Australia’s first EV ute: We had one chance and we blew it
We noticed something huge was missing with the LDV eT60. It’s left us scratching our heads. Have we blown it?
Published on: 1 December 2022
From the first Ford Coupe utility to the more recent ‘Unbreakable’ Hilux, the iconic Australian ute has been ingrained within our culture for over nine decades. Fast-forward to the present and a lot has changed with the introduction of EV technology and the fact that the ute does a whole lot more than just play farm hand or rock up to the job site.
Let’s face it. The off-road community love a good dual or single-cab ute. But they’re still sceptical about EV and can’t all afford a ute for work, and a ute for play. So when LDV came out saying they were releasing the first Australian EV ute, we thought, “Gee! Big shoes to fill!” More importantly, you’d think the LDV eT60 would have the one feature that makes today’s ute, a ute.
A farmer’s wife and a ute
So when did our love affair for the ute actually begin? In 1933, a farmer’s wife from Gippsland, Victoria wrote a letter to Ford Australia. The letter mentioned that she couldn’t afford two cars, and needed something that could take them ‘to church on Sundays and the pigs to market on Mondays’.
In 1934, Ford came back with a stroke of genius and redesigned a Ford Coupe to cater for the lady’s needs. They extended the side panels from the rear of the cab and strengthened the body and suspension for load. And there you have it! The first Ford Coupe Utility rolled off the production line. The rest is history.
Now we might not be hauling pigs down to the market anymore, but today’s ute has a lot to live up to. Especially for a growing 4×4 scene wanting more from their daily workhorse.
The all-rounder: Tradie’s best friend to weekend warrior
The truck, ute, rig or whatever you want to call it, has always been seen as the all-rounder. These days, any tradie keen on a bit of weekend adventure will tell you that their pride and joy needs to wear many hats if it’s to earn its spot on the driveway.
Firstly, it’s got to be hardworking. It needs to have plenty of tray space, enough grunt and capacity to tow a decent trailer, good fuel economy, and be capable enough to get you out of a sticky situation on the tracks.
The current ute category answers that (debatable). The most basic entry-level 4×4 ute comes with 133KW of power, 430NM of torque and has a braked towing capacity of 3.1 tonnes. When we look at 4×4 features, most utes come standard with a locking rear differential and basic off-road fruit to get you exploring. Nothing too fancy, but they can all do the job (debatable).
Enter the LDV eT60
Out came the spec sheet and we were excited as hell to dig in. But something was missing. What? No 4×4? Surely not. Nope! No 4×4.
It was already going to lack points from a range perspective, and let’s not talk about the whopping 310NM of torque and 1-tonne braked towing capacity. But to not introduce a 4×4 variant? It’s just un-Australian. Unlike its cousin, the T60 4×4, the eT60 is rear-wheel-drive only with a single electric motor hanging scaringly low on the rear axle. Basically not ideal for any sort of off-road terrain.
When it comes to spending your hard-earned dollars, the outrageous price tag would make anyone shopping for a Toyota chuckle. Ding. Ding. $92,990 RRP.
For that money, you could get two GLX Mitsubishi Tritons, and maybe enough spare change to fit bar work or lights.
For those interested, check-out how the LDV eT60 compares to the LDV T60 MAX.
Exit LDV EV?
Okay. Fair is fair. The Chinese-made eT60 was always intended for the fleet industry and early adopters. Now we’re all for reducing emissions, but did LDV miss the mark completely?
We all wanted to love it. We wanted to give it a go as any Aussie would. But did they miss the chance of a lifetime to win the hearts of Australians looking for a good ute?
We can’t see many tradies flexin’ their eT60 down at Bunnings anytime soon (or the tracks for that matter). But hey, we could be wrong! What are your thoughts?
