Dead before arrival: Isuzu D-Max EV cancelled for Australia
A host of plug-in hybrid and electric utes are already on sale or soon going to be in Australia, but the Isuzu D-Max EV won’t be one of them.
Isuzu Ute Australia has scrapped its plans to launch the electric D-Max EV locally, almost 18 months after it was revealed and pencilled in for a local berth.
“While Isuzu remains committed to exploring future electrification opportunities, the decision has been made not to export the BEV D-MAX to Australia at this time due to the need to prioritise products that align with our current customer needs,” Isuzu Motors International Operations said in a statement.
The Isuzu D-Max EV went on sale in the UK earlier this year, with its three variants priced from £59,995 (A$114,400) to £74,994 (A$143,000), or about double the cost of the turbo-diesel equivalent.
In Australia, the electric ute market is scarce but growing, having started with the now-defunct LDV eT60, followed by the car-based KGM Musso EV, and Toyota’s HiLux BEV, with an MG U9 EV to launch imminently.
Despite regulations giving incentives to carmakers to import and sell zero- or low-emissions vehicles locally, Isuzu said the D-Max EV doesn’t make sense for the current market.
“While the D-MAX BEV is not the right fit for Australian customers in its current form, Isuzu remains committed to exploring future electrification opportunities through initiatives such as the Earth Lab and ongoing evaluation of lower-emissions technologies,” said Isuzu Ute Australia spokesperson and executive general manager, Rod Caldwell.
“However, with diesel continuing to account for 84 per cent of light commercial vehicle sales year-to-date, our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that align with current customer demand.
“This includes the introduction of the more efficient 2.2-litre engine, which forms part of our broader journey to reduce emissions and meet the requirements of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
“At the same time, we continue to strengthen our core product offering by expanding the MU-X range to better meet evolving customer needs.”
Isuzu has yet to detail what that expanded MU-X range will look like.
As previously reported, the D-Max EV is powered by dual electric motors, with one unit on the front and rear axles respectively. The front motor produces 43kW and the rear develops 97kW, totalling 140kW combined.
While this is identical to the famed ‘4J’ 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine found under the bonnet of most D-Maxes sold in Australia, the EV only produces 325Nm of torque – down a significant 125Nm on the oiler.
A relatively small 66.9kWh battery pack means the D-Max EV has a claimed driving range of 263km on the WLTP cycle, crucially while it’s unladen.
The D-Max EV can be charged at up to 11kW with an AC charger and 50kW on a DC fast-charger, which Isuzu says can take it from 20 to 80 per cent charge in one hour.
By comparison, the MG U9 EV’s 102.2kWh LFP battery pack provides up to 430km of driving range in its dual-motor form.
The electric D-Max’s payload capacity of 1000kg and braked towing capacity of 3500kg are both on par with the turbo-diesel model.
