Image: Facebook
EV Utes are all the rage at the moment and the past month has seen a few major announcements highlighting new EV ute models heading to Australia. Now there have been sightings of two of the world’s most popular electric utes in Sydney.
That’s the Rivian R1T and the Hummer EV which were spotted at Sydney airport by members of the EV community. So what was seen in the separate spottings and could this be the start of EV utes from the US finally hitting our shores?
Rivian R1T in Sydney
Rivian, which has produced just shy of 15,000 EV utes this year, had its most popular R1T model spotted at Sydney airport. It was seen sitting on a pallet and had just come off the plane. It also had a wavey camouflage paint on it but was quite easy to spot with the badging in the rear.
Image: Facebook
This ute started its journey in the state of Illinois in the United States where Rivian’s only operational production plant is located.
Image: Google
It’s still unclear as to why the Rivian R1T has arrived here in Australia. Some speculation has been made around the potential of it being used for winter testing in New Zealand. That’s less of a possibility at this time of the year as we are moving towards summer.
In its home market, the Rivian R1T starts at $US73,000 which converts to $A112,000 today, before freight and any local on-road costs.
If this R1T is for local testing for a potential launch in the next 24 months then the price is likely to be over $A140,000, with shipping and on-road costs.
Hummer EV spotted by “EV Spy”
A user on Facebook by the name of “EV Spy” spotted a Hummer EV at Sydney Airport. The 4.3 Tonne ute Hummer EV ute was sitting on a platform in plastic wrap with a net over it to keep it secure.
Image: Facebook
In the US, it comes with 200 kWh battery pack and starts at $US79,995. This is more than $A123,000, before shipping and on-road costs
Like the Rivian, it is not known what the GMC Hummer EV ute is in Australia for, but one possibility could be for assessment of local right-hand drive conversion by Walkinshaw Performance.
Image: Facebook
They have been converting RAM utes in Melbourne for the Australian market. Previously Walkinshaw Performance was heavily involved with GM and Holden HSV performance modifications at their Clayton facility.
Good news for EV Utes in Australia
Many arguments against EVs has been that Australians love utes and there are no EV utes in the market. With the arrival of the Rivian R1T and the GMC Hummer EV ute, it’s a step toward many more brands and their EV ute products heading our way.
This comes just a week after LDV announced the arrival of the LDV eT60 ute and Volvo’s parent company delivered hundreds of ground-up EV utes that cost under $40,000 in their local market.
The electric ute space is about to heat up in Australia, which can only be a good thing for those looking at upgrading their utes to cleaner ones in the next 12 months.
Keyword: Rivian and Hummer EV utes spotted in Australia