LDV EV double cab ute for NZ market.

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › LDV EV double cab ute for NZ market.

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MikeAqua

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#2877700 2-Mar-2022 12:51

Scott3:

Battery being exposed is pretty typically on EV's. For example:

Kona EV:

Tesla model 3:

Polestar2:

I can understand that in an entirely on road vehicle, but plenty of 2WD utes get used in off-road/rough road situations, where ground clearance matters.

That much exposed expensive stuff under a ute makes me shudder. Even some angled protection plates would offer some protection and stop and edge being caught.

Mike

RobDickinson

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#2877702 2-Mar-2022 12:54

Its the Ute equivalent of the Warehouse $100 mountain bike

Linuxluver

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#2877709 2-Mar-2022 13:17

Dingbatt:
Disappointingly low braked tow rating though. Although for a large group of urban cowboys it may be just the ticket.

Havent read the article yet, but do you think maybe they need an “inspired by Mitsubishi” disclaimer.

And to be clear, the “alternative view” referred to above is John Cadogan’s view of LDV in general and not their Electric Ute.

The flat bed should remove much of the towing need for things that fit in small trailers. So it would really be larger boats, other trailered vehicles and larger caravans that might have trouble.

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MikeAqua

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#2877757 2-Mar-2022 14:03

Linuxluver:
The flat bed should remove much of the towing need for things that fit in small trailers. So it would really be larger boats, other trailered vehicles and larger caravans that might have trouble.

900kg is reasonably good on-vehicle payload. But well-sides aren't actually that great for transporting stuff. Often the space between the wheel arches is minimal. And you want to be semi-careful about what you put in there. Anything that is abrasive or has to be shovelled off is better off in a trailer. If you are moving a heavy piece of equipment like a small piece of machinery you want something low down to load it on/off, so a trailer is better.

An after market flat-deck is more utilitarian, but I can't tell from the LDV website if that's a possibility. Normally you can unbolt the well-side and fit a flat-deck to the same mounts. You also can normally make the vehicle a bit longer and maybe get room for spare wheel. But with various EV components under there, who knows.

This vehicle wouldn't pull a reasonable sized load of gravel or cement or bricks. Even the mass of timber could be interesting if its wet. The weight of a well made tandem trailer is 500kg so you only have 600kg of actual load.

There are a quite few boats around 800kg on the trailer. But then you add fuel, ice, bait and gear and you'll be over.

Mike

RobDickinson

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#2877762 2-Mar-2022 14:06

It'll pull it fine but will hurt range too much for LDV to be bothered with the headlines.

MikeAqua

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#2877771 2-Mar-2022 14:14

RobDickinson:

It'll pull it fine but will hurt range too much for LDV to be bothered with the headlines.

Pull physically - yes, totally believe that. But if the vehicle is only rated for 1,000kg braked there will be compliance/insurance risks.

Edit: When LDV first foreshadowed this vehicle they were talking 180km range. I wonder if his was with a bigger tow rating.

Mike

RobDickinson

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#2877776 2-Mar-2022 14:22

It has disk brakes all round and regen etc, the low tow rating will 100% be down to range reduction reasons

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MikeAqua

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#2877779 2-Mar-2022 14:29

RobDickinson:

It has disk brakes all round and regen etc, the low tow rating will 100% be down to range reduction reasons

I think it would be safe and mechanically. But if you are towing 1,100kg braked or 900kg unbraked you are illegally operating your vehicle, and if you have an accident ...

Mike

MikeAqua

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#2877787 2-Mar-2022 14:45

This looks more promising. 300 mile range. 10,000lbs towing. 👍

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Mike

afe66

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#2877816 2-Mar-2022 15:19

Yes but try and park that car in a normal nz sized car park...

RobDickinson

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#2877818 2-Mar-2022 15:22

Or even buy it here, if its made or converted to RHD.

gzt

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#2877919 2-Mar-2022 22:14

RobDickinson: Its the Ute equivalent of the Warehouse $100 mountain bike

Ouch. It's way better than that

Scott3

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#2877996 3-Mar-2022 00:46

RobDickinson:

It has disk brakes all round and regen etc, the low tow rating will 100% be down to range reduction reasons

Not necessarily. Could be done to something else, like strength of components mechanical components in the drive-train, or capability of the cooling system. As an example, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has a lesser tow rating with the v6 petrol, than it has with the other two engine options.

Suspect cooling could be the reason here.

That said Mitsubishi NZ down-rated the towing capacity of the 2.0L outlander PHEV from 1500kg (rest of the world) to 750kg (NZ). Only reason seemed to be that they thought NZ conditions were harsh. It was only with the release of the 2.4L version that they adopted the rest of the world 1500kg rating.

MikeAqua:

I think it would be safe and mechanically. But if you are towing 1,100kg braked or 900kg unbraked you are illegally operating your vehicle, and if you have an accident ...

Unlike much of aus and Europe, NZ law doesn't explicitly require (light vehicle) manufacturer tow ratings be followed.

Quite legal for me to have a tow hitch put on my nissan leaf (zero kg rated), and tow the thundercat to the ramp...

Of course it is something to approach with caution. Still have to be able to stop from 30km/h in 7m. And there is a catch all law about unsafe loading.

Most private insurance companies don't require that the car be loaded within manufacturer specs, but some commercial ones do, so it is something to check for.

Batman

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#2878006 3-Mar-2022 06:56

afe66: Yes but try and park that car in a normal nz sized car park...

you must have realised that people who own expensive cars take up 2-4 parks to protect their investment

MikeAqua

7769 posts

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#2878113 3-Mar-2022 09:59

afe66: Yes but try and park that car in a normal nz sized car park...

Why would I when I have a Mazda 3 (or the GTR I'll replace it with next year) ?

I'd use a ute the way I use my SUV now: -

Towing - screwed for parking, whatever the tow vehicle is
~~Transporting more than 5 people~~
Picking up furniture, building materials, appliances etc - those businesses have plenty of room in their loading areas
Offroad/rough road/beach launch boat - parking isn't an issue

Too easy.

Mike

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