Where are all the electric utes in Australia?

With electric vehicles (EVs) this year accounting for approximately 12 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Australia, it would be reasonable to expect that there would be a few choices available in one of the largest volume categories, mid-sized pick-ups.

Instead, crickets. Yes, a small handful of Australia’s first-ever EV ute, the LDV eT60, have been sold here since 2022. But, costing from around $100,000, the pioneering dual-cab from China is just too expensive and, so, is unsurprisingly already being phased out.

However, high pricing is not the only hurdle that EV utes face.

Electrifying a ute and keeping the price affordable creates a mountain of near-insurmountable engineering issues if they are to approach – let alone meet – the now-industry-norm 3500kg braked-towing capacity demanded of a diesel-powered ute.

Put simply, even when towing well under that limit, energy consumption can shoot up by between 50 to 100 per cent or more, requiring a massive (and much heavier) battery pack to provide the necessary range consumers expect nowadays. In contrast, a diesel ute’s fuel use jumps only by about roughly 20 per cent.

A big, expensive battery in turn adds tens of thousands of dollars to the EV ute’s price, and hundreds of extra kilograms, further increasing consumption, whilst simultaneously dramatically reducing gross vehicle mass (GVM) capacity, meaning it cannot carry nearly as much as a diesel due to axle load restrictions, significantly reducing the ability of an EV ute as a tool of trade.

Which explains why the eT60 was two-wheel-drive only. The extra weight of a four-wheel drive system would further diminish range and GVM. Plus, studies show the stress of off-roading in an already heavy vehicle adversely affects the long-term durability of electric motors. Reportedly, they are just not robust enough to handle extreme operating conditions.

Which is where Australia’s new – and second-ever only – EV ute, the KGM Musso EV, comes in.

On sale from December 1, the dual-cab from the South Korean brand formerly known as SsangYong is closer to the iconic Subaru Brumby in spirit in that it is a comparatively lightweight monocoque-bodied EV ute developed from a passenger-car architecture.

Based on the underrated Actyon mid-sized SUV, it is completely unrelated to the venerable Musso diesel workhorse, though it does have broadly similar dimensions and interior space.

Starting from $60,000 driveaway for the base two-wheel drive, the angular Musso EV is aimed at the leisure and lifestyle market, since it only offers (a still reasonable) 1800kg of towing capacity.

There’s a decent amount of range too, with 420km WLTP from a sizeable 80kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack (about 100km more than the old LDV), powering a 152kW/339Nm electric motor fitted under the bonnet.

Going for the $64,000 all-wheel drive version adds a second, rear-mounted motor for a system total of 266kW/630Nm. But the extra kilos do see range drop to 380km.

At nearly 5.2 metres long, 2.0m wide and 1.8m tall, the KGM offers a decent amount of space in its modern interior. Equipment levels are generous, with most features expected at the Musso EV’s price point, while there is a long list of driver-assist safety tech.

And that is the state of play for EV utes in Australia as we enter 2026.

More are expected, including the LDV eTerron, an electric Isuzu D-Max and – from 2028 – a Toyota HiLux EV, but these will be more-expensive and limited in scope if you’re expecting a diesel dual-cab ute alternative.

KGM’s lifestyle path seems less compromised solution, for now at least.