We’re lucky enough to be based just 17 miles from the Maxus UK office in Birchwood. A chance to pop over & take a look around the all-new Maxus T90 electric pick-up was too good to miss, which is exactly what we did recently.
What is it ?
A brand new electric pick-up from Maxus. First seen at the 2022 CV Show, the right hand drive UK version will be launched in late 2022.
Practicality
It may be an electric pick up, meaning there’s a heavy battery fitted underneath the cab & load floor, but, this doesn’t prevent it offering a 1 tonne payload & towing up to 1,500 kg. Looking at its length, width, height & load bed dimensions, they mirror a standard diesel pick-up, so it’s competitive.
Length 5365mm
Width 1900mm
Height 1809mm
Wheelbase 3155mm
Cargo bed area 1510mm long x 1485mm wide x 530mm high
Electric range & battery
Maxus claim that the T90 offers a 220 mile range. This is courtesy of it’s 88.5kWh battery which produces 201bhp. It has a rear-wheel drive set up. This means that the motor & battery may affect it’s off-road capabilities.
Exterior
The front features a massive chrome grille with the Maxus logo at the top. The side LED daytime running light intakes bear a passing resemblance to a Mitsubishi L200, whilst the rear load bed area is very similar to that found on an Isuzu D-Max. The tailgate is heavy & closes with a nice clunk. There’s a large Maxus logo right across the rear, a high mounted stop light, with a step in the bumper to allow for easier access. The sides feature black steps & a chrome low door protector. Front & rear bumpers are body coloured.
Inside
Quality wise, it’s pretty good, with the fixtures & fittings in keeping with those found on the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux & Mitsubishi L200. If you’re expecting the more upmarket interiors found on a Ford Ranger Wildtrak or Volkswagen Amarok, you’ll be disappointed. It’s built to do a job, not for lifestyle.
There’s no gear lever. Instead, you’re presented with a cylindrical dial with a simple Reverse, Neutral or Drive option. Alongside this sit Power, Eco, Downhill & ASR buttons. The four door pockets are sizeable with twin drinks holders located between the front seats, a centre armrest with storage underneath, although the glove box is small.
You get a neat 10.5″ infotainment touch screen, an AM/FM radio & you can connect your Smartphone via Apple CarPlay, using one of the two front USB’s that sit underneath. Separate climate controls are located underneath this with manual air-con fitted. You get a 12v socket up front, plus one in the rear as well as a 220v power outlet. The front seats are electrically adjustable, whilst the seat finishes are artificial leather. Space in the rear is really good, so three adults should find it comfortable.
Equipment & safety
Plenty of safety in the form of ESP & EBA, driver & front passenger airbags & side airbags, with front to rear curtain airbags standard as well. You also get a reversing camera, rear parking sensors & rain sensing wipers.
Extras
T90 can be spruced up with amongst others the addition of a stainless steel sports bar, a roll lock cover, all terrain tyres, a mountain top/roller top, a tow bar with electrics, a front bumper winch pack or a hard top box with rear tailgate wash wipe.
Charging
T90 has a large battery giving it an excellent range. The caveat though is that it will take longer to charge, approximately 12 hours from 0-100% on a 7kWh home charger. Better news is that if you utilise it’s DC capabilities, a 20-80% charge will only take 45 minutes. Supplied is a 5 metre type 2 charging cable with the external charging cap located on the rear left of the cab. As usual, our advice is to get a home charger, plug-in overnight when electricity is cheaper & get some chargers at your workplace too. It’s a sound investment
Driving
We only spent 30 minutes driving the T90 on urban roads, but what we were able to ascertain from this was the following. Apart from the electric whine when you first accelerate, the T90 is quiet, eerily so when compared to a standard diesel pick-up. Up front, the ride is quite firm. In the rear we’d guess, that unlike a diesel pick-up, whose weight is all located at the front, the T90 with a heavy battery underneath the cabin floor, won’t be as bouncy for rear passengers when unladen. It will be interesting to see how it performs off-road.
All of the dials & switches are easy to reach & to understand. The touchscreen is quite basic but the functions work well & Apple CarPlay connected seamlessly. AM & FM radio are standard, but if you want DAB you’ll need to connect to your favourite station via your Smartphone Apps. SatNav too.
Pros
First electric pick-up you can buy in the UK. Decent payload & load bed area. Electric range is impressive. Well equipped.
Cons
We’ve yet to take it off-road & perhaps the low hanging motor-battery combo may affect ground clearance. At £49,950 + vat it’s not cheap.
Conclusion
In the UK, Maxus have won the race to get an electric pick-up to market. Utilising parent company SAIC’s battery know how, Maxus have gone from selling 100 vans in 2017 to over 12,000 in 2021, with their electric eDeliver 3 & eDeliver 9 leading the charge. As I write this, Ford have an E Transit coming to market, but there are no signs of an electric pick-up from them, or from Toyota, Isuzu or Volkswagen. This gives Maxus a massive opportunity, with plenty of forward orders already confirmed. Our only reservation is that it remains to be seen how the T90 performs off-road & price wise, it’s expensive to buy outright, so leasing will be the best way to get into one.
Definitely the future 4.5/5
