Introducing the UK’s first all-electric pickup truck: the Maxus T90EV. Produced by Chinese manufacturer SAIC Motor, the T90EV joins Maxus’ electrified commercial vehicle range.
Available with an 88.5kWh battery, the pickup has an official range of 220 miles but expect this to be around 200 miles with real-world use.
Before VAT, pricing starts from just under £50,000 and Maxus is offering a scrappage scheme until the end of August for £1,000 off the list price and a free charger. Whilst the pick-up market has traditionally been dominated by diesel engines, let’s take a look to see how this EV compares.
What’s new about the Maxus T90EV?
Revealed at the 2022 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, the T90EV is Maxus’ first electric pick-up. Its predecessors were the diesel- and petrol-powered T60 and T70, but the T90 has also been released in some markets with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which won’t come to the UK.
As a fairly new brand in Europe, Maxus has launched its commercial offerings including the eDeliver 3 and eDeliver 9 vans. These are also fully electric but the Deliver 9 is also available with a diesel engine that significantly lowers the price compared to the battery powered version.
How does it look?
The T90EV is a rugged double cab pickup with a large chrome grille. As the batteries are mounted underneath the vehicle, ground clearance is reduced to less than 19cm. If off-roading is a priority, other pickups can offer better clearance and handling away from the tarmac.
At the back, the tailgate gets a ‘Maxus’ plastic detail and a step up to the bed, making it easy to access. The tailgate feels quite heavy to operate and swings down quickly under its own weight but inside the bed is a good size. Unlike electric cars, where boot space is often sacrificed to make room for batteries, the load area hasn’t been compromised.
What can you get in the Maxus T90EV?
The T90 has a payload of up to 1,000kg and a braked towing capacity of 1,500kg. Diesel-powered pickups are closely comparable on payload but can generally tow at least 3,000kg. Carrying or towing any weight will of course impact range too. On our test drive, we found using the heating and air-conditioning could reduce expected range by as much as 60 miles.
Heating settings over 25°C saw a drop in range but anything below this didn’t impact the anticipated range. The T90EV would be better suited to shorter journeys when it’s fully loaded but if a large towing capacity is a must, an EV isn’t the answer yet.
What’s the spec like?
Starting from £49,950 before VAT, the T90EV is pricey. Electrified vehicles generally command a higher purchase price but entry-level diesel trucks can be had for half the price. Standard equipment includes reversing camera, rear parking sensors, faux leather seats, ten-inch touchscreen and 17-inch alloy wheels.
In terms of safety equipment there’s front to rear curtain airbags, Isofix points and seat belt reminders for all seats. The T90EV hasn’t yet been tested by Euro NCAP but it doesn’t get lane-keeping assistance or blind spot monitoring, so it could score poorly on safety assist features.
Optional extras include all-terrain tyres, a mountain top or roller top, tow bar and front bumper winch pack. Maxus also offers a subscription to ‘Maxus intelligence onboard’ that pulls live data from the vehicle such as location, speed, driver behaviour and charging status. This is a handy feature for fleet operators to track their vehicles and maximise uptime.
What’s it like inside?
Inside the T90 has a few quirks that feel like they belong in a petrol or diesel car. To turn the vehicle on the key is inserted and twisted as if you were starting up an engine and there’s a manual handbrake in the centre console. These don’t ruin the battery powered experience but most vehicles are moving towards keyless operations and replacing levers with buttons.
The faux leather seats are comfortable and the front seats are six-way electronically adjustable. The central touchscreen could be a little more responsive but it will most likely be used for smartphone compatibility as Apple CarPlay comes as standard. When a smartphone is not connected there’s an FM radio.
The centre console is stripped back and functional with two cup holders, the gear selector and a shelf for a phone. There’s USB ports for charging and the climate controls are straightforward. The steering wheel gets some shortcut buttons to control volume and manage phone calls.
What’s under the bonnet?
The T90EV has an 88kWh battery which provides an official driving range of 220 miles. In the vehicle we tested, a full charge shows a range of 250 miles so expect around 200 miles for normal driving.
A 150kW motor powers the rear wheels and there’s set to be a four-wheel drive option soon. Fast charging can get the battery from 20-80% in 45 minutes and slower charging at home can take anywhere from nine to 13 hours to charge from 5-100%.
What’s it like to drive?
As the battery makes the vehicle quite heavy, its driving dynamics feel very similar to a diesel pickup. Acceleration is much better though, as the T90EV can pull away much quicker than your average diesel truck. It’s also quite settled on the road, although large potholes can jolt the vehicle.
At low speeds, the whiny artificial noise to alert pedestrians of your presence in a car park can get annoying, but on the road it’s very quiet. As it’s currently only available in rear-wheel drive, it’s not as capable as four-wheel drive pick-ups off-road.
Verdict
The Maxus T90EV is a step in the right direction for the electrification of commercial vehicles. The driving experience doesn’t feel dissimilar from a diesel truck and load space is unaffected by the batteries. Towing capacity is significantly reduced but if this isn’t a key concern then the truck is very functional.
Starting from just under £50,000, the T90EV is double the price of some entry-level pickup trucks, making it an expensive choice to go green. It hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP yet but without lane-keep assist and blind spot monitoring, it won’t be the safest pickup on the market.
Similar vehicles
Isuzu D-Max | Toyota Hilux | Ford Ranger | SsangYong Musso | Nissan Navara | Volkswagen Amarok
Key specifications
Model as tested: Maxus T90EV
Price as tested: £49,950 + VAT
Powertrain: single electric motor
Battery: 89 kWh
Euro NCAP: Not tested
Power: 150kW (201 hp)
Torque: 310 Nm
Charging: 80 kw, 20-80% in 45 minutes
Range: 220 miles (WLTP combined)
Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Vehicle size: 5365mm (l) x 1900mm (w) x 1809mm (h)
Load bed size: 1485mm (l) x 1510mm (w) x 530mm (h)
Max gross payload: 1,000kg
Ground clearance: 187mm
Towing capacity (braked): 1,500kg (braked)
