Maxus T90 EV | Review

It’s not going to be the sole option for much longer, but for now, the Maxus T90EV is the only pure electric pickup truck you can buy in the UK. Maxus is well versed in eLCVs, though, with the manufacturer selling a full range of electric vans, from the compact eDeliver 3 through the medium eDeliver 5 and eDeliver 7, and onto the large eDeliver 9 — which shares the same motor as the pickup.

A pickup truck is easy to convert to electric power — there are acres of space in the chassis rails for battery packs — but weight and cost are limiting factors. Maxus has got around this to a degree, by modifying its Chinese-market petrol-powered T90, removing the engine and replacing that with the control systems and other essential functions. An 88.5kWh battery pack — good for 200 miles, according to Maxus’ WLTP figures — is attached underneath. Then, to really keep costs down, the 204hp electric motor has been attached directly to the rear differential.

The upside is that the weight has been kept to around 2.3 tonnes, leaving a full one-tonne payload to keep business buyers happy. The downside is it seriously compromises the truck’s off-road abilities.

On the road, it’s perfectly straightforward. Surprisingly, there’s a key to start the vehicle, which feels odd when there’s no engine noise to confirm its burst into life. Select drive from the rotary gear selector, and you’re off, with a gentle surge rather than a thump in the back. With 310Nm of torque, it’s well down on the 405–500Nm you’ll get from a diesel Ford Ranger, and you feel that with rather pedestrian performance.

Eco, Normal and Power drive modes change things to suit your circumstances. Eco restricts power a little, while Power unleashes it all, although there’s not a vast difference between them. With power going only to the rear wheels, you might expect the T90EV to be a bit lively, but it’s solid and secure unless you intentionally provoke it. Like all pickups, ride quality is somewhat rough around the edges, with a constant jiggle when unladen, but it’s not markedly worse than rivals like the Isuzu D-Max or KGM Musso.

Head off road, and the compromised nature of the T90EV shows itself. Ground clearance is disappointingly low at 187mm — the same as a Nissan Qashqai — thanks to the low-slung motor at the back. The lack of four-wheel drive means scrambling up steep, broken surfaces won’t be something to relish. Despite not having an engine to keep clear of water, the wading depth is also limited to 550mm, some 350mm shy of the Ford Ranger’s limit.

Still, it looks the part, with a blunt front end adorned with a broad chrome grille sandwiched between narrow headlights. The load box looks ready to work, too, with a painted bed liner inside and rope hooks on the outside of the pickup. A stainless steel sports bar sits above, looking smart and giving somewhere to tie loads onto.

The load box, at 1,485mm long, is about the same size as you’ll find on the D-Max, so it’s competitive. A payload limit of exactly 1,000kg also means it can stand alongside its mainstream rivals.

The T90 EV's cabin focuses on practicality over luxury, featuring hardwearing plastics and only a few soft-touch materials. Most of the vehicle’s controls are accessed via a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The latter is pleasing, as the system is slow to react and awkwardly laid out. Happily, heating and ventilation controls have their own buttons on the dashboard, but they’re also touch-sensitive, so you’ll need to take your gloves off in winter to adjust anything in the vehicle.

Frustratingly for an EV, where energy management is essential, heated front seats are relegated to the options list.

That won’t make much difference to the T90EV’s efficiency, though. Officially, it’s got a 200-mile range, but a motorway run in cold weather resulted in a range of just 115 miles, and that’s without a load in the back. It charges at rates of up to 80kW, though, so topping up from 20 to 80% should only take around 40 minutes.

Despite its shortcomings, Maxus is asking £50,000 for the T90EV, before taxes and charges. Being such a niche model, demand is a little limited, so some aggressive discounts are available, and Maxus sometimes opens up scarcely believable lease deals — we’ve seen them below £100 a month in the past.

At the full list price, it’s difficult to recommend the T90EV, even if it fits a specific niche. Being first to market gives you an advantage, but with an electric Isuzu D-Max coming soon, a plug-in hybrid Ford Ranger following, and Toyota’s hydrogen-fuelled Hilux in development, the Maxus is looking like too little, too soon.