Articles by Dom Tripolone

Chery is 'supercharging' its hybrid range.

Electric cars have come a long way in a short time, and China’s EV market has shown us just how far they’ve come.China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market — and the source of the majority of Australia’s EVs — and the latest data shows a remarkable stat.According to the China Passenger Car Association, the average driving range of an electric car on sale in China is 528km.That’s an increase of about 25 per cent in half a decade, according to the data.Those driving ranges are calculated via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC), rather than the benchmark WLTP used in Europe and Australia.The data still shows that electric car driving range has improved by about a quarter in a short time.In Australia the default range for a new EV is generally around 500km, dispelling the range anxiety myth.New EVs from China and sold in Australia, such as the Zeekr 7X have a driving range from between 480km and 615km, and Tesla has just launched a new Chinese-built Model 3 RWD Long Range with up to 750km of range.Deepal’s new E07 ute-SUV mash-up has a driving range of up to 550km and Kia’s China-sourced EV5 can be driven up to 555km, depending on the variant.There are even more on the way if China is a guide, with the data showing more than 30 EVs on sale there with a driving range of more than 600km and 26 more with a range of more than 500km.500km is the new expectation for buyers in Australia and manufacturers have responded with a wave of new models at or exceeding the range, with Chinese brands or China-sourced vehicles leading the charge.The massive jump in electric driving range isn’t reserved to EVs. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs).EREVs use a petrol engine purely as a generator to charge the battery, with the wheels driven only by electric motors. PHEVs use a combination of a petrol engine and electric motors fed by a battery to drive the wheels.In China a PHEV with 100km of driving range is the new expectation with the majority boasting an EV-only driving limit of more than the century mark.EREVs are even more, with the vast majority claiming an electric-only driving range of more than 150km.This kind of performance hasn’t been fully realised in Australia where PHEVs and to a lesser extent EREVs are starting to gain traction.Several new options from Chinese brands, such as BYD, Chery and MG are pushing the boundaries of the new tech.Chery’s new Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid has a driving range of up to 170km in Australia.What is even more astounding is China is doing it at a lower cost than rival makers, which is helping to boost the technology Down Under.

Ford’s new ute is going to be unlike anything we’ve seen before, at least according to Ford’s global boss Jim Farley.

Australian new-car sales had another bumper month, with about 106,000 vehicles landing in driveways in September.

An unholy alliance could be forming.Reports from Japanese outlet Best Car, which is known for its well-placed sources in the country’s car industry, suggest Toyota and Mazda are working together on a new sports car duo.Best Car has delivered some head-turning digital renders that boost the appeal of this unlikely duo.Mazda has a history of building excellent sports cars in house with its rotary powered RX series and the universally loved MX-5.Now Best Car has revealed rumours Mazda will build a new roadster with the help of Toyota, with it likely to be based on the new GR86.Whether this will replace the MX-5 is unknown, so is if this will actually happen or just stay a rumour.There is a chance this roadster could be pitched as a bigger — potentially four-seat — drop top to sit above the MX-5, but that’s just speculation.It is believed Toyota has taken the lead of the new GR86 project from Subaru, with that partnership delivering the GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins.Hybrid power is expected to be at the heart of the new GR86 and mystery Mazda roadster.It is expected to use a new potent Toyota hybrid setup.This is expected to be a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine — the same found in the GR Yaris — paired with an electric motor and small battery.It will likely be a parallel hybrid setup and still drive the rear wheels.There are some rumours that put the 86’s hybrid setup at about 200kW, a big step up from the circa-170kW of the current version but a feasible upgrade considering the full-blown 1.6-litre unit's 224kW punch in the GR Yaris.There is a chance that Best Car might be missing the mark, considering Mazda is believed to be working on a production version of the striking Iconic SP concept that was shown at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.That car is tipped to use a rotary engine as part of a range extender hybrid setup. This means the engine is used purely as a generator to charge a battery with the wheels driven by electric motors only.Mazda is a small carmaker on a global scale and the chances of it finding room in its range for three sportscars is unlikely.

US battery companies are powering up.China leads the world in new electric vehicle batteries, but a US company is preparing to “leapfrog Asian counterparts”.US company 24M has revealed details of its new battery, which packs in 50 per cent more energy than conventional cells.24M said its new cells deliver unmatched energy density and range, with claims it can build batteries with more than 1600km of driving range.This is done via a new construction that does away with the conventional cell and module structure of a battery.The company claims it has created a sealed anode/cathode pair that is integrated directly into the battery pack, eliminating the need for individual cells, modules and unnecessary materials.It claims this allows it to have a higher percentage of electrodes, which is the part of the battery that stores energy, than other batteries.24M claims its batteries’ electrode content can be up to 80 per cent, while others are usually between 30 and 60 per cent.The company said the construction can be applied to batteries of any chemistry, which includes conventional Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) EV batteries. It said this would allow battery makers to apply the energy boosting method at scale at relatively low cost.The company’s boss Naoki Ota said: “The pressure to compete on price, design and performance is mounting for American industries that are heavily reliant on imported batteries.”“The US must advance battery innovation, not just scale production to close the gap with competitors overseas. Our 24M ETOP offers US manufacturers the technology they need to leapfrog Asian counterparts with industry-leading energy density, first-of-its-kind design flexibility, and lower manufacturing costs.” There has been a lot of noise in the electric vehicle battery field recently.Multiple vehicle and battery manufacturers are working on solid state units.Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte to transfer energy compared to a liquid or gel used in conventional batteries.This makes them more energy-dense, therefore smaller, and less prone to fire than current batteries. Many claim this new cell will be a silver bullet to mass EV adoption and will make electric sports cars, 4WDs and utes a practical reality.Sodium-ion batteries are also on the rise with makers claiming they are much cheaper to build, work better in extreme temperatures and can deliver driving ranges of about 500km.None of these new battery types are currently offered in new cars yet.

If you are asking yourself: “What car should I buy?”, then the Toyota Camry is likely the right answer to your question. Does that mean it's the car you will buy? The sales figures show it probably won’t be. I’ve been living with a fully loaded Camry SL Hybrid for a month and my quick appraisal is this anti-SUV might be one of the best family cars on the market. 

Hyundai has a new family hero.

A new Toyota HiLux is just around the corner.

How Deepal's werid 'Multitruck' is already stealing sales from Tesla's Cybertruck.