MG backs Australia's charging network over a published towing range for the U9 EV electric ute

MG backs the charging network, without a towing range figure

MG Australia has defended the towing credentials of its new U9 EV electric ute, backing Australia's expanding public charging network to keep owners on the road, in comments reported by CarExpert. Product planning manager Kevin Kou told the publication MG towed a 2.8-tonne caravan from Sydney to Gerringong on the South Coast, and pointed to federal and state government initiatives building out the charging network. ¹

"For us, we will be talking to customers [about how] they should be planning out their journey," Kou said, as reported by CarExpert. MG Australia marketing director Dimitri Andreatidis told the same outlet the U9 EV has "amazing range, 430 kilometres of range" and is "a vehicle that doesn't compromise in any way, shape or form". ¹

What MG has not published is a range figure for the U9 EV while towing. CarExpert notes that hauling a heavy caravan can significantly increase energy consumption regardless of powertrain, and that without a tested towing range figure it remains unclear how frequently owners hauling a heavy caravan will need to stop and recharge. As an illustration, CarExpert calculates a diesel Ranger's range could fall to around 400-500km when towing, while the U9 EV could theoretically be limited to approximately 200km. ¹

Specifications: a 3.5-tonne electric dual-cab with 430km of WLTP range

The U9 EV is a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive ute with a total system output of 325kW and 700Nm and an MG-claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds, according to Autotalk and CarExpert. It uses a 102.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery delivering 430km of WLTP range. DC charging is rated at up to 115kW, with MG claiming 20 to 80 per cent takes 42 minutes, and the onboard AC charger operates at up to 11kW. ⁴³

Braked towing capacity is 3500kg, unbraked towing is 750kg and payload is 685kg, figures reported by both Autotalk and CarExpert from MG's Australian detail. The tray can carry a standard pallet and there is a 236-litre storage compartment under the bonnet. Vehicle-to-load output is up to 6.6kW through the external CCS2 port, with three 2.2kW outlets inside the cabin. Unlike the diesel-powered MG U9, the EV variant uses four-wheel electronic air suspension. ⁴³

Standard equipment includes two 12.3-inch displays, leather-trimmed front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker JBL sound system, a heated, ventilated and massaging driver's seat, a heated front passenger seat and steering wheel, a powered hands-free tailgate and a 360-degree camera system, as detailed by CarExpert and Autotalk. CarExpert lists the U9 EV at 5500mm long, 1997mm wide and 1860mm tall on a 3300mm wheelbase. ³⁴

Safety rating: five stars claimed, with a publishing caveat

MG is boasting a five-star ANCAP rating for the U9 EV, but CarExpert notes the safety authority has yet to publish that rating; sister authority Euro NCAP awarded the vehicle five stars in 2024. Autotalk states the U9 EV "has received" a five-star ANCAP rating, a distinction worth tracking until ANCAP's own publication appears. ³⁴

Pricing and availability: first market globally, deliveries due by end of 2026

Australia will be the first market in the world to launch the U9 EV, according to MG Motor Australia, as reported by Autotalk and CarExpert. When the vehicle was detailed for Australia in September 2026, CarExpert reported pricing had yet to be announced for this market despite the ute's in-person local debut in April, and that customer delivery timing also had not been confirmed. CarExpert noted the diesel-powered U9 is priced from $59,990 drive-away as a reference point. ³⁴

Subsequently, EV Roadside's Australian electric ute guide lists the MG U9 EV at $78,990 before on-road costs, citing MG's U9 EV page and configurator, and states the ute is due in showrooms by the end of 2026, with its payload and timing figures credited to Drive. That guide sets the U9's list price alongside the KGM Musso EV's drive-away pricing and the Toyota HiLux BEV's pre-on-roads figure, so the bases differ. ²

The U9 EV is expected to beat its LDV twin, the eTerron 9, to the Australian market. CarExpert reports the eTerron 9 was confirmed in November 2024 for a local launch in early 2025, received Australian Design Rule certification and was spied testing locally, but has still not appeared in showrooms. "We continue to work with the factory on the LDV eTerron 9," an LDV Australia spokesperson told CarExpert. ³

Where the U9 EV sits against Australia's electric utes

The U9 EV launches as the only electric ute rated to tow 3500kg braked, according to CarExpert, ahead of the Toyota HiLux BEV at 2000kg and the KGM Musso EV at 1800-2300kg depending on variant, and on par with the top-selling diesel Ford Ranger. Its 430km WLTP range also exceeds the HiLux BEV's 245-315km on the NEDC cycle and the Musso EV's 380-420km WLTP. CarExpert notes Toyota's NEDC figures come from a more generous cycle, so the HiLux's number would be smaller on WLTP. ¹³²

As of late 2026, the other battery-electric utes on sale new in Australia are the KGM Musso EV, from $60,000 drive-away for the 2WD version and up to $64,700 across the range, and the Toyota HiLux BEV, from $74,990 before on-road costs, per EV Roadside's guide compiled from the makers' Australian websites and spec sheets. Most other plug-in utes marketed locally, including the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger Hybrid and GWM Cannon Alpha, are petrol plug-in hybrids rather than battery-electric vehicles. ²

Parent company SAIC Motor describes the LDV and MG utes as having "semi-monocoque" construction, according to CarExpert, in contrast with the body-on-frame HiLux BEV and the unibody Musso EV. CarExpert also notes MG has declined to bring the single-motor rear-wheel-drive variant sold overseas as the LDV/Maxus eTerron 9, with the Australian specifications essentially identical to that twin. ³

The towing reality check for buyers

EV Roadside's independently compiled guide is blunter about long-distance caravanning: it states that none of today's electric utes does a 2 to 3-tonne caravan long tour comfortably, and that Australian towing tests have measured energy use rising 50 to 100 per cent with a caravan attached. Its planning estimate for the Musso EV and MG U9 is roughly 125 to 160km between charges when towing a mid-size van, though it stresses that is its own estimate, not a maker's figure, and that wind, hills and the van's shape move it considerably. ²

Charging infrastructure is growing quickly. The Electric Vehicle Council's 2026 State of EVs report, released in September 2026, counted 4268 public AC and DC charger locations by June 2026, up 235 per cent year on year, figures cited by CarExpert. Even so, CarExpert notes the ACCC says service stations still number around 8000, up from roughly 7500 in 2018. ¹

Practical constraints also matter when towing. EV Roadside's guide notes many public fast-charging bays are laid out nose-first for cars, so drivers with a trailer often need to unhitch, charge and rehitch, or block the next bay, and advises planning legs well inside the towing range. MG's own message, as reported by CarExpert, is that customers should plan their journeys around the network, which for now means buyers must work without a published towing range figure for the U9 EV. ²¹