A little over a year ago, LDV showed off an electric ute concept in China. Now Maxus (aka LDV in New Zealand and some other markets) has unveiled a four-wheel drive electric ute. This is the first of its kind seen in the UK.
Dubbed eTerron 9, it succeeds the LDV T90EV, which was the UK’s first electric ute. However, it was rear-drive only.
Overall, eT9 is slightly bigger than Ranger (5500mm, 130mm longer than the Ford), with a load bed measuring up to 2.4m in length. That’s after you drop the rear bulkhead to allow for extra long loads. There’s also a waterproof 236L compartment under the bonnet for stowing sundry items.
The eTerron 9’s payload capacity is 620kg, little more than half of the one tonne required to qualify for the lower commercial vehicle tax rates in the UK. However, braked towing capacity is a competitive 3500kg, up with the likes of Ranger and Hilux.
Two motors power the beast, one per axle, with a system total output of 323kW (123kW on the front axle, 200kW on the rear). That compares with the 130kW motor for the LDV eT60 we get in New Zealand. An All-Terrain system has six drive modes, including for Sand and Mud.
At its core is a 102kWh LFP battery offering a range of up to 427km. A battery refresh from 20-80 per cent takes around 40 minutes using a 115kW fast charger.
The ute has vehicle-to-load functionality, meaning it can supply power for tools or camping. There are 2.2kW sockets in the frunk and truck bed, the latter also getting a 6.6kW connection.
Underpinning the ute is air suspension which adjusts ride height according to speed, boosting range on highways and motorways.
Ride height you can lower by up to 60mm when at a stop to facilitate loading and unloading.
Deliveries kick off in the UK first thing next year. It is expected to cost the equivalent of around $NZ110,000 when it goes on sale there.
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