Wheels of the Week: We test the Maxus electric pickup

The Maxus T90 EV is an electric pickup truck that was launched in 2022, making it one of the first all-electric pickup trucks available on the local market. It should be a popular choice for businesses and individuals.

As an electric vehicle, The Maxus T90 EV produces zero emissions, making it a more environmentally friendly choice than traditional petrol or diesel-powered pickup trucks. Knowing this really made me feel good, as leaving a clean planet for the future is so important.

This pickup is much cheaper to run than traditional petrol or diesel-powered pickup trucks. Electricity is a cheaper than fuel or diesel, even in South Africa, and the T90 EV is also very efficient, with a range of up to 400 km on a single charge. If your business is powered with solar panels, the cost to run the Maxus is almost zero. It runs at an average cost of R 0,26 per km.

It uses a minimal amount of oil, which is usually the other main ongoing expense. 

This vehicle is quick and powerful. It has a dual-motor electric powertrain that produces 402 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It has a payload capacity up to 1,100 kg and a towing capacity of up to 3,500 kg. This makes it a very capable vehicle for hauling heavy loads or towing trailers.

The interior of the Maxus T90 EV is well-designed and comfortable. It features a large touchscreen infotainment system, a rotary gear selector, and a variety of other features that make it easy to use and enjoyable to drive.

The truck has the comforts of most of the top-of-the-range leisure vehicles, including air conditioner, rear heated windows, electric windows all round, reversing camera and a rear sensor for park assist.

The 10.25-inch digital dash cluster and a 12-inch central display are both slightly turned to face the driver, resulting in an asymmetrical instrumental panel design. The touchscreen infotainment system can be connected with Apple CarPlay using a data cable. Unfortunately, I was not able to test this feature as I do not have an iPhone.

Instead of Android Auto, the Maxus uses QDLink, an app that is popular for car infotainment systems in China. It needs to be downloaded onto one’s smartphone, to connect the mobile phone with the car’s built-in display-by-mirror function. The phone’s screen then appears on the car’s display, and one can operate the car’s display via mobile phone and vice versa. However, the QDLink app was not able to connect to my phone properly and kept looping back to the main screen of the Maxus infortainment system. This feature clearly needs to be fine-tuned for the South African market.

Maxus is made by Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC), one of the world’s top five electric vehicle (EVs) manufacturers. This vehicle makes for a very affordable and capable truck as a commercial vehicle for any business.

Motor specs

• Max rated power: 150kw
• Peak Torque: 310N.m

Battery specs

• Battery: Ternary Polymer Lithium
• Battery Capacity: 88kW
• Battery Warranty: 8 years/160,000km
• Energy Consumption 25 kWh/100km (WLTP Charge Time combined)

Charge time

• 5% – 80% DC: 45 Minutes
• 5% – 100% AC: 9h/11kW