They listened! The car manufacturers listened to the demands of the buyers (funny that, given that they want to sell us things) and now LDV has brought us one of the very first all-electric utes in Australia, if not the first.  We’re proud to say that the 2023 LDV eT60 is here and ready to roll.

The styling of the LDV eT60 is based on its ICE stablemate, the T60 MAX.  It looks the way a dual-cab ute should, with a nice deep tray that’s fully lined and with a capacity of       The LDV eT60 sits on 17-inch alloy wheels but it looks a lot bigger and beefier, probably thanks to the generous ground clearance (187 mm).  The chrome rails at the side of the tray look sturdy and are also very handy for tying things down – if the tie-down points already provided in the tray’s design don’t suit the load you want to carry.  In general, the styling is big and chunky, with body-coloured door handles, front and rear bumpers, and mirrors, but a few touches of chrome (e.g., the side steps) as well as black (the faux intake grille and the front guard plate).  In terms of paint, four choices are available: basic white, a nice bold cobalt blue, medium grey and black.  On a serious-looking ute like this, any colour is good, especially when accented by a coating of honest working mud and dust (but best to keep it clean so you can make the most of the rear view camera).

The official specs for the LDV eT60 state that it has a wading depth of 550 mm, a breakover angle of 17°, a 27° approach angle and a 24° departure angle.  This would suggest that the LDV eT60 could be used as an off-road vehicle, although it has a rear-wheel drive setup.  However, as is the case with most EVs, I wouldn’t recommend using the LDV eT60 for serious off-roading.  However, it would do fine on pitted and rutted dirt roads – the sort Country and Western singers like to put in their lyrics.  At the time of writing (mid-2023), the range and capacity of batteries for EVs as big as this are somewhat limited, and nobody wants to get stuck with a battery with no charge in the middle of nowhere.

However, I digress, as the LDV eT60 performs respectably enough and would be a great addition to a fleet of commercial vehicles, or for a tradie.  The LDV eT60 is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous electrical motor with a power output of 130 kW and 310 Nm of torque. Under ideal operating conditions, its power consumption is 268.5 Watt-hours per km.  For recharging, the LDV eT60 has a Type 2 AC charger with a maximum charging capacity of 11 kW and a DC fast charger that has a charging capacity of 80kW. AC charging time from 5% to 100% is 13 hours with a single-phase power source and 9 hours for a three-phase source.  DC fast charging takes 45 to juice up from 20% to 80%. Emergency domestic charging at 2 kW is also possible.  With full charge and under ideal conditions, the 88.55 kW Li ion battery has a range of 330 km.

The 2023 LDV eT60 has a nice roomy double cab that seats five comfortably.  Isofix child seat preparation is already there in the rear seats, meaning that this big ute is all ready to be used as a family vehicle instead of or as well as being a trade vehicle.  Maybe the LDV eT60 doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles, but it’s got enough to keep everyone comfy, including air conditioning, smartphone connectivity, a good enough four-speaker sound system and a 10.25-inch infotainment display.  The cabin also has a set of charging ports (12 V and 220 V), but please remember that charging anything via these will reduce the range of the battery.  The designers of the LDV eT60 obviously know that proper hydration is important for humans, as there are six cupholders in this five-seater ute, as well as four bottle holders(yes, I’m trying to do the maths for the cupholders as well and wondering what’s supposed to go into the extra cupholder – perhaps you could put an empty cup in there to use as a caddy for chewing gum?)

The dashboard is nicely laid out, and the dials are clear and easy to understand, although you may need to play with the height-adjustable steering wheel to get it in the right place for you.  To help the driver manoeuvre, the 2023 LDV eT60 is fitted with an ESP program, hill descent control, hill start assistance, roll movement control, traction control, and ABS brakes with both EBD and brake assistance. Rear parking sensors and a rear view camera also make the job of getting this ute in and out of city car parks easy – and the job of negotiating a busy building site.  Rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing halogen headlights also take care of some of the chores of driving for you.  Three driving modes can be selected: Eco, Normal and Power.   

The current 2023 LDV eT60 models include:

• 2023 LDV eT60 RWD Ute

For any more information on the new 2023 LDV eT60 or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of LDV dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!