The Rise of the Electric Ute
They are being teased around the world , but will Australia ever get to see them ?
WORDS BY DANIEL BRAID
The humble ute is an iconic part of the Australian motoring landscape , and our love affair has only grown in recent years .
Looking at vehicle sales data the Toyota HiLux has been the consistent top selling vehicle in recent years with the Ford Ranger momentarily taking the sales crown in April before Toyota regained it in May . Meanwhile other strong ute performers including the Isuzu D-Max , Mitsubishi Triton , Nissan Navara and the Mazda BT-50 continue to pull strong sales numbers .
And while smaller electric vehicles have begun to gradually penetrate the local market , it is inevitable that petrol and diesel utes will eventually need to make way for zero-emissions solutions . Early concerns over power and towing capacity have been ratified and many of the major and smaller manufacturers are now plotting moves to introduce electric utes to the global playing field this year and beyond .
As always any potential electric vehicle will greatly reduce your CO2 emissions - just don ’ t let it be at the cost of safety . An EV has a longer lifecycle than an ICE ( internal combustion engine ) or diesel equivalent so make sure any vehicle you purchase contains a 5-star ANCAP rating .
Utes are a fundamental part of the Australian way , but will we ever see them arrive on local shores ?
10 ISSUE 29 JUNE 2021 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU