ELECTRIC UTES: THE BIG PROBLEM WITH EV PICKUPS

EV Channels Review

John Cadogan critically examines the feasibility of battery-electric utes, particularly for Australian conditions. He argues that current battery technology and vehicle weight present insurmountable challenges for creating an EV ute that can match the capabilities of its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. Cadogan introduces a 'Range Specific EV Battery Capacity' metric to illustrate that heavier vehicles require disproportionately more energy, leading to a vicious cycle where larger batteries increase weight, thus demanding even more energy. He highlights that a hypothetical electric ute capable of towing 3.5 tonnes and carrying 1000kg payload would require a battery exceeding 260 kWh, making it impractically heavy (around 3.5 tonnes empty) and prohibitively expensive (estimated at $200,000+). The review concludes that without significant advancements in battery technology to drastically reduce mass, EV utes capable of performing essential tasks like towing and long-distance travel at a comparable cost and performance to ICE utes are not currently possible, and likely won't be in the near future.