One Chinese EV maker has paused its Aussie expansion: Why has Skyworth parked its electric SUV?
The Chinese brand Skyworth’s push into the Australian electric passenger-car market has been put on the backburner, with local distributor EV Automotive instead prioritising its electric commercial vehicle business.
The Chinese brand’s BE11 mid-size electric SUV now has no confirmed Australian launch timing, despite originally being due here under the related Skywell brand almost two years ago.
EV Automotive Australia CEO Jack Puzin confirmed the BE11 remains under consideration, but conceded getting the SUV into Australian showrooms is no longer a major priority.
READ MORE: Chinese brand Skyworth decides to pause its launch in Australia.
READ MORE: Why the massive influx of Chinese EVs will end in tears | Opinion
READ MORE: It’s show time! What’s debuting at Everything Electric in Sydney this weekend
“Look, it’s [BE11] still a consideration, however, we have to assign a priority to it, I suppose.
“It’s not a massive priority, but it’s still there. The commercial vehicles are the priority for the moment. At the moment, we’ll stick to what we’ve been fairly successful at.
“It doesn’t mean we stop working on the SUV, the BE11, however, we’ll put our energy into the commercial side of the business at the moment.”
It is the latest setback for the BE11’s Australian launch.
The electric SUV was originally announced for Australia as the Skywell ET5 and was scheduled to arrive in late 2024, with EV Automotive even revealing pricing for a two-model line-up.
Those plans subsequently changed, with the vehicle switching to the Skyworth BE11 name and its Australian introduction pushed back to early 2026.
The delay was intended to allow Australia to receive an upgraded version featuring an 800-volt electrical architecture, additional safety equipment and an ANCAP safety rating.
But that timetable has now also been abandoned and there is no replacement launch date.
Plans for the smaller Skyworth Q electric hatchback also appear to have gone quiet.
Instead, EV Automotive is concentrating on commercial vehicles through Skywell, Skyworth and the unrelated Victory brand.
Central to that strategy is the 233 Hongtu electric van, which is expected to introduce the Skyworth badge to Australia late in 2026 and take on the likes of the Farizon SuperVan.
Australian homologation documents reveal two main versions of the 233 have been approved locally.
There is a 5.49-metre low-roof model and a larger 5.99-metre long/high-roof version, with both available in three- and four-side-door configurations.
Both versions employ a 150kW electric motor and 100.96kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and have a 4495kg gross vehicle mass.
Their differing tare weights result in calculated nominal payload capacities of 1910kg for the smaller van and 1695kg for the larger version.
The factory claims a driving range of more than 400km.
Puzin said the 233 was an important model for EV Automotive as competition builds in Australia’s electric van market.
“it’s [233] pretty important,” he said. “We’re looking at getting some early display models in the late end of this year.”
“I know our van has over 400km WLTP range.
“So that means it’s got a bigger battery pack, which means it’ll attract a slightly higher premium, but it’ll be competitive against the Farizon.”
The Farizon SuperVan has recently undergone substantial price cuts, with the range now starting from $62,990 before on-road costs.
Skyworth’s retreat from passenger vehicles in Australia comes as the brand has also encountered problems in the UK.
Its British importer recently ceased operations after selling only 127 BE11s, citing the continuing investment required to establish the brand.
