LDV eT60 electric ute now cheaper than diesel twin – but only in New Zealand

The New Zealand distributor for Chinese ute and van specialist LDV has delivered a massive discount to the eT60 dual-cab ute – the only electric ute on sale in Australia and in NZ – which has made it cheaper than the diesel-powered T60, but only for a limited time.

As reported by New Zealand Autocar, LDV announced a $NZ23,000 ($AU21,200) discount to the eT60’s $NZ79,990 ($AU73,700) plus on-road costs price tag earlier this week – a cut which doesn’t include the soon-to-be-scrapped 'Clean Car Rebate', taking an additional $NZ7015 ($AU6465) off its list price.

Now priced from $NZ49,975 ($AU46,050) plus on-road costs, the LDV eT60 is $NZ15 ($AU13.80) less expensive than the flagship twin-turbo diesel grade of the T60 dual-cab ute in New Zealand – marking the first time an electric vehicle has been cheaper than its fossil fuel-powered sibling in the country.

However, the discount will only be applied until stocks last or 31 December 2023, as the newly-elected New Zealand Government will repeal the Clean Car Rebate on 1 January 2024.

Also known as the ‘ute tax’, the Clean Car Rebate was introduced in 2021 and was intended to be self-funding, though it has since wracked up a $NZ279 million ($AU259 million) loss.

Unfortunately for Australians, no such discount has been applied to the eT60 locally, retaining its starting price of $92,990 plus on-road costs – which does not fall under the threshold for any electric-car rebates or incentives across Australia’s eight jurisdictions.

For context, the most expensive diesel-powered LDV T60 – the ‘Mega Tub’ automatic – is priced from $44,990 drive-away for ABN holders and $47,463 drive-away for private buyers.

Between January and the end of September 2023, LDV reported 64 examples of the eT60 as sold in Australia – less than one per cent of the almost 6700 diesel-powered T60s sold across the same period.

As previously reported, LDV is targeting small to medium-sized businesses and fleet buyers to drive eT60 sales – namely those which have mandates for low or zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles – rather than private buyers.