The first disappointment with the T90 was the need to use an old fashioned key to get the truck moving.  Keyless entry and keyless go has been a feature of many cars for over a decade, so I'm not really sure why it hasn't been included in this brand new vehicle.

However, once you get moving you forget the trivial annoyance of having to use a physical key.

There is a very distinctive whine from the truck as you get going and I wasn't quite sure if this was a deliberate feature to try and warn pedestrians and animals of the arrival of the otherwise silent pick-up.  The T90 does have the instant throttle response that you expect from an EV, but it doesn't move away quickly.  It is, after all a 2.3 ton truck.

On the Road 

Whether on the motorway or on sweeping back roads, the T90 was actually reasonably composed.  Not once did I feel that the truck was out of its comfort zone.  However, when travelling at slow speeds over poorly maintained roads, the ride was not good.  I was surprised at quite how bumpy it was.

That said, I still felt in control and relatively comfortable.

When travelling along the motorway, I had a quick look at the steering wheel to find the cruise control controls... but then realised this truck doesn't have such advancements.  In fact, it's pretty basic in most areas.  The T90 was missing so many features that the Ford Ranger (the last pick up truck I'd driven) provided and I was a little surprised at how much was missing, especially given that it costs £59,940 once you've added the VAT on.

This is not a cheap vehicle.

Pick up trucks have become more desirable over the years, with people thinking beyond the pure workhorse.  Whilst they were once purely rough and simplistic, with little regard given to the comfort inside, times have changed.  Pick-up trucks are becoming more and more about interior comforts and high-tech functionality, without losing any of their capability in the practical sense.  The Ford Ranger I used to tow a caravan in 2022 was a capable workhorse, but was also a luxury vehicle ad a pleasant place to sit.

It doesn't seem to me that Maxus has realised this.

Range and Charging 

Maxus claims the range of the T90EV is 220 miles.  That doesn't seem like a very good range, but it is probably about the average weekly mileage of pick up trucks in the UK.  I didn't notice what the range showing on the dashboard was before I set off from the dealership in Reading, but two hours later when I dropped it off it was showing a predicted range of 215 miles.  I'm pretty sure that I covered more than five miles in my two hours with the truck.  My best guess is that, in between stopping for photos, I covered somewhere between 40 and 50 miles.  This included some relatively hard acceleration and some motorway driving; albeit limited to about 50mph due to speed restrictions on the road and a Traffic Officer displaying 'Do Not Pass' in his rear window.

Whilst not a conclusive test of the energy performance of the vehicle, it does suggest that the 220 range quoted by Maxus on their website is conservative.  The sales person at the dealership actually suggested that the range was 250 miles and this seemed pretty realistic.

When you get to a public rapid charger, you can charge at a speed of up to 80kW.  If you're charging at a public destination charger the maximum speed is 11kW and if you're charging at an ordinary home charger (with a single phase supply), you'll be limited to the usual 7kW.

Verdict

When you consider that a Toyota Hilux can be bought from £32,622 and the Ford Ranger for £34,581, paying another £25,000+ for the Maxus seems a bit steep.  And, as mentioned, the T90 is not a well specced vehicle.  It does have wired Apply CarPlay (and I assume therefore Android Auto), but the actual radio seemed pretty basic with poor reception on the FM band and no DAB.

I really wanted to like the Maxus and hoped it would present itself as a quirky option to have as a private hire vehicle, but it really was to uncivilised over poor road surfaces at slow speed and I think would lead to complaints from customers.

Will it work as a viable workhorse for farmers and builders?  Well it might, but they'd have to have a significant interest in the environmental benefits of EVs if they're going to be convinced to shell out almost £60k on a pretty basic truck.