Maxus T90EV Double Cab Pickup

The Maxus T90EV is the first electric pickup available in the UK – and at the time of writing it’s still the only electric pickup on sale - and it’s eligible for a £5,000 government grant.

This is a review for the Maxus T90EV

The first, and currently the only, electric pickup on sale in the UK

Eligible for a £5,000 government grant

Qualifies as a commercial vehicle so price can be quoted without VAT

Rear-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive

Maxus T90EV design & powertrain

The five-seater Maxus T90EV Double Cab Pickup measures 5,365mm in length and has a pickup bed load space of 1,485mm x 1,510mm x 530mm. The T90EV weighs 2,300 kg, has a payload of 1,000 kg and a towing capacity of up to 1,500kg for a braked trailer and 750kg for an unbraked trailer.

The pickup has an 88.5 kWh battery with a 201 hp electric motor on the rear axle delivering rear-wheel drive (rather than all-wheel drive).

Driving Experience

The vast majority of pickups in the UK are diesel, which results in a truck-like or agricultural-like driving experience. Not so with the Maxus T90EV. When you accelerate there’s instant torque, and progress is delivered in near silence (and obviously with zero tailpipe emissions). Even the ride quality is comfortable, despite the leaf-sprung rear suspension (the high profile tyres probably help). The only main issue with the driving experience is a lack of steering precision at motorway speeds.

The T90EV is rear-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive, but traction is generally good unless you ask too much of the rear tyres when accelerating out of a wet corner with no load. With off-road tyres fitted, the pickup even manages to negotiate gravel tracks and grass with no drama.

The gear selector is a rotary dial and there are drive modes of Power and Eco.

A few things to note are that you need to insert a key into the ignition to start the T90, there’s no reach adjustment for the steering wheel, there’s a traditional handbrake rather than an electric handbrake, and there’s no way to adjust the level of brake regeneration (although the system appears to work perfectly well most of the time).

The central touchscreen may not be as technologically advanced as some systems, and if you need satnav you’ll have to connect your phone to use Google Maps, but it does display the view from the rear camera, which is essential when trying to reverse the almost 5.5-metre long vehicle if the pickup bed is fitted with a truck top, which reduces visibility.

Maxus T90EV range & charging

The Maxus T90EV Pickup has an official combined WLTP electric driving range of 220 miles. In the real world, depending on usage, the T90’s (WLTP) range is around 180 miles on the motorway and around (WLTP) 230 miles in a more urban environment.

The T90 can rapidly charge at up to 80 kW DC, allowing it to charge the 88.5 kWh battery from 20% to 80% in around 45 minutes. It can also charge at 11 kW AC, when a 5% to 100% charge takes 9 hours, or at 7 kW AC when a 5% to 100% charge takes 13 hours.

A 3-pin plug socket is located in the rear footwell. To open the charge socket cover you have to press a button inside the vehicle, on the driver’s door panel.

Price & Model range

The Maxus T90EV Double Cab Pickup, available in just one trim level, is priced from £49,995 plus VAT (thanks to its 1,000 kg payload it qualifies for commercial vehicle status, so the price can be quoted without VAT) and to reduce the price further, it's eligible for a plug-in grant of £5,000.

Conclusion

The Maxus T90EV must surely be a practical option for many businesses that need a pickup but also want zero tailpipe emissions. The T90 is good to drive and is fit for purpose, and it also has a useful 220-mile range. The fact that the government will also give you a grant of £5,000 off the purchase price adds to the selling points. And if you’re not a business, but an individual who wants an EV to take outdoor kit into the countryside, then the T90 also ticks that box.