Electric Isuzu D-Max one step closer to Australia, Thai production confirmed

An electric version of the popular Isuzu D-Max ute is one step closer to launching in Australia, after the Japanese brand confirmed its plans to build a battery-powered variant in Thailand.

In a media briefing for the facelifted D-Max – unveiled last week – Isuzu announced the electric ute will be produced in Thailand, going on sale in the local market shortly after it launches in Norway by 2025.

“Isuzu is actively taking efforts to realise a carbon-neutral society. Going forward, Isuzu plans to produce a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) pickup truck in Thailand,” Isuzu President Shinsuke Minami said in a media statement.

“Isuzu will first introduce it in Europe and then examine its gradual roll out by meeting the needs of each market, including Thailand.”

MORE: The age of the E-Max – Electric Isuzu D-Max ute coming in 2025

While Isuzu has previously outlined its plans to sell the electric D-Max in Thailand, the most recent announcement provides the first confirmation of where it will be built – and provides a stronger link towards a potential Australian debut.

Isuzu’s decision to manufacture the electric D-Max in Thailand – rather than its factories in China or South Africa where the vehicle is assembled from imported components known as 'Complete Knock Down' or CKD – means it is a chance to be sold in Australia, given locally-delivered examples of the popular ute are sourced exclusively from the brand’s Thai factory.

Australia is also a key market for the Isuzu D-Max, with 24,336 examples reported sold in 2022 – about 9.4 per cent of overall ute sales locally, and 14 per cent of the ute’s circa-340,000 global sales last year.

However, it is just a fraction of the approximately 180,000 D-Maxes reported as sold in Thailand across the same period.

As first reported by Drive in May 2023, the electric D-Max could be powered by an electric motor from Isuzu’s truck division – which will be found in the small N-Series truck.

Both the D-Max ute and the N-Series truck share a closely-related 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, though the latter will soon be available overseas with an electric motor, producing up to 150kW and 370Nm.

The Isuzu N-Series’ electric motor sits where the turbo-diesel engine would normally be located, and drives the rear wheels through a traditional driveshaft and differential.

An electric Isuzu D-Max could adopt a similar layout, with the batteries replacing the fuel tank, and an electric motor replacing the diesel engine.

Isuzu is yet to officially confirm specifications of the electric D-Max, as well as a name for the battery-powered ute – though previous reports have suggested it could adopt the ‘E-Max’ nameplate.