Electrified Work Vehicles - A Tradie's Buying Guide

So, you're sick of paying $2.80 a litre for diesel and $2.40 a litre of petrol, with no end in sight? Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and start thinking about electrified vehicle options. The average tradie is spending about $4500 per year on fuel and even more if they live in a regional area or town.

Electrified vans and utes can reduce running costs, particularly for tradies who return home each night and can charge cheaply. The best choice depends on daily kilometres, tools, materials, towing requirements and charging access. Battery electric vehicles—BEVs, commonly called EVs—use electricity exclusively.

Plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, combine a rechargeable battery with a petrol engine. They can cover local trips electrically while retaining petrol capability for longer journeys. However, the biggest PHEV savings come from regularly plugging in and replacing petrol kilometres with electric kilometres.

Vans to compare

Utes to compare

¹ PHEV total range assumes a full battery and fuel tank; EV total range equals battery range. NEDC and WLTP results are different laboratory tests and should not be ranked directly.
² Before occupants, accessories, tools, materials and towball download.
³ Australian dollars, including GST. DA = drive-away; ORC = on-road costs. Offers, location and eligibility affect prices.
⁴ Ford’s maximum assumes the lightest specification; its optional spare wheel adds 39 kg.

Match the vehicle to the work

Start by recording two weeks of driving. Include supplier visits, emergency call-outs and the longest regular day. An EV suits predictable routes with overnight charging. A PHEV can suit mixed local and regional work, provided its electric range covers a useful proportion of everyday travel.

Choose the body before the badge. A van protects tools and materials from weather and theft, while a ute accommodates dirty equipment, bulky loads and some specialised trays. Measure ladders, sheet materials, machinery and garage clearance. Check loading height, door openings, tie-down points and roof-load limits.

Payload deserves particular attention. A canopy, drawers, roof racks, two workers and a loaded trailer can consume much of a ute’s carrying allowance. For example, subtracting 200 kg of occupants, 150 kg of accessories and 250 kg of towball download from a 685 kg payload leaves only 85 kg for tools and materials.

Allow for real working conditions

Advertised range is a comparison figure, rather than a guaranteed working distance. Highway speeds, hills, cold weather, roof loads and towing increase energy consumption. Request a demonstration with your usual equipment and trailer, and retain a sensible charging reserve.

Check the exact variant. BYD’s newer Shark 6 Performance increases braked towing to 3,500 kg, compared with the Premium’s 2,500 kg, but its payload falls to 725 kg. A higher towing headline therefore does not automatically make it the better work vehicle.

Plan charging before purchase

Confirm where the vehicle will park and charge. Ask an electrician to assess the existing circuit and whether a dedicated charger would suit your daily energy needs. Compare electricity tariffs, overnight charging windows and opportunities to use surplus solar.

Check the vehicle’s AC charging limit and whether it supports DC fast charging. PHEVs vary considerably: the Ranger’s published maximum AC rate is 3.5 kW, whereas the JAC Hunter also supports DC charging. A larger charger cannot overcome the vehicle’s own charging limit.

Also compare servicing locations, commercial-use warranty conditions, battery cover, insurance and parts availability. Vehicle-to-load outlets can power tools, but check their continuous output and allow for the energy used.

What could you save each year?

The following worked example uses assumptions, rather than current national average prices:

• Annual travel: 25,000 km.
• Existing diesel vehicle: 10 L/100 km, diesel $2.80/L.
• Electric driving: 25 kWh/100 km measured at the wall, including charging losses.
• Home electricity: 30 cents/kWh.
• PHEV petrol operation: 9 L/100 km, petrol $2.40/L.

Under these assumptions, a tradie could save roughly $3,360–$5,125 annually on energy through completing at least half their kilometres electrically using home charging.. Charging costs matter. Relying entirely on public charging at 70 cents/kWh would increase the example EV’s annual energy cost to $4,375, reducing its saving to $2,625. Actual results depend on kilometres, load, tariffs and fuel consumption.

These figures exclude purchase-price differences, finance, depreciation, insurance, servicing and charger installation. Include those costs when comparing ownership over several years.

Plugging in makes the PHEV difference

Do not budget using a PHEV’s headline fuel figure alone. Laboratory figures incorporate charged-battery operation; they do not represent continuous driving after the usable charge is depleted. GWM, for example, separately publishes 7.9 L/100 km under low-charge conditions.

Charge whenever practical, track electricity and fuel use, and maximise electric kilometres. Buying a PHEV creates the opportunity to save; regular charging is what delivers most of those savings. Completing 80% of kilometres electrically saves an additional $2,820 annually compared with running the example PHEV without plugging in.

Author: Daniel Wurm is a qualified award-winning tradie living in the Dandenong Ranges. Up until recently he drove a 6 cylinder petrol 4x4 but now drives a GWM PHEV Tank 300 4X4, saving him $2500 per year

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