If anyone is qualified to judge an electric vehicle in the real world, it’s Tim Washington.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of JET Charge, Washington has spent years helping Australians transition to electric mobility and charging infrastructure. He’s driven more EVs than most enthusiasts will see in a lifetime.
So when he replaced his 2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance with a Deepal E07, it wasn’t because he needed another EV. It was because he wanted something different.
And after living with it, he’s discovered the transforming Deepal E07 Multitruck isn’t a gimmick at all.
Buying with the heart
Washington admits the first attraction wasn’t a spreadsheet calculation or a technical specification. It was personality.
“I bought the Deepal for a few reasons. One, because I thought it was cool, and I like something that can turn into a ute,” Washington explained. “I don’t like driving what everyone else has.”
For a family that enjoys road trips, camping and outdoor activities, the unusual design stood out.
“I just want to have something a little bit quirky, I guess, that reflects our family’s personality.”
The surprise wasn’t the tray – it was the comfort
The E07’s party trick is its transforming rear section, which converts from an enclosed SUV into an open tray. At first, Washington questioned whether it would actually be useful.
“When you first see it, you go, well, how often are you actually going to use it? This is such a gimmick.”
The answer? Almost every weekend.
“It is so not a gimmick.”
Instead of fitting roof racks for family adventures, the bikes simply go in the tray. A basketball ring? No problem. Camping gear? Easy.
“We use it all of the time… instead of getting basically like a roof carrier system to carry the kids’ bikes, we just chuck it in the tray.”
It’s a practical solution that has become more useful than expected.
“We’ve used it far more than we thought we would, and so it’s been amazing.”
From Tesla performance to family comfort
Washington’s previous vehicle wasn’t exactly ordinary. Coming from a 2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance, expectations were high. But while the Tesla delivered acceleration, comfort wasn’t always its strongest attribute.
“We were coming out of a 2018 Model Three Performance, which is also an incredible car.”
The Deepal offered a very different experience.
“After we test drove it, actually it was probably one of the most comfortable cars that I’ve ever driven, and we’ve driven a lot of cars. That really sold it for us.”
For a family vehicle that regularly heads away on road trips, that became the deciding factor.
The efficiency that doesn’t make sense
Perhaps the biggest surprise has been energy consumption. The E07 Performance is a large, all-wheel-drive electric vehicle with serious performance, yet Washington says it delivers efficiency figures that belong in a much smaller EV.
“Fuel economy has been one of the things that has really, really surprised me. It is probably one of the most energy efficient cars that I’ve driven. It goes genuinely 500 kilometres and would probably do like 160 watt hours per kilometre. That’s like small EV, and to this day I still don’t understand how they’ve done that.”
For an all-wheel-drive performance model, that’s impressive.
Big on the outside, easy to drive
The E07 isn’t a small vehicle, and Washington acknowledges that. However, the driving experience quickly builds confidence.
“It’s a big car, and you do realise how big it is. You get used to it pretty quickly, and because it’s not that high… it kind of feels a little bit lower than probably its profile suggests.”
That combination of size, comfort and efficiency makes it surprisingly approachable for everyday family duties.
Premium without the European price tag
Washington also sees the E07 occupying an interesting position in the market. He believes it offers a premium ownership experience without venturing into traditional luxury pricing.
“It’s a premium car… but it’s also not expensive like a luxury European brand.”
Verdict
The most telling part of Washington’s review is that none of his favourite features are headline specifications.
Instead, they’re the everyday moments that matter to families: throwing bikes into the tray, loading camping gear, enjoying a comfortable ride and travelling hundreds of kilometres without worrying about efficiency.
The Deepal E07’s transforming body initially looks like a conversation starter, but for one of Australia’s best-known EV experts, it’s become a genuinely practical solution.
And that’s perhaps the strongest endorsement of all: a vehicle bought because it looked different has stayed in the driveway because it works better than expected.
