By admin 
The production version of the Isuzu D-Max EV concept has been revealed at the Birmingham commercial vehicle show in the UK, where customer deliveries of the first battery-electric version of the popular ute will start from March 2026.
Also due on sale in Australia pending final details of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), the D-Max EV emerges faithful to the concept that previewed it last year, complete with a 3500kg towing capacity and 1000kg payload.
This matches 3.0-litre turbo-diesel versions of the D-Max, despite the fact the dual-cab-only EV is fitted with a bespoke DeDion coil-sprung rear suspension system instead of leaf springs for improved handling, and that kerb weight increases to 2350kg – 200kg up from the X-Terrain flagship.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
The D-Max EV also comes close to matching its diesel brethren for off-road capability, thanks to a four-wheel drive system courtesy of an electric motor on each axle, although ground clearance drops from 240mm to 210mm and wading depth from 800mm to 600mm, with approach and departure angles of 30.5 and 24.2 degrees respectively.
Providing its permanent 4×4 system with “extreme off-road capability” is new version of the D-Max’s brake-based Rough Terrain Mode.
Combined outputs of the dual-motor powertrain are listed at 140kW (43kW for the front motor, 97kW for the rear), matching the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, though its 325Nm of peak torque (108Nm front, 217Nm rear) falls short of the oil-burner’s 450Nm.
The result is claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in 10.1 seconds and a top speed of more than 130km/h, and the all-important WLTP range figure is 263km thanks to a 66.9kWh battery pack mounted under the floor, which be DC charged at speeds of up to 50kW and topped up from 20-80 per cent in as little as one hour, says Isuzu. AC 11kW charging to 100 per cent takes 10 hours.
Apart from front quarter and rear ‘EV’ badging, a grille with blue highlights and a CCS charging port instead of a diesel fuel filler, the electric D-Max looks almost identical to its dual-cab 4×4 diesel stablemates both outside and in.
Inside, there is a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and front/rear parking sensors.
The D-Max EV will be offered in Europe in two trim levels including both low- and high-spec variants, both riding on 18-inch wheels and featuring an energy-saving Eco mode and four levels of selectable brake energy regeneration.
While UK pricing is yet to be announced, the battery-powered D-Max is expected to command a handsome price premium over equivalent diesel variants, just as the LDV eT60 does in Australia with a price of $92,990 before on-road costs – despite being only rear-wheel drive.
The Chinese-made eT60 is so far the only pure-electric ute available in Australia, but plug-in hybrid models include the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha and, soon, the Ford Ranger – and a host of electric-only utes are on the near horizon, including the LDV eTerron 9 around mid-year, a Toyota HiLux EV in early 2025 and a Ranger EV as soon as 2027.
The D-Max EV was first revealed in concept form in March 2024, when Isuzu’s ute division said it would also be released in right-hand drive markets including Thailand, the UK and Australia in due course.
Isuzu Ute Australia said in February that it was considering the release of several electrified versions of the D-Max, including mild-hybrid (MHEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), full electric (EV) and even fuel-cell electric (FCEV) and extended-range electric (EREV) powertrains to meet NVES emissions targets.
At the time, Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) deputy general manager Sadanori Sugita confirmed the D-Max EV would be launched in Australia “in the near future”, before IUA managing director Junta Matsui said the company would not lock in any electrified powertrains until full details of the NVES had been announced.
“We haven’t decided anything yet, frankly speaking,” he said. “We leave our options open. We try to minimise the impact to the market of course.
“We’re talking to the product development team, talking to Isuzu in Japan, and of course talking to the government side, because not many details have been disclosed yet, even though NVES is going to start in July.
“But our team is talking to the government side so many times but not much detail is disclosed or determined yet, so we need more discussion with the government side, to try to find the best solution for the Australian market, for our side and for the government as well.”
While the NVES officially commenced on January 1 this year, fines for exceeding certain emissions targets won’t start accruing until July, before becoming payable from 2028.
-
Isuzu D-Max MHEV
However, Opposition leader Petter Dutton has indicated he will waive financial penalties for auto brands that don’t meet increasingly strict emissions targets between mid-2025 and 2029 under the current legislation if the Coalition wins the federal election this weekend.
IUA is particularly exposed to NVES penalties because its sells only two diesel-powered models – the D-Max and its MU-X sister SUV – but Mr Matsui said both vehicles would remain NVES-compliant in the long-term.
“We’re going to find a way for sure. We’re going to make a nice balance,” he said.
“We try to find a nice balance between being fit for purpose for the Australian people and coping with the NVES targets.”
MORE: Everything Isuzu