Articles by Dom Tripolone

Solid-state batteries have been labelled the holy grail for EVs.They are said to deliver long driving ranges, fast charging and reduce weight of electric cars, but this new type of battery could be the real solution to pushing zero-emissions cars to the next level.Dubbed sodium-ion batteries, the new tech comes with a range of benefits.They are cheaper to build, use readily available materials, can handle extreme temperatures and can deliver a driving range of about 500km.Energy density is the new tech’s weakness, but recent advancements have brought them close to Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) batteries used by BYD and others.Now the latest cells developed by Chinese brand BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation), promise even more.Recent reports state the company claims its latest sodium-ion battery can be fully charged in just 11 minutes, which leapfrogs most other claims.The company also says it is extremely safe, with recent tests showing it can absorb 200 per cent of its capacity without an increased risk of fire or explosion.BAIC has not revealed when these new cells would be ready for mass production or if they will be fitted to an electric car.The company does not currently sell vehicles in Australia directly, but the recently launched Hyundai Elexio was developed and built in partnership with BAIC via a joint venture called Beijing Hyundai.This leaves scope for BAIC technology to find its way into Australian delivered cars in the future.

Australian new car buyers are searching for the answer to the extraordinarily high fuel prices, and they may have found the answer. 

This Chinese brand isn’t making as much noise as BYD, Chery and GWM, but it is quietly building a large and competitive range.Leapmotor, which is backed by car giant Stellantis, is preparing to add a new cut-price electric small car to its range, according to filings to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).The new small EV, dubbed A05, will target the growing cohort of electric hatchbacks led by the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and Cupra Born.Power will come from a single front mounted electric motor making either 70kW or 90kW.This will be paired with a Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery of a currently unconfirmed size.The A05 will be 4200mm long, 1800mm wide, 1560mm tall with a wheelbase of 2605mm, which places it between little cars such as the Mazda2 and bigger hatchbacks such as the Mazda3.The pint-sized EV is expected to launch in fellow right-hand drive market, the UK, later this year, which leaves the door open for a future Aussie arrival.Leapmotor is expected to revealed the A05 in the coming months in China.Meanwhile, Leapmotor has been busy fleshing out its range in Australia.The brand initially launched with the C10 mid-size electric SUV, which was later joined by the range extender hybrid version of the C10. The compact B10 SUV was next to land Down Under.Leapmotor has also confirmed the B05 crossover will be the next model to come to Australia, which is expected later this year.The company has also revealed the A10 hatchback overseas, which is a slightly larger hatchback than the B05.If Leapmotor brings those models to market in the next 12 months, it will have an entrant in most the biggest passenger car segments besides the large SUV sector, which itself could potentially be occupied by the recently-revealed D16.

Chery's ute to get truly local name.

BYD is supersizing its luxury Denza plug-in hybrids.The Chinese brand isn’t resting on its laurels, and is already advancing some of its newest Denza branded models with some mega upgrades.In China the Denza N9 and N8L large plug-in hybrid SUVs are getting new batteries that would make most EVs jealous.The Range Rover rivalling models get a 40 per cent electric driving range boost thanks to a new circa-75kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery.BYD claims it pushes driving range up to 315km in the N9 and 320km in the N8L.That new battery is bigger than what is found in most EVs, and is about three to four times bigger than what is found in most plug-in hybrids.The extra battery capacity pushes the two SUV's weight above three tonnes. That extra weight will mean the bigger battery will be more inefficient as it has to move around the extra bulk.Other technical details have not been revealed, but it is likely to maintain the same set-up as the current version.The N9 uses a​​ 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to three electric motors, which pump out a combined 680kW and allow it to hit 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. It takes aim at the European luxury establishment with top-notch items such as dual-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering, a refrigerated centre console box and a 17.3-inch screen which folds down from the roof to provide entertainment for the second and third row.The N9 is more road-focused compared to the Denza B5 and B8 premium off-roaders which have recently gone on sale in Australia.There is no word yet on whether the Denz N9 or N8L will come to Australia, but out of the two the N9 would be the most likely.BYD is aggressively expanding its line-up in Australia, including via its Denza high-end sub brand, which opens the door to the N9 coming Down Under.

Chery has just confirmed its new ute will use a surprising and revolutionary diesel plug-in hybrid set-up.What is most surprising about it is no other ute-maker has done it before, not even Toyota - the master of diesel utes and hybrid power.Chery’s Executive Director of Engineering Peter Matkin summed it up simply.“It’s easier to do the gasoline version,” he said.Underneath the bonnet of the ute — codenamed KP31 — is a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine paired with an electric motor or two and a sizeable battery.Details are scarce, but its torque outputs will be mega.The high torque figures delivered by the combination of diesel and electric power — two fuel sources that create a lot of torque — was one of the benefits of this new set-up compared to more conventional petrol-electric plug-in hybrids, according to Matkin.Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris said the new ute had to be tough and the diesel-electric combo gave it the best chance to achieve that capability Australians demand from a ute.“I believe Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly capable ute,” said Harris.“And so to do that, it needs towing capability, payload capability, all-terrain capability. Particularly all-terrain capability, you know, you get people towing caravans on the beach. You really do need the torque and power delivery that a diesel gives you down low to be able to do those things.”Chery said the new ute will be able to tow 3500kg and handle a one-tonne payload.It will have front, centre and rear diff locks, and it should have low gearing for proper off-roading.Harris also said the brand’s plug-in hybrid technology — which it dubs Super Hybrid — brings countless benefits on the road, too.“The driving feeling and experience is so much better than an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) only product."“We've been a bit demanding, we want the best of both worlds,” he said.Harris explained the Super Hybrid tech delivers smoother and more efficient highway motoring and significantly improved the refinement of the vehicle by reducing NVH levels.That’s a bit of jargon that stands for Noise, Vibration, and Harshness, which means you’ll hear and feel the engine less in the cabin making it feel more SUV-like.Harris also said being different was good, too.“And it's a bit different. Nobody else has it, so it's a nice thing for us to have and do differently,” he said.While no carmakers offer diesel plug-in hybrid models in Australia, Audi sold a diesel PHEV version of the Q7 nearly a decade ago, and Mercedes-Benz sells versions of the E-Class, GLE and GLC in Europe with the tech.

Chinese behemoth Chery is at the forefront of futuristic, game-changing solid state batteries, and Australia could be inline to get the tech sooner rather than later.When asked whether solid state batteries would come to Australia, the answer was simple.“Why not”, said Peter Matkin, Chery's Director of Engineering.Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris backed this up by stating, “Chery is the brand where you never say never.”Matkin said Chery covers all bandwidth with all the possible options, but the demand has to be there. Time will tell if Australia has that demand.Chery has claimed it will fit the futuristic cells — which are more energy dense and less prone to fire than conventional batteries — to some of its Exeed vehicles in China.Exeed is Chery’s tech and luxury focused sub-brand, which, if Harris gets his way, will land in Australia in the future.“I really like the Exeed product, and I think they make some, you know, really cool, really high end, actual luxury specification vehicles. If I could make a wish tomorrow and it would come true, that would probably be what I would ask for.”The first Exeed vehicle to score the new battery is the Liefend shooting brake, which is claimed to have an electric driving range of up to 1500km.This is due to the energy dense solid state batteries, which are claimed to store 600Wh per kg. That is about triple what an average electric vehicle can store now in its battery.The Exeed ES8 shooting brake is also in line for solid state power, with it claimed to have a driving range of more than 1000km.A timeline on when that technology could reach Australia in a Chery vehicle, or one of its sub brands, is hard to tell.Matkin said the technology is moving so fast and the Exeed brand is selling extremely well in China and other markets, which could push back the timeline, but he was confident it would come.“The technology will definitely pick up. They're already working on the solid state. So technology will come,” he said.

I drive a lot of electric cars, but I’ve had somewhat of an epiphany in my time with the Nissan Ariya Evolve e-4orce these past few months.Dual-motor EVs are mostly unnecessary.This issue has been gnawing at me for awhile, and it isn’t just the Ariya that is affected, but all EVs.There are a few reasons.One, is it adds extra weight to an already heavy car, which then affects how the suspension performs. Most dual-motor EVs have a bouncy rode and struggle to keep their hefty weight in checkTwo, is that extra weight, combined with the extra energy consumed by the second motor, means driving range is reduced considerably.The Ariya’s claimed driving range is is only 17km less than the single motor version at 487km. It has been verified via the Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which is the benchmark measurement for EV ranges.During our time behind the wheel we have seen the Ariya Evolve e-4orce deliver less than 400km per charge. CarsGuide’s previous experience with the Ariya single motor variant has seen it deliver more than 500km per charge.Another reason to not go the dual motor route for your EV is your wallet. Ditching the second motor will save you big time, or about $8000 if you are shopping for an Ariya. This does include a few specification differences, but nothing life changing.The extra motor also requires more space, and as nearly every automotive engineer has told me over the past few decades, saving weight and space are the two biggest challenges they face.In the Ariya's case the extra motor eats into the boot space, dropping it from 466 litres in single-motor guise to 406 litres in the dual-motor version. There is no spare tyre either, with owners making do with a fiddly tyre repair kit that doesn't pass the pub test.This packaging issue affects all dual motor EVs, and all-wheel drive petrol and diesel cars, so it is not an isolated issue.Having all-wheel drive does add some benefits.The Ariya Evolve e-4orce is exceptionally composed and poised in the wet, with it handling Sydney summer storm downpours with ease, where front- or rear-wheel drive vehicles can slip and struggle to put the power down in greasy wet conditions.Lets not forget the second motor brings plenty of extra grunt, too.The Ariya Evolve e-4orce pumps up the outputs to a beefy 320kW and 600Nm, which is good enough to drop the zero to 100km sprint time to 5.6 seconds.You might not want your family electric SUV to go that fast, but there are plenty out there who do.I think the sweet spot for most electric car ranges, including the Ariya, is the single-motor version that delivers a real-world driving range of more than 500km.That 500km range appears to be the marker that removes most of the range anxiety.Moving along from the all-wheel drive/dual-motor conundrum I’ve been dealing with the past six weeks, the Ariya has shown off some of its quality.Without a doubt the Ariya’s cabin is its standout feature. It is a warm, comfortable and inviting space for my family of four.Child seats — front and rear facing — fit in the back pew with ease, and the supple Nappa leather-trimmed seat upholstery is easy to wipe down if needed.The Ariya’s egg-shape gives it a lofty feeling inside, with the high roof — along with the full length panoramic sunroof — giving it an airy feel that few can match.A head-up display — which projects vital information such as your travelling speed, prevailing speed limit and safety warnings onto the windscreen in front of the driver — should be standard on every car.It reduces distraction and means you are unlikely to ever creep over the speed limit. Speed bracket creep is a real thing in EVs, where there are often no audible cues to you accelerating as there is with petrol or diesel vehicles.The cabin materials are excellent, with plush and high-end elements throughout.Many passengers were impressed by the haptic button integrated in the faux wood dash trim and centre console. You can control some climate functions and switch the drive modes and engage the single pedal driving functions with these buttons.There are still some functions, such as more advanced climate and comfort controls, buried in the touchscreen.Nissan’s multimedia software falls behind tech-leading alternatives from newer brands.The centre console is bulky but lacks any proper storage options.As mentioned earlier, the boot is on the small side. It isn’t horrendously small, but squeezing everything in for a family of four is a struggle I often lose. A slow leak in the tyre meant a running repair needed to be done by the dealer, but the lack of a space saver or full size spare meant negotiating with the tyre repair kit. And I don’t negotiate with terrorists. It was easier and quicker to drive to the nearest petrol station to top up then it was to charge the inflator via the car’s 12-volt plug and then hook it up to the tyre.Next instalment we’ll give our final verdict on the Ariya Evolve e-4orce.2026 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD Acquired: December 2025Distance travelled this month: 528kmOdometer: 6742kmAverage energy consumption this month: 20.7kWh/100km

BYD, Chery and GWM might seem like the new-car boogeymen to legacy carmakers, but a quiet giant is muscling up in China.Xiaomi, which is best known for making smartphones, has branched out into electric cars and put the car world on notice. It has a seriously big hit on its hands with the YU7 mid-size SUV.The Tesla Model Y rival was the best-selling passenger car in China during the first month of this year.It reportedly sold almost 38,000 units in January, which was more than double the Tesla Model Y.Xiaomi also smashed big name Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely to take the top spot.This could all be the tip of the iceberg as the brand received more than 400,000 orders just a month after it launched in 2025.The Chinese brand isn’t just content with dominating its home market, but has big plans for global domination.Europe appears to be first up, with Bloomberg reporting it would launch in the continent by 2027.Xiaomi is winning fans around the world, including Ford’s boss Jim Farley.The Blue Oval’s head honcho has gone on the record about how much he loves the Xiaomi SU7 - the sedan version of the YU7.Last year he told the Everything Electric Show: “I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive a Xiaomi. We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up.”Ferrari has been seen benchmarking the high-performance SU7 at its Maranello headquarters ahead of the Prancing Horse’ coming first electric car. A fact no one would have believed a few short years ago.It is easy to see on paper why the YU7 is such a smash hit.In China the YU7 range kicks off with the Standard grade, featuring a single motor powering the rear wheels and producing 235W and 528Nm.The mid-tier Pro brings all-wheel drive and two motors with a combined output of 365kW and 690Nm.Both use a 96.3kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.   Range-topping Max is all-wheel drive and its dual motors up the ante with 508kW and 866Nm. That's enough grunt to throw this SUV from 0 to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. At its core is a 101kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery.

The new Toyota LandCruiser FJ mini 4WD is the car Australia wants and needs but is denied… however, that could all change soon, according to new reports.Toyota’s little LandCruiser made its public debut at the 2025 Tokyo motor show, with rugged looks, built-in toughness and right-hand-drive production locked in.Toyota Australia’s then Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley told CarsGuide at the time it would not be available to Australia because the 2.7-litre petrol engine only adheres to Euro 5 emissions regulations.“The LandCruiser name in Australia would be very appealing, but the hardcore reality is we are facing in our country… variable regulations, new criteria, new vehicle efficiency standards,” said Hanley.“It’s not about NVES, it’s just about regulations.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality,” he said. Now reports out of Japan point to the FJ LandCruiser scoring a diesel option before the end of the decade, which could make it viable for Australia.The overseas report point to it using the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine with mild hybrid assistance as the current Toyota HiLux ute and Prado 4WD.That means it could gain 150kW and 500Nm of grunt, which is heaps for an off-roader similar in size to a RAV4. It is also a sizeable jump over the current version's 120kW and 246Nm 2.7-litre petrol motor.We won’t know the fate of the diesel FJ LandCruiser for sometime, as it's reportedly not being added to the line-up until 2029.At the Tokyo motor show last year Hanley said if the LandCruiser FJ’s engine was rated to Euro 6 standards, he would consider it for an Australian launch.“If it was Euro 6, I would reconsider it,” said Hanley.“If it does turn out to be a Euro 6 engine, and if it does turn out to be that way, which it could… then that’s something we could re-examine.”The emissions goal posts will have changed by the end of the decade, so there is still a chance that engine will not be available