{"id":825173,"date":"2026-07-26T15:47:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T15:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/825173\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T15:47:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T15:47:14","slug":"hyundais-1000km-plus-electric-ute-delayed-its-still-coming-to-australia-but-it-could-take-until-2030-to-get-here-ev-central","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/825173\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyundai\u2019s 1000km-plus electric ute delayed: It\u2019s still coming to Australia but it could take until 2030 to get here \u2013 EV Central"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hyundai remains committed to launching an electrified dual-cab ute in Australia, but its local boss has warned the crucial new model could take until 2030 to arrive as the Korean giant works through its drivetrain, production and pricing options.<\/p>\n

An extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain capable of delivering more than 1000km of driving range remains Hyundai Australia\u2019s preferred solution for the new ute, which would give the brand a rival for the growing number of electrified pick-ups heading our way.<\/p>\n

But Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano says getting the right vehicle at the right price is more important than rushing into an increasingly crowded ute market.<\/p>\n

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Romano had originaly forecast the Hyundai ute could show up as soon as 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it may take longer than we had initially anticipated to get there but I\u2019d rather get it right than fast,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n

Hyundai has been exploring several paths to its first Australian dual-cab, including leveraging its relationship with General Motors in the US, tapping into sister brand Kia\u2019s experience developing the Tasman, or producing its own vehicle.<\/p>\n

The EREV route remains \u201coption number one\u201d, according to Romano.<\/p>\n

\"HyundaiHyundai dual cab ute. Image by ChatGPT.<\/p>\n

Unlike a conventional hybrid, an EREV primarily uses its combustion engine to generate electricity rather than directly drive the wheels, allowing it to combine EV propulsion with the long-distance capability demanded by Australian ute buyers.<\/p>\n

Hyundai has previously flagged more than 1000km of potential driving range from its new-generation EREV technology, potentially providing an answer to one of the biggest challenges facing battery-electric utes in Australia \u2013 maintaining useful range while towing or travelling in remote areas.<\/p>\n

But exactly where the new ute would be built is now emerging as another significant part of the equation.<\/p>\n

Production in the US could expose Hyundai Australia to unfavourable exchange rates, potentially pushing the price of the new model beyond where the company believes it could compete effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s built in the US we have an exchange rate issue we would have to deal with, there are also tariff issues depending on where we would also consider building,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re going to keep our options open in this area because what we need is a\u2026 pickup truck, and it has to be unique.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the Chinese brands are already bringing in pickup trucks, and I don\u2019t think Australia needs another standardised pickup truck, so what will make ours unique?\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time Hyundai gets there, the answer to that question could be more important than ever.<\/p>\n

\"20252025 Kia Tasman.<\/p>\n

The BYD Shark 6 has already established plug-in hybrid power in Australia\u2019s dual-cab market, while GWM has followed with the Cannon Alpha PHEV and JAC with the lower-priced Hunter PHEV.<\/p>\n

And the field is set to become much more crowded. Chery is preparing the Stockman plug-in hybrid for Australia, while other Chinese manufacturers are developing PHEV and EREV utes as electrification spreads rapidly through a segment traditionally dominated by diesel.<\/p>\n

Ford has also entered the field with the PHEV version of the top-selling Ranger.<\/p>\n

That means Hyundai could be arriving into a very different ute market by the end of the decade, with electrified powertrains increasingly mainstream and Chinese brands having had years to establish themselves.<\/p>\n

Instead, Hyundai is investigating whether one of its manufacturing operations closer to Australia could eventually play a role.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have plants throughout Asia Pacific \u2013 we have plants in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam \u2013 and we want to utilise those plants as much as possible to minimise the impact of foreign exchange,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if there\u2019s an option there and it takes a little longer, so be it. As long as we get the right ute at the right price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is another major consideration, and one that adds weight to Hyundai choosing an electrified powertrain rather than simply introducing another petrol or diesel dual-cab.<\/p>\n

The company is assessing how the ute would fit within its broader Australian emissions position alongside drivetrain choice, production location and cost.<\/p>\n

\"20252025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to leave that hanging in limbo for now until we can better define, one; the impact to NVES, two; the drivetrain, three; the FX (foreign exchange) and alternative locations,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n

While that means Hyundai is not yet prepared to lock in an arrival date \u2013 or even the final vehicle \u2013 Romano insists the project itself remains alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely going to happen. The timing is really the issue, because if it\u2019s built in the US\u2026 and if the FX is favourable, it would be sooner. But if it\u2019s not, we don\u2019t need another ute that\u2019s priced too high,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re still looking at between now and 2030. There\u2019s a timeframe, but even that isn\u2019t a guarantee and it would be subject to us saying \u2018that\u2019s the right ute for Australia\u2019, and I haven\u2019t got to that point yet that anything we\u2019re doing at this stage is a guaranteed right vehicle for Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hyundai remains committed to launching an electrified dual-cab ute in Australia, but its local boss has warned the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":825174,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-825173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=825173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}