Has the electric ute bubble already burst? Australian launch of LDV eTerron 9 now unclear as deliveries of the 2026 Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux-rivalling turbo-diesel counterpart commence

China’s LDV has just launched the new Terron 9 turbo-diesel dual-cab ute in Australia, but the electric eTerron 9 counterpart is still nowhere to be seen.

The LDV Terron 9 and eTerron 9 ute twins were originally set to go on sale at the same time, however all mentions of the latter have been wiped from the company’s Australian website. It previously indicated the eTerron 9 electric ute was “arriving [in] 2025”.

Now it appears unclear when or if LDV still plans to introduce the eTerron 9 locally.

“LDV Australia continues to work with the factory on the LDV eTerron 9 electric ute,” said a LDV Australia spokesperson.

LDV previously confirmed Australian-bound versions of the eTerron 9 would be powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup producing a total system output of 325kW.

Although the battery pack size wasn’t confirmed, the company said it had a claimed range of 430km, according to WLTP testing. In China it’s offered with a 102kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

Prototype examples of the eTerron 9 have been in Australia since November 2024 for local validation testing of the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).

Set to be the successor to the LDV eT60, which was Australia’s first electric ute when it launched in late 2022, the company’s local distributor, Ateco, previously had “high expectations” for the eTerron 9. It’s unclear whether this is still the case.

“Certain segments of the ute market are not only ready for an electric ute, they’ve been pleading for one,” said LDV Australia General Manager Dinesh Chinnapa in November 2024.

“Particularly fleets and mining companies who want a factory-built, turn-key solution straight off the showroom floor, rather than a diesel vehicle that has been converted to electric power.

“We are proud that the LDV eT60 was the first electric ute in Australian showrooms, but we are also proud to demonstrate just how far electric ute technology has progressed with this all-new model.”

Chinese rival JAC just signed a “strategic partnership” with mining company, Warrikal, to provide a fleet of JAC T9 EV dual-cab electric utes for a six-month trial.

This electric ute isn’t confirmed for public sale in Australia yet, though the turbo-diesel version is already offered and a plug-in hybrid version is due in early 2026.

As it stands, the LDV eT60 remains the only electric ute available in Australia, though the Ford F-150 Lightning is converted from left- to right-hand drive by AusEV.

Isuzu is set to introduce an electric version of the D-Max sometime in 2026. Like the eTerron 9, it also offers a 3500kg braked towing capacity and is based on a ladder-frame chassis.