Hyundai Staria Load Electric 2026 Review

The 2026 Hyundai Staria Load Electric is now on sale in Australia, with some strong attributes including a 450km WLTP range, fast DC charging capacity and a load area and payload that equals or betters the diesel and hybrid Staria Load models.

At first blush, this would seem to be an efficient around-town EV van. With a price $20K north of the Staria Load diesel, though, you’d have to calculate running costs carefully to see if this is the right van for you.

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The 2026 Hyundai Staria Load Electric is available in one model grade, with the only factory options down to the choice of a lift-up tailgate or vertical split twin doors at no extra cost, or a paint option.

Price is $70,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs), with Shimmering Silver premium paint instead of standard Creamy White adding $750.

Given the identical load area dimensions to the hybrid and diesel, the Hyundai fit-out accessory options on these models are also available on the Electric. This also means an existing Staria Load diesel operator will be able to swap over their fit-out, such as storage racks, into the Electric.

While priced $21K north of the near-identical Staria Load diesel ($49,990 plus ORCs), the Staria Load Electric is in the same price range as some other direct EV van competitors.

While the LDV e-Deliver 77kWh SWB is marginally cheaper at $67,358, the 88kWh LWB is $72,095. The Ford E-Transit Custom EV starts at $73,990, while the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo is $69,990. Then there’s the Farizon SV, a new Chinese entrant starting at $62,990 (all prices plus ORCs).

We don’t have space here to drill down into a detailed comparison, but the Staria’s key advantage is its 800-volt architecture (over the others’ 400V) allowing faster DC recharge speeds, plus competitive payload and towing.

More in-depth specification details can be found here, but here are some key details.

The main exterior difference on the Electric versus diesel/hybrid models is the front bumper, with its better aerodynamics and EV charge port.

Other standard equipment found in the Staria Load Electric includes a small 23.9-litre frunk, rubber load area mat, native satnav and a vehicle-to-load (V2L) port located in the load area rated to 240 volts and 16 amps.

Like the hybrid model, there’s the shift-by-wire gear stalk, but unique to the Electric van are the multi-link coil rear suspension (although also fitted to the Staria passenger van) and a rack-type motor for the power steering. There are suspension strut-mounted dynamic dampers to reduce vibration, and tyres were designed to be more noise-absorbing.

There’s a 1005kg payload, which is 34kg less than the hybrid, but 8kg more than the diesel. Maximum braked towing capacity is 2000kg (towball download is 100kg).

With an 800-volt electrical architecture, the Staria Load Electric’s DC charging can recharge at a claimed 350kW rate and achieve a battery charge bump from 10 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes. Worst-case charging time is approximately 33 hours from 10 to 100 per cent on 230V AC.

The Staria Load Electric has Hyundai’s commercial warranty, meaning five years/160,000km cover for the vehicle, plus a separate eight years/160,000km for the main battery. Servicing is due every two years/30,000km, with the first service costing $686 and the second $708 under Hyundai’s capped-price servicing schedule.

Servicing can also be prepaid, either $686 for the two-year service only or for both two- and four-year services for a total of $1394.

Given that the 2026 Hyundai Staria Load Electric has the same key ingredients as its diesel and hybrid versions, there’s much familiarity here in terms of cabin and load area for a vehicle that, in essence, has been around for five years. The twin sliding doors offer generous access to each side of the load area and having the option of twin vertical doors or a liftback at no cost allows operators to choose the compromise that best suits them.

Seats are supportive, with enough side bolstering to keep you in place while not being so bulky as to make getting in and out difficult. The gear selector wand is a case study in simple, effective ergonomics; unlike some gear levers that can be confused with an indicator stalk, the size and shape and twist action of Hyundai’s column lever is very good.

Something you would never have thought to say about vehicle interiors 10 years ago is that the 12.3-inch LCD dashboard display is, in the main, entirely legible. Large graphics and simple display options can be read at a glance, something not all newer EVs have.

The neat Hyundai EV range display (where it offers a dynamic worst-case and best-case range as well as current projected range) isn’t new but nice to see here as a guide for a tradie juggling a busy day on the road.

The accompanying 12.3-inch infotainment screen is also one of the simpler screens to use, with buttons and dials below it for core infotainment functions. There are also physical controls for the single-zone climate control.

Active cruise control and most of the advanced driver assist systems work well (except the speed limit alert, see below).

Even with a mesh cargo barrier (rather than an enclosed bulkhead), noise in the cabin wasn’t objectionable. While there were some of the creaks and rattles you’d expect of a mostly unlined cargo area, the EV powertrain helped quell noise.

We had the advantage of 375kg of payload strapped down in the back, giving the opportunity to represent a typical load. This (and the independent rear suspension) no doubt helped ride comfort, which was supple enough for a commercial van, if not as good as an ID.Buzz Cargo. The Staria’s 160kW motor allows assertive acceleration, enough to chop through traffic efficiently, if needed. No turbo lag going on here.

Given the Staria Load Electric is about as aerodynamic as a shoebox and weighs a minimum 2278kg at the kerb, it’s no wonder its energy consumption is a claimed 20.7kWh/100km. On a relatively short 50km mostly urban loop using the highest regen level for about half the trip, we averaged 16.7kWh/100km.

While there is a shortcut to get rid of it, Hyundai’s speed warning chime is not any more enjoyable in this latest Hyundai release. It still serves as a driver distraction, and that’s often because the speed sign recognition is incorrect.

While the seats are comfy, there’s no three-seater option, meaning that the convenience of having the occasional two passengers aboard (as with some competitors) isn’t happening here.

The van did manage to spin a front wheel under full acceleration in the dry from low speeds; those tyres might be quiet but not so grippy.

Not that it matters for most commercial buyers (in fact, some may see it as a benefit), but in a fast-changing automotive world this Staria silhouette has already been around for five years.

With operating costs ever more an issue with elevated fuel prices, an EV van like this makes more sense for some operators. For urban work, the relatively long range, fast DC charging and simple, familiar Staria Load operating parameters could make this an attractive option.

You’d have to work out the costings and use scenario versus a (cheaper to buy) diesel, but now more than ever operating an EV like this is beginning to make sense.

While it offers (potentially) good range, fast recharging and solid payload capacity, this platform, first seen in 2021, is now competing against fresher alternatives, some offering an additional seat and less annoying speed warnings.

2026 Hyundai Staria Load Electric at a glance:
Price: $70,990 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 160kW/350Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 84kWh lithium-ion
Range: 450km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 20.7kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Unrated