Sick of waiting for an electric Toyota HiLux? The 2024 Tembo Tusker is the next best thing – and you won’t believe the price
The all-electric 2024 Tembo Tusker has been confirmed for Australia, and when it lands here it could instantly become the most affordable battery-powered ute on offer in the country.
Will forgive you if you haven’t heard of the Dutch-backed Chinese-built Tembo Tusker, but when it arrives the tough LDV eT60-rival is primed to be priced from $74,000 plus GST and on-road costs for the base Tusker S (single cab), and just $75,000 for the Tusker D (dual-cab version).
Comfortably undercutting the LDV eT60 ($92,900 includes GST, but not on-roads), the new Tusker comes with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options.
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Instead of starting from scratch, the Tembo is actually a rebadged version of the Dayun Electric Pickup already on sale in China that has been modified for Australian buyers.
With ADR homologation still underway, full details will be released later, but we know entry versions of the Tusker will come powered by a 65kWh lithium-ion battery that will provide for a range of up to 330km.
A bigger 77kW battery is fitted to the more expensive version that boosts range to around 400km. Later, a petrol-assisted range-extender will also be available that will offer a total 1000km in driving range.
The Tusker S is said to come with a rear-mounted electric motor that pushes out 120kW and 330Nm of torque, while the Tusker D gets fractionally more power at 130kW/330Nm.
Top speed is limited to 120km/h, and all body and powertrain combinations can carry up to 1000kg and two up to 750kg braked.
There’s no word on how fast the batteries can be topped up, but Tusker says its ute will be well-equipped with all versions coming with independent front suspension, regenerative braking, driver assist aids and a tub liner.
The Tusker D will add keyless entry and a full digital instrument cluster.
Despite still being months away from touching down, the Tusker is already proving a hit, with Tembo announcing it has already inked a deal to sell 200 of its new utes to the Australian and New Zealand mining industry, with all set to be delivered by February 2026.
As well as outright purchasing the Tusker, customers will be able to finance the new all-electric ute from just $295 a week, rising to $495 per week as part of an all-inclusive subscription package.
Despite not being a household name, Tembo has been building battery-electric conversion kits for the mining industry for the last five years, providing zero-emission powertrains for utes like the Toyota HiLux.
The firm has recently signed a five-year deal via its parent VivoPower to develop a new EV conversion for the LandCruiser 70 Series.
