australia says such a model is still very much part of its strategy, even if there isn’t a concrete timeline, and has promised the EV would continue the brand’s value orientation in terms of pricing and equipment.

Late last year, SsangYong confirmed it planned to launch a compact battery-electric pick-up – positioned below the turbo-diesel Musso – inspired by the O100 concept shown at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show.

Using a monocoque construction rather than a separate body-on-frame, SsangYong’s electric ute will use BYD-sourced battery technology and offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, but further details are still to come.

Ford has provided plenty of strong hints but has stopped short of officially confirming that an all-electric Ford Ranger is coming soon, positioned below the F-150 Lightning.

It will introduce a plug-in hybrid powertrain early next year as a stepping stone to full-electric power, but timing and specifications for the EV are still to be released.

The Nissan Navara will include an electric powertrain option in its next generation, and could quickly become a benchmark in class if solid-state battery technology is applied at launch.

Internal combustion versions of the new Navara will be in Australia by mid-2027, with the EV expected before the decade is out.

It’s no secret the next Nissan Navara will be based off the latest Mitsubishi Triton and it’s almost certain to the be same for the battery-electric versions – Mitsubishi has even provided a tantalising teaser of its Triton EV.

The Japanese brand has promised a zero-emissions version of the Triton will be released by the end of the decade as the final piece of a multi-option powertrain line-up set to comprise diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric propulsion.

The global reveal of the BYD Shark captured a lot of attention earlier this year, based around a plug-in hybrid powertrain, so where’s the full-electric version?

An electric Shark has been on the cards from the get-go but remains the subject of speculation – for now.

Of course, BYD moves quickly, so we’d expect a full reveal in the next couple of years.

Already available through small-scale independent converters in Australia, the battery-electric Ford F-150 Lightning remains under study as a factory-backed model that would be remanufactured in Melbourne alongside combustion-engined variants.

There are myriad configurations for the Lightning in its home market, and even without a green light from either the US or Australia, some local companies are already preparing for its likely addition to their fleets.

The Chevrolet Silverado EV debuted at CES 2022 with up to 495kW/1065Nm on tap and a maximum range of 644km.

Local right-hand drive conversion expert Walkinshaw Automotive is adamant it has the capability to remanufacture the Silverado EV for the Australian market alongside ICE versions, while General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) has confirmed it’s “exploring opportunities” for the Silverado EV and other US models.

The RAM 1500 is Australia’s best-selling full-size pick-up truck, converted to RHD by Walkinshaw Automotive and distributed (with factory support) by the independent RAM Trucks Australia, which is part of the Ateco Group.

Global RAM boss Mike Koval revealed to carsales last year that the RAM 1500 REV was locked and loaded for Australia, but couldn’t give us an exact timeline for a local release, despite nominating the final quarter of 2024 as the likely production start date.

As carsales has reported, Toyota Australia has embarked on a top-secret program with the Walkinshaw Group to help develop and test a hydrogen-fuelled, combustion-engined Toyota Tundra pick-up.

Walkinshaw is currently testing RHD versions of the Toyota Tundra it has engineered and developed for Toyota Australia as the nation’s biggest auto brand prepares to join the fast-growing full-size American pick-up truck segment – as early as next year, pending final approval from the Japanese giant’s parent company.

So let’s see where the project goes, and although it’s not battery-electric, it would hand Tundra a close-to-zero-emissions powertrain.

The Rivian R1T is coming to Australia initially as a mining fleet vehicle supplied and enhanced by the Mining Electric Vehicle Company (MEVCO), but don’t expect to see the big rig in local showrooms in the near future – right-hook production is still yet to commence.

Rivian has long been promising an Australian presence and it seems that could still be the case after an R1S SUV was spotted on the back of a flatbed in Sydney earlier this year.

You can’t talk about electric pick-up trucks without mentioning the Tesla Cybertruck – easily the most high-profile and controversial vehicle of its kind.

Despite a left-hook example currently touring Australia and New Zealand, Elon Musk has ruled out the possibility of the Cybertruck coming to Australia any time soon, declaring Tesla “might be able to certify” it for international markets “sometime next year” without specifying exactly which markets.