ROEV's Electric HiLux and Electric Ranger: Pricing and specs revealed

If you want an electric ute in Australia and you're tired of waiting for an announcement, a new option is set to become available next year – and the startup has committed to convert 1000 utes in the first 12 months.

Brisbane-based startup ROEV has announced a fully-electric conversion of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes will cost from $47,990 on top of the vehicle price. But, it’ll only be available for fleet customers only at launch.

The electric ute conversion kit is available for all body styles of the internal combustion engine (ICE) HiLux and Ranger spanning 2016 to 2022 model-years, and 4x2 or 4x4 variants. Fleet customers can retain existing accessories fitted to their vehicles.

13

The standard-range battery pack is a 64kWh unit offering a claimed range of up to 240km on a full charge. It’s priced from $47,990 to $51,990 for the conversion. The older the model, the pricier the ICE to EV retrofit gets.

Meanwhile, the large extended-range battery pack is 96kWh in capacity with a claimed driving range of up to 360km, costing $53,990 to $57,990 depending on the model-year.

All can be recharged at up to 11kW AC and 80kW DC using the standard Type 2/CCS2 charging connector.

The retrofitted electric utes are also capable of vehicle-to-load (V2L) for using the large battery packs as a mobile power station to power tools and charge devices via a 240-volt, 20-amp socket.

ROEV (Renewable Optimised Electric Vehicles) is also planning for vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bidirectional charging in the second version, so EVs can act as a home battery storage system to save household electricity costs and be a backup source during blackouts.

How much is the electric Toyota HiLux and electric Ford Ranger conversion?

NOTE: The prices below are on top of the purchase price of the vehicle itself.

The only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) electric ute on sale in Australia is the LDV eT60, which costs from $92,990 before on-road costs.

How does the LDV eT60 compare on price to buying and converting a HiLux or Ranger?

For context, the petrol-powered 2022 Toyota HiLux Workmate in cab chassis 4x2 guise with a manual transmission starts from $24,225 before on-roads. Opting for the standard range conversion totals $72,215 overall.

Or if it’s the outlandish 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor that costs from $85,490 before on-roads, choosing the extended range will land it at $142,480 in total.

And, it's worth noting that many ROEV customers may have existing utes on their fleet suitable for conversion, with the purchase price already accounted for.

13

When will ROEV's electric HiLux and electric Ranger conversions start?

Roev will start conversion productions from the second quarter (April to June inclusive) of 2023, with the first-round of reservations opening in December.

However, it’ll only be available for fleet customers to extend the life of their current petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles by going all-electric. But, offering the conversion kit to the wider public is on the cards in the future.

The startup has committed to convert 1000 utes in the first 12 months.

Roev says the retrofit integrates with the vehicle safety systems, is safety and compliance certified, includes warranty and maintenance support, and is a more sustainable way to transition fleets to electric (rather than replacing vehicles).

“We’re excited to be working with fleets to unlock the potential of their fleets for energy storage, resilience, management and distribution,” Roev CEO Boah Wasmer said.

13

“Something we heard from a lot of fleets is the desire to convert slightly older vehicles to extend the life of their existing assets.

“With a conversion, you’re not only adding an electric vehicle to your fleet, but you’re also taking a diesel vehicle off the road and preventing many years of future tailpipe C02 emissions.

“Australia needs electric utes in massive numbers… Conversions are one way we can tackle the problem, but we also need imports and the mainstream brands to come to the party.”

The Brisbane-based company is also planning to design, engineer and produce its own pure-electric ute and SUV model based on a ladder frame chassis to launch by around 2026.

Related videos