Image: LDV NZ
China’s LDV has slashed the price of its electric ute in the key right hand drive market of New Zealand, less than two years after the eT60 was introduced into that and the Australiam market.
The brand has slashed prices in New Zealand with a new starting price of $NZ41,990, down from $NZ79,990 at launch.
The latest price cut could be attributed to several factors including the major drop in NZ EV sales after the Clean Car Discount ended on 31st December 2023.
According to data shared on evdb.nz, the eT60 has seen 262 registrations since deliveries began back in October 2022, with a sharp rise seen prior to the clean car discount ending.
Another reason is the likelihood of a new version of this electric ute on the horizon. Previously, LDV has hinted at bringing a high-performance ute to the Australian market which could include a quad-motor powertrain in 2024.
Locally here in Australia, the LDV eT60 was launched just before Christmas in 2022 with an 88.5kWh battery.
This pack offers a 330kms in range and comes with a drive-away price of $88,431 for tradies, or $92,000 for non-commercial buyers.
Both AC and DC charging are available on the eT60 and the ute can be DC-fast charged from 20% to 80% in around 45 minutes.
Feeding the eT60’s powertrain is a single motor that drives the rear wheels. This motor produces 130kW of power and 310 Nm of torque.
Given the fairly conventional ute design, the setup has a rated consumption of 21.3 kWh/100 km. That’s quite good given the design and dimensions of this ute.
With this price tag, the eT60 has not seen many sales. In 2023, just 79 sales were seen across the country. The first 6 months of 2024 have seen only another 8 sales, bringing the total to 87 vehicles sold across 18 months.
In recent months, another electric ute offering has emerged. This time, it’s from a company called Tembo EV.
The dual-cab Tusker-D electric ute is priced from $75,000 excluding GST and while offering the same 130 kW in power, it offers slightly more torque than the LDV, coming in with 330 Nm torque.
On top of that, the range is also improved, coming in at up to 400 km on offer with every full charge.
With limited options in the electric ute segment and demand for ICE utes remaining high, it’s likely that the prices by LDV will be further lowered to move stock. This could change in 2025 with rising interest in EVs from fleets and potential newer models on the cards.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
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View Comments
I think a $42000 ute would be a good seller in Aus. I would buy one if I was ready to part with what I have.
My little Volvo EX30 has 200kW/343Nm. Highway range is a safe 350+km and on local 60km/hr roads is well over 400km. My Holden Colorado by comparison has 135kW/400Nm.
I am very concerned about the position of the motor for this vehicle and the Tembo ute. It looks as if it would be the work of a few minutes under the ute with a few spanners to steal the motor, or backing into a stump or rock and you'd be stuffed. The extra slung weight on the axle doesn't look great for longevity either.
and you're qualified to make this comment based on looking at photos?