Another Chinese EV ute an Aussie chance under LDV brand
Another Chinese pick-up has been shown off that could turn up in Australia.
The Maxus New EV was unveiled at the Guangzhou motor show last week and is under investigation for Australian sale by local importer the Ateco Group.
The big-grilled concept is a follow-up from the very similar ICE-powered Maxus Pick-Up Concept first revealed at the Chengdu motor show mid-year.
In fact, apart from the name the biggest visual changes to the Guangzhou version of the dual cab are blue styling touches to denote its electric power source.
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The New concept is expected to morph into the replacement for the increasingly popular pick-up sold in Australia as the LDV T60.
The Maxus and LDV brands are both part of the giant SAIC Motor Corporation that also includes MG, which recently launched the cheapest EV yet to be sold in Australia, the ZS EV. Maxus is used in many overseas markets while LDV is used in Australia.
According to the Chinese website autohome.com.cn, the New comes with a 130kW/310Nm permanent magnet synchronous e-motor fed by an 88.55kWh battery. The range between recharges is claimed to be as much as 535km.
It has been previously reported Ateco expected its new-generation pick-up to arrive in Australia as soon as 2021, but it is now being more cautious than that, only confirming negotiations and investigations are ongoing for both orthodox and EV variants.
This is the second electrified pick-up to be recently revealed by an emerging Chinese pick-up brand.
Back in September GWM revealed the Poer EV, the diesel-powered version of which is about to go on-sale in Australia simply called the Ute.
Claimed e-motor outputs are 150kW and 300Nm and the range is 405km. The latter figure is down on the 500km range announced when the EV was first confirmed in 2019.
Great Wall Motors Australia (or GWM as it is rebranding itself) has confirmed its interest in the EV, but an arrival is yet to be confirmed.
But both the Maxus New and GWM EV ute are right-sized for the immensely popular Australian dual cab ute market, that is led by the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
Toyota has hinted a mild hybrid version of the HiLux could arrive in Australia soon as 2021, but the Chinese appear to have the jump on full-on electrified utes.
Of course, the Tesla Cybertruck is due to come tp Australia but it is a bigger vehicle than the traditional Aussie ute, although Elon Musk has signalled a smaller Cybertruck could be in the works for foreign markets.
