Australian fleets buy lots of utes so with the pressure to reduce emissions the demand for an electric dual cab utility is strong. Early adopters are willing to pay a premium to be the first in line.
Last year Roev, an Aussie start-up, announced plans to convert 1,000 utes to electric in the first 12 months of their EV Fleet Program during 2023. Late in the year they opened the waiting list giving fleet customers the opportunity to reserve their spot in the queue for conversions ahead of official orders opening.
With first round reservations closing at the end of January, Roev CEO Noah Wasmer says that they have already received enough reservation requests to fill their conversion build spots through to the end of 2023. “It’s fantastic to see all of the interest is now turning into reservation requests” says Wasmer. “Confirming the strong demand allows us to plan and scale with more confidence.”
Roev says they are reviewing all requests and will confirm volumes with their fleet customers after the reservation window closes at the end of this month. “We want to reward the fleets who have engaged with us early, by allowing them to secure build spots and firm up their own plans for electrification” explains Wasmer.
Available for now on Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, pricing starts at $47,990 per conversion. Small businesses and private owners will have to wait a little longer to convert their utes, with Roev setting a minimum of three conversions to participate in the first round of reservations.
Wasmer points out that conversions are a viable and sustainable way for fleets to start their electrification journey now. “Those who run a fleet of utes can no longer say that there isn’t an option to start transitioning to electric,” says Wasmer, “it’s not a matter of converting or buying new, we strongly believe that fleets should be doing both.”
Wasmer’s final message is pretty simple, “Don’t wait! Don’t wait to go electric, and don’t wait to contact us.”
