LDV defends eT60 electric ute as a 'necessary step' in the electrification of the commercial sector

LDV made history when it launched Australia’s first fully electric dual-cab ute, the eT60, back in 2022.

But the crowd went mild. Despite a huge battery and just-as-large upfront price (at launch, the eT60 was priced from $92,990 before on-roads, more than double the cost of the combustion version), the ute delivered a lacklustre driving range, had downright average driving dynamics and hauling specs, and crucially, it was rear-wheel-drive only in a segment where 4x4 is king.

It had redeeming factors too, but over a year on, there are a little over 80 examples in the country thanks to a less-than-warm welcome from private buyers and fleets alike.

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Defending LDV’s decision to import the ute though, the brand’s local Managing Director, Dinesh Chinnappa explained why the eT60 was a necessary step.

“I make no apologies for the eT60” he told CarsGuide at the launch of the eDeliver 7, the brand’s latest foray into electrified commercial vans.

“It was a necessary step for both SAIC Motor in designing and developing the product, and us as the distributor to come to terms with the challenges involved with selling electric commercial vehicles.

“It’s also for the customer to come to terms with deploying electric vehicles on-site,” he said, referring mainly to issues that mine site operators have faced around their ability to charge the vehicles and have them comply with fire safety.

At launch, the eT60 was priced from ,990 before on-roads.

But Chinnappa said despite the low numbers, it was also necessary for the brand to make progress in launching next-gen products like the eDeliver 7.

“Let’s say I launch eDeliver 7 today, and a company like Australia Post shows up and says they want 300 units tomorrow. We can get the vans, but these guys are going to have challenges - at the depot, how are they going to get enough electricity to charge them all?

“We even have one customer buying 12 eDeliver 9s. They want to be truly green, they tell me they don’t want their drivers showing up in a diesel pumping out fumes and hop into an electric van. They don’t want to pretend. But then how does the employee charge an electric van at home? Does the company pay to install a charger?

But Chinnappa said despite the low numbers, it was also necessary for the brand to make progress in launching next-gen products like the eDeliver 7.

“Companies need to learn these things - for us to learn these sorts of things the eT60 was required before the GST [the next-generation electric 4x4 ute to be revealed imminently and launched in Australia possibly before the end of the year]. You can’t turn up with a product on the Monday without some sort of a prelude. We had to learn. The dealers had to learn. The customer had to learn.

“It started the conversation around charging infrastructure, deployment of electricity, it changed the mindset of a few councils.”

Despite the trickle of deliveries, Chinnappa says the eT60’s run is not yet over and there are still some examples yet to be delivered.

The eT60 will effectively reach the end of its run later this year or in early 2024 when the brand’s next-gen electric ute arrives.

“We still have a client who wants to take delivery of about five a month for the next few months, we’ve got some others who are yet to take delivery and we’ve got a few councils that want to start the conversation. It’s not going to be big numbers, two here, four there.”

The eT60 will effectively reach the end of its run later this year or in early 2024 when the brand’s next-gen electric ute arrives. 

“There will be a point where we say ‘no’ to new orders. When the new one comes there will be no requirement for eT60 - for only a few units a month we have no motivation to keep it alive,” Chinnappa said.

LDV’s next gen ute (code-named GST) is promising a huge step forward in every direction.

LDV’s next gen ute (code-named GST) is promising a huge step forward in every direction. The concept version, revealed in Shanghai in 2023, debuted a new design direction for the brand and promised to usher in new technology, including a cell-to-chassis construction which promises to cut down on complexity and weight.

Dimensions filed with the Chinese patent office also have the next-gen ute growing in size to become larger than the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

Stay tuned for the production version of the GST’s imminent reveal, as Chinnappa said the local distributor expected to be posting production orders before the end of 2024.