China’s JAC plans Aussie push with EV ute benchmarked against Rivian R1T

An all-new battery electric and plug-in hybrid ute benchmarked against the Rivian R1T will be one of the headline acts when China’s JAC Motors unleashes a comprehensive attack on the Australian market around mid-decade.

To be distributed in Australia by independent BLK Auto, JAC has already commenced sales here with the N55EV electric van and will follow with the turbo diesel T9 Hunter dual cab ute in mid-2023.

A low-powered 4×2 battery electric version of the T9 is scheduled follow in the Autumn of 2024, followed by the dedicated new EV ute in 2025.

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JAC will roll out right-hand drive SUVs the same year, while passenger cars will follow after that. While there will be ICE offerings, the focus will be on electrification.

 “The future of JAC is EV,” declared Jason Pecotic, the managing director of BLK Auto.

“We will be bringing [to Australia] whatever vehicles go through the R&D centre for mature markets,” he added.

Pecotic, a China auto industry veteran, has had a previous stint with JAC when it briefly sold a diesel truck here a decade ago, as well as WMC (Foton) utes and MG, which is part of Chinese manufacturing giant SAIC..

“The next vehicle they are working on is SUV. Once we have successfully launched 4×4 pick-up we will then move into SUV and you will slowly see them work through their passenger ranges as they enter into the market.

“It’s a five-year journey.”

Official JAC Motors documentation confirms the all-new ute will come as both an electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid, but not with a traditional turbo-diesel drivetrain.

The US-developed and manufactured Rivian R1T is also named as being the benchmark for the new JAC ute, which suggests a modular skateboard platform, albeit with space for an ICE drivetrain in the PHEV.

The Rivian R1T is only sold as an EV, it comes with dual or quad e-motors, outputs up to 623kW, stunningly fast acceleration claims and lithium-ion battery packs between 105kWh and 180kWh.

At 5514mm long, the R1T is about 200mm longer than the one-tonne dual cab utes that dominate the Australian market and around 500mm shorter than full-size US pick-ups such as the Ford F-150.

It also has an SUV sibling, the R1S, that spins off the same platform.

Pecotic predicted a 2024 reveal for the all-new ute and an introduction that could come in Australia in 2025.

“My understanding is we will see the new ute in 2024,” he said.

If it does come with similar specs to the Rivian R1T, the new JAC electrified ute will be a gigantic lift in performance and capability over the T9 Hunter EV, which lines up very closely with the just-launched LDV eT60.

Specs obtained from JAC show it makes 150kW/290Nm, has a 77kWh CATL battery pack, a 300km WLTP range, an 11kW AC charging capability and 77kW on DC.

The average energy consumption claim is given as 25.7-27.5kWh.

Kerb weight is listed as 2.3 tonnes, its payload at one tonne and its braked towing capacity at only 1000kg.

Pricing is one variable that is not comparable as that is a long way from being announced by BLK Auto for the T9 EV. Even if it does dramatically undercut the prohibitively expensive $92,990 drive-away LDV, there are no big sales expectations for it.

JAC has a comprehensive line-up of SUVs on-sale in China as well as a smattering of traditional passenger cars, a small number of electrified models and people-movers and vans.

After some recent sub-brand restructuring, they are being sold under the Sehol and Refine badges in their home market, but would stick to JAC in Australia.

In export markets that include Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, there are various naming schemes, but broadly speaking SUVs are dubbed JS and passenger cars are dubbed J with a number to denote vehicle size.

The most recently launched model globally is the JS6, a 4.6m five-seat SUV with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. In China, an EV version has gone on-sale and a plug-in is also planned. The JS6 is the first JAC to be based on the company’s new MIS (Modular Intelligent Structure) architecture.

JAC is the latest Chinese brand to reveal extensive Aussie plans. Chery launches within months with the Omoda 5 SUV, while the GWM Ora and Tank brands should also arrive in 2023.

Geely is known to be investigating an Australian launch that could result in the arrival of the Radar RD6 ute, while MG, Haval, LDV and BYD are already on-sale here.

BLK Auto could also investigate the opportunity to distribute the Nio EV luxury brand in Australia, which has hinted at a 2025 launch here and has a manufacturing joint-venture with JAC.

“If there is an opportunity for us to pick up Nio – 100 percent we would be there,” Pecotic said. “At this stage I have not had any discussions regarding Nio for Australia.”