Isuzu Cancels Australian Launch of D‑Max EV

The company says the current battery model does not meet Australian towing, range or remote‑use needs, leaving diesel as its primary option.

Overview

Isuzu confirmed on Wednesday that it will not export the battery‑electric D‑Max to Australia, saying customer demand and vehicle suitability do not justify a local launch.
The D‑Max EV's 66.9kWh battery, roughly 263km WLTP range and 50kW DC charging are cited as limiting for heavy towing, one‑tonne payloads and remote travel.
Isuzu Ute Australia will keep diesel at the centre of its D‑Max and MU‑X line‑ups and has added a cleaner 2.2‑litre turbo‑diesel to cut fleet CO2 and ease short‑term NVES pressure.
The company has made no firm decision to introduce plug‑in hybrid, mild‑hybrid or range‑extender variants for Australia and says it is still evaluating those options.
With rivals offering BEV and PHEV utes and plug‑in hybrids selling faster than full EVs, Isuzu risks lacking low‑emission models to meet tightening fleet targets and may need to buy NVES credits or adopt new technologies later.