Australia's next electric ute locked in: 2025 JAC T9 EV specs revealed ahead of local arrival as new Chinese player looks to make its mark before Isuzu D-Max EV and Ford Ranger PHEV land

New Chinese ute upstart JAC is looking to make its mark in Australia, confirming it will unveil an upcoming electric version of its T9 ute in April.

Set to debut at the Melbourne Motor Show, the JAC T9 electric ute will best its LDV eT60 forebear by offering 4x4 from the get-go, rather than the LDV’s single rear-wheel drive drivetrain option.

The dual-motor T9 EV has a 70kW/176Nm front motor and 150kW/340Nm rear motor, putting out a claimed combined 220kW/516Nm although the total of each motor added together is not usually the 'combined' output for an EV.

It is equipped with an 88kWh lithium iron phosphate (or LFP) battery pack from CATL granting it a claimed 330km driving range according to the WLTP standards.

Not only will it offer 4x4 from launch, but the T9 EV also has a payload rating of 900kg and a tub which can fit a full-size Australian pallet. It also has an external full-size household power outlet, offering vehicle-to-load (V2L) for such purposes as powering electric tools or camping equipment.

The brand says a fast DC charge should take the battery from 15 to 80 per cent charge in 40 minutes. Further specifications, like towing capacity, are yet to be revealed.

Additionally, the JAC says to expect the EV to be equipped with a similar array of equipment as its top-spec T9 Haven, including 18-inch alloys, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.4-inch central multimedia touchscreen, leather interior trim, heated front seats, a surround-view camera, as well as a fully fledged active safety suite.

Price will be key. The T9 EV costs from around the equivalent of A$70,000 in its Chinese home market while the equivalent diesel version costs from $38,819.

Locally, the T9 starts from $45,670 drive-away.

JAC currently offers its T9 with a seven-year warranty, and it was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2024, although there is no guarantee that this will simply transfer across to the EV.

The T9 EV will form part of an Australian ute market shake-up as hybrid options from GWM and BYD threaten to rattle the Ranger, HiLux, and D-Max hegemony. In addition, the T9 EV will be joined by LDV’s eTerron 9 electric ute at some point over the course of the year.

Not only do traditionally popular Thai-built utes have to face increasing competition from Chinese players, but they are also staring down a need to modernise their usual diesel drivetrains in the face of Australia’s tough new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES) which impose a European-style emissions target regime on them.

Each year toward 2030, the average amount of C02 permitted for the company’s entire fleet reduces to near-zero by the end of the decade.

As a result, Ford will attempt to reduce its C02 footprint by launching a plug-in hybrid Ranger, while Isuzu has announced it will enter the fray with a fully electric version of its popular D-Max.