New Zealand's first electric ute qualifies for rebate

Thursday, 7 July 2022

The first-ever electric ute to land in New Zealand will come with a rebate.

Local pricing and specification of the all-electric LDV eT60 ute has been revealed ahead of production kicking off in August.

Prices start and finish at $79,990 including GST and on-road costs, putting the ute below the Clean Car Programme limit of $80,000 and qualifying it for the full rebate of $8625.

There is the question of range, but for urban tradies the eT60 should work a treat.

New Zealand will get a single model, using an 88.5kWh battery and a 130kW/310Nm rear-mounted electric motor. LDV says it will drive 325km between charges and tow a maximum of 1500kg. Charging from 5% to 80% takes 45 minutes when connected to a DC fast charger.

There will no doubt be questions about the range, considering it takes a hit if the ute is loaded up, as we found out at a showcase earlier this year.

Inside is a 10.25-inch central touchscreen and leatherette seating.

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That ute, a pre-production left-hand drive prototype, only offered a tow rating of 1000kg, but also had a disclaimer in the brochure saying that “towing max weight reduces range by 50 per cent”. The retail model has had its tow rating bumped up to 1500kg, however.

LDV’s local distributor confirmed to Stuff that this is still the case with the upped tow rating. That will have impacts on those wanting a ute for towing boats and the like, but also wanting to step away from combustion power.

The local version of the eT60 is also a much better equipped vehicle than the pre-production model and boasts a far nicer interior with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, leatherette seating and a rotary gear selector. Buyers also get 17-inch alloy wheels and a mains outlet which can power tools when off-grid.

“Interest and orders have come from every sector of society, with private buyers, business owners, tradespeople, government departments and local bodies all eager to reduce their carbon footprint and drive an electric ute,” said Andrew Bayliss, LDV New Zealand’s general manager.

“Now that we can offer a zero-emission vehicle that can meet the demands of the majority of buyers who have previously been buying diesel and petrol vehicles, we know that we have a winner on our hands with the eT60.”