Skyworth electric SUV deferred for Australia – again
Instead, the Chinese brand’s importer is keeping its focus on commercial vehiclesThe News
The launch of the Chinese Skyworth BE11 electric SUV has been indefinitely postponed in Australia.
The Key Details
- Chinese Skyworth BE11 mid-size electric SUV indefinitely postponed
- Skyworth name will launch in Australia with new electric van
- Will join sister brand Skywell and unrelated brand Victory in local distributor EV Automotive’s line-up
The Finer Details
The Chinese-made Skyworth BE11 mid-size electric SUV is has been scotched in Australia.
Importer EV Automotive is keeping its focus on the commercial sector with the related Skywell and unrelated Victory brands.
It will debut the Skyworth name in Australia late in 2026 with the roll-out of the Skyworth S233 Hongtu electric van, a direct competitor for the Geely Farizon SuperVan.
EV Automotive had originally planned to launch the BE11 as the Skywell ET5 in Australia in late 2024 and even announced pricing for a two-model range.
It was then renamed and shifted back to early 2026 with an updated version gaining 800V electric architecture, boosted safety features and an ANCAP safety rating.
Now, EV Automotive Australia CEO Jack Puzin says there is no confirmed timeline for the launch of the BE11.
Plans to bring the small Skyworth Q hatchback also appear to have stalled.
“Look, it’s [BE11] still a consideration, however, we have to assign a priority to it.
“It’s not a massive priority, but it’s still there. The commercial vehicles are the priority for the moment. At the moment, we’ll stick to what we’ve been fairly successful at.
“It doesn’t mean we stop working on the SUV, the BE11. However, we’ll put our energy into the commercial side of the business at the moment.”
It hasn’t only been a struggle to get Skyworth up and running in Australia.
In the UK, the importer has shut down after selling just 127 units of the BE11 car, blaming the continuing investment required to establish the brand.
In terms of the commercial vehicles coming to Australia, homologation covers two principal Skyworth S233 electric vans: a 5.49m-long low-roof version and a substantially larger 5.99m-long/high-roof version.
Both use the same 150kW electric motor and 100.96kWh LFP battery and have a 4495kg GVM. But their different tare weights result in calculated nominal payloads of 1910kg and 1695kg respectively.
Each body is also approved in three- and four-side-door configurations.
The factory’s claimed range is just over 400km.
The Road Ahead
Puzin is bullish about what the SS can deliver in Australia’s expanding and increasingly competitive electric van market.
“It’s [S233] pretty important,” he said. “We’re looking at getting some early display models in the late end of this year.
“I know our van has over 400km WLTP range.
“So that means it’s got a bigger battery pack, which means it’ll attract a slightly higher premium, but it’ll be competitive against the Farizon.”
Farizon SuperVan pricing has recently been reduced and now starts at $62,990 before on-road costs.
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