Articles by Dom Tripolone

Toyota is already growing its popular RAV4 range as demand surges for plug-in hybrid tech. The Japanese giant has confirmed a new GXL two-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV) grade will arrive next year to sit below the XSE 2WD in the soon to be four-tier line-up. Toyota’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said the company was striving to expand its low emissions vehicle options in Australia to best suit customer needs “The mid-range GXL grade has long been a popular model in the RAV4 line-up and now with the addition of the PHEV powertrain option, it adds even more customer appeal,” Pappas said. All-wheel-drive versions of the RAV4 PHEV will get upgraded off-road ability, with the addition of new drive modes. Rock/Dirt and Mud/Sand will replace the Trail/Snow mode front the fourth quarter of this year. Toyota hasn’t confirmed prices yet for the GXL 2WD grade, but it will sit below the base XSE 2WD that starts at $58,840 (before on-road costs). A XSE costs about $7000 more than the GXL in the conventional hybrid RAV4, so by that logic the new GXL PHEV could start at about $52,000. 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV pricing All RAV4 PHEVs use a 2.5-litre petrol engine that is paired with either one or two electric motors for front- or all-wheel drive. Front-wheel-drive versions make a combined 207kW and all-wheel-drive grades up the ante with 227kW. Fuel use is a claimed 0.7L/100km, but owners will need to be militant in keeping the circa-23kWh battery at a high level of charge to keep it operating in EV mode.  The RAV4 PHEV has a claimed electric driving range of up to 121km in the 2WD grades and 113km in the heavier and more powerful AWD versions. The GXL comes standard with: Full LED lights 18-inch alloy wheels 8-way powered driver's seat Synthetic leather instrument panel and upper door trim Leather-accented steering wheel and gearshift knob Smart entry and start Dual-zone climate control Automatic rain-sensing windscreen wipers 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 10.5-inch touchscreen display with new-generation multimedia system Wireless phone charger 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV specifications

Geely’s new move should have Tesla shaking in its boots. Tesla’s supercharger network is likely the envy of other carmakers with its coverage, speed and reliability trumping all others. The expansive network is one of the biggest selling points of a Tesla, especially considering many other EV owners are still locked out of parts of the network, which helps reduce wait times over busy holiday periods. Now Geely has teamed up with Nio in China to jointly invest in their charging and battery swapping businesses, share technologies and standards and develop a shared service network. Chinese carmakers are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and EV infrastructure is the new battleground. A wider network makes it more appealing for customers to choose your brand over another, especially as EV specs become across the board with design, tech, battery size, electric motor performance and driving range all similar. It is also a way to grow revenue as profit margins on new cars continue to be squeezed by the ongoing price war in China. This price war is also trickling down into Australia, with BYD cutting the price of its Atto 1 hatchback to $19,990, drive-away. There is always a chance these kinds of networks could spill out of China and into Australia, as Chinese brands continue to make large investments here and often use the local market as a test bed before launching in larger markets such as Europe. BYD has already committed to building a network of its Flash Chargers in Australia. Flash Chargers are ultra fast and can deliver up to 1500kW or 1.5MW of juice. The current fastest charger in Australia can output 400kW. "Geely Holding Group will work with Nio and other industry partners to build a denser, more reliable, and safer recharging network, making mobility more seamless and worry-free for users," said Geely CEO Andy Conghui. Geely’s charging network has about 2500 charging stations in China with more than 12,000 connectors. The company wants to expand this to 22,000 stations with more than 100,000 connectors. Geely needs help to do this and will connect its network with Nio’s. That scale is enormous and a network like that could revolutionise Australia's EV landscape. Geely also wants to roll out a huge number of its new AI-powered smart chargers. These chargers can deliver up to 2250kW of energy. Geely has tested the tech on its Lynk & Co and Zeekr vehicles, with both refilling the battery from 10 to 70 per cent in four and a half minutes. They went from 10 to 97 per cent in eight minutes and 40 seconds. Zeekr's current 7X can accept up to 450kW. The smart chargers use AI algorithms to manage heat levels and improve battery health and longevity. Nio will combine its expansive battery-swap network with Geely's burgeoning ecosystem. Battery swap tech replaces a depleted battery with a fully charged unit, and is claimed to take about five minutes. There is no such network in Australia and no current plans to bring the tech here. Nio operates a small number of swap stations in Europe.

Geely is powering up its line-up like nothing ever seen before. The Chinese giant, which owns Polestar, Volvo, Zeekr, its own Geely home-brand and several others, has launched a new charger that can deliver up to 2250kW of juice. The fastest public charger in Australia currently pumps out 400kW, and BYD’s coming Flash Chargers will be able to deliver up to 1000kW or 1.0MW. The new smart chargers have been previewed in China, with no word yet on if they will make it to Australia. There is a chance Geely will follow in BYD's footsteps and bring its hyper fast chargers Down Under. Electric cars, especially from China, are all fairly uniform, with design, tech, battery size, electric motor performance and driving range all pretty similar. So charging speed and charging network is seen as a way to differentiate one electric car that is similarly specified and priced from the competition. Carmakers don’t want to add bigger batteries to increase driving range, as that increases the cost of the vehicle. Game-changing solid-state batteries, which are about three times as energy dense as current batteries and capable of delivering 1000km driving ranges from the same sized battery are still many years away from being mainstream. So faster charging is a better way to entice buyers. Geely has tested the tech on its Lynk & Co and Zeekr vehicles, with both refilling the battery from 10 to 70 per cent in four and a half minutes. They went from 10 to 97 per cent in eight minutes and 40 seconds. Zeekr's current 7X can accept up to 450kW. The last 27 per cent takes twice as long as heat management systems slow the speed of charge in the last 20-25 per cent to maintain battery health and reduce the risk of fire. This ultra fast charging coincides with the brand’s next-generation battery, which allows 12C charging. AC rating determines the battery's charging speed, with 6C now the new benchmark for car batteries. Geely’s new smart chargers use AI to improve the charging experience and improve battery health. Consistent DC fast charging will degrade the battery quicker than using AC charging. The smart charger uses AI algorithms to predict battery temperature up to 30 seconds ahead and adjust charging power, rather than adjusting to the current temperature. The smart chargers will also tailor charging  for an individual vehicle and battery to help it maintain its integrity for longer. A new 'lithium-ion pulse restoration' tech can extend the battery’s life by 20 per cent, according to Geely.

Hi-tech Chinese brand Avatr has confirmed it will start taking orders on its 07L electric SUV later this year. The 07L is the first model confirmed for Australia from Avatr. Avatr is Changan’s premium brand aimed at Zeekr and MG's IM Motors. Australia is one of the first right-hand drive markets to get Avatr vehicles, with a few Southeast Asian countries receiving the vehicles first. Avatar will open pre-sales before the end of the year with the first deliveries of the 07L early in 2027. It is a large five-seat SUV and will compete against the slightly smaller Zeekr 7X, Tesla Model Y and Audi Q6 e-tron. Avatr hasn’t revealed any local details of the car yet, but it has launched in China earlier this year, which gives us an idea of what to expect. In China it is available in two grades, with the Max+ version using a single 305kW electric motor to drive the rear wheels. The potent Ultra grades up the ante with three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, combining for 712kW. Both use a roughly 90kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 725km in the single motor version and 650km in the tri-motor grade. Both ranges are calculated via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC) rather than the benchmark WLTP cycle, so expect real world ranges to drop by at least 20 per cent. 2027 Avatr 07L details Avatr hasn't confirmed local prices, but the Chinese version starts from the equivalent of about $53,000 in Australia and jumps to about $60,000 for the Ultra. Chinese vehicles usually incur about a 20 to 25 per cent price rise in Australia, which would mean the range would likely start at about $64,000 and rise to $75,000 (before on-road costs). If the 07L pricing follows that logic it would be priced similar to the equivalent Zeekr 7X in Australia, which costs $63,900 (before on-road costs) for the single-motor Long Range grade and $72,900 the dual-motor Performance version. 2027 Avatr 07L Chinese prices with Australia conversion Avatr will be joined by Changan, its parent brand next year. Changan hasn’t announced anything official just yet, but it has been on a hiring spree in Australia just like Avatr. It is one of China’s biggest automotive groups, and is of a similar scale to Chery or SAIC, the latter the owner of MG. Changan is also state-owned and its Deepal brand is already available in Australia via vehicle distributor Inchcape. Changan also partners with Mazda, with the Japanese brand sourcing its new range of electric vehicles from the Chinese giant, including the Mazda 6e sedan and incoming CX-6e SUV. There is no indication on what its Aussie line-up could look like, but Changan has a wide range of vehicles to choose from, including a ute.

BYD’s new car price offensive rolls on, with the brand launching Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid. The new BYD Atto 2 DM-i plug-in hybrid compact SUV is priced at $24,990 (before on-road costs) for the base Essential grade and jumps to $29,990 for the fully-loaded Premium variant. That makes it $9000 cheaper than the bigger BYD Sealion 5 and $10,000 more affordable than the larger Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid. This follows monster price cuts to the BYD Atto 1 Essential electric car, now $19,990 drive-away, and BYD Dolphin Essential, now $28,888 drive-away. The Atto 1 is now Australia's cheapest new car. 2026 BYD Atto 2 DM-i – Pricing The BYD Atto 2 uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor to deliver 122kW/300Nm in the Essential grade and 156kW/300Nm in the Premium. Both are front-wheel drive. The Essential variant uses a small 7.85kWh battery and the Premium has a circa-18kWh unit. These provide electric-only driving range of up to 39km and 90km, respectively and calculated by the benchmark WLTP test regime. BYD claims fuel use of 1.8L/100km for the Essential and just 0.7L/100km in the Premium grade. The Atto 2 can not DC fast charge but can absorb up to 3.3kW via an AC charger. The relatively small battery in the Atto 2 plug-in hybridmeans DC charging isn’t really relevant, with the Essential topping up in less than three hours via an AC charger and the Premium in a little more than six hours. 2026 BYD Atto 2 DM-i specifications The Atto 2 Essential plug-in hybrid comes with 16-inch alloy-wheels that jumps to 17-inch units on the Premium grade. There is LED lighting front and back and the Premium grade adds roof rail. The Essential grade has a fairly spartan interior to match its price tag, with a 10.1-inch multimedia screen, 8.8-inch driver display, Apple Carplay and Android Auto the headline features along with full complement of active driver aids and safety tech. The Premium version adds plenty more as standard, with: Panoramic sunroof Synthetic leather seats Six-way power-adjustable driver's seat Heated front seats Ambient lighting Six-speaker stereo Wireless phone charger Vehicle-to-load (V2L) with 3kW output

Electric cars are about to get more exciting, according to Chery’s chief designer Steve Eum. If you thought all electric cars sort of look the same, you are not alone, with Eum putting the homogenous design down to aerodynamics. Tesla set the standard for the computer mouse profile, with nearly all EVs following the same pattern in an attempt to eke out more range without putting in a bigger battery. Chery Australia boss Lucas Harris said what he hears from the research and development team is that packaging of the battery is a big focus. Bigger batteries, and the weight that comes with them, is the enemy of efficiency and fitting more batteries into a smaller space is the aim. Eum pointed to solid-state battery technology as the silver bullet to helping change the face of electric cars. Solid-state batteries are much more energy dense than conventional batteries, which means you need less of them to deliver the same driving range as current EVs. Or you can fill the same amount of space as now and have electric driving ranges of more than 1000km. Chery has said it would fit solid-state to its Exeed vehicles in China in 2027. Harris said it was too early to say if Australia would get Exeed vehicles, but said “we won’t be left wanting” for solid-state battery-powered cars. Exeed is Chery’s tech and luxury focused sub-brand, and Harris previously told CarsGuide he had his eyes on the Exeed vehicles. “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,” Harris said in February. The first Exeed vehicle in China to score the new battery 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 emergence of solid-state batteries alos opens up the possibilities for electric sports cars and 4WD and utes, where the current weight of the cells make them impractical This is where some looming innovations will come in, according to Eum. “There’s a lot more innovations that are up and coming that are going to be drastically helpful in terms of how we design these vehicles,” said Eum. “The size of the batteries, the weight of the batteries, perhaps even the tyre technology. All these are definitely going to push the whole innovation of technology for EVs and make them definitely a lot more distinguishable. “Battery is the biggest factor, it’s not just about the actual volume, but it's actually about performance, weight, driving distance and the sustainability.” This will open the door to more adventuorous design, that doesn't need to factor in aerodynamics as much.

XPeng is making it more affordable for Australians to get into one of their vehicles. The Chinese brand is launching the new L03 mid-size coupe-SUV, which severely undercuts the Tesla Model Y, Geely EX5 and Zeekr 7X. XPeng is also adding some variety to the menu with a range-extender hybrid (EREV) version, with Australia being one of the first markets outside of China to get the petrol-electric versions. There are three electric and one EREV L03s to choose from, with prices starting at $41,900 (before on-road costs) for the Standard Range EV and the Power X EREV. The Long Range EV jumps to $46,900 and the range tops out at the dual-motor Performance Ultra grade at $53,900. That entry price puts it at the same price as the Geely EX5 and $17,000 cheaper than the base Tesla Model Y and about $16,000 more affordable than the Zeekr 7X. The Power X EREV version uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine that is used purely as a generator to charge the 37kWh Lithium-ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery and never drives the wheels. Instead, a 178kW/280Nm single electric motor drives the rear wheels. XPeng claims the 37kWh battery delivers an electric driving range of up to 215km calculated by the benchmark WLTP test cycle. The brand claims a total driving range of more than 1000km when the battery and 42-litre fuel tank are depleted. At the max DC charging rate, the battery can be topped up from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes. AC charging tops out at 6.6kW. Standard Range electric versions use a circa-58kWh LFP battery that provides a WLTP rated driving range of up to 445km. It can DC charge up to 193kW, which can fill the battery from 20-80 per cent in 20 minutes. AC charging is up to 11kW. Power comes from a single electric motor that makes 163kW and 280Nm delivered to the rear wheels. Long Range and Performance Ultra grades up this with a roughly 71kWh LFP battery that enables a driving range of 520km (Long Range) and 440km (Performance Ultra). Both can DC charge up to 236kW, which again fills the battery from 10-80 in 20 minutes.  The Long Range grade has slightly more power at 183kW/280Nm, again sent to the rear wheels. Performance Ultra examples have a second motor enabling all-wheel drive, with a total of 285kW on tap. That extra grunt drops the L03’s 0-100km/h time to 4.5 seconds from the 6.6 and 7.5 seconds of the Long Range and Standard Range grades. XPeng is making a big deal about how it is embedding AI into its cars. Bigger vehicles such as the coming G9L have increased functionality, but the L03 has the computing power to bring fully autonomous driving when it is ready. XPeng hasn’t sourced its chips from stock market darling Nvidia, instead XPeng is going it alone and developing and building its own processors it dubs AI Turing chips. The company is planning on rolling out fully autonomous capabilities in 2027, where regulations allow. Australia does not allow that yet, but this could mean it would have similar capabilities to Tesla’s Full Self Driving (Supervised). Tesla’s tech can drive autonomously, but the driver has to be ready to take control just in case. The L03 rides on either 18-inch alloy wheels or 20-inch units depending on specification.  It has LED lighting front and back, with a full length light bar at the rear. It has cornering lights, privacy glass, frameless doors and door mirrors. Inside there are electronically adjustable, synthetic leather-wrapped seats that are heated and ventilated up front, with a massage function on the Performance Ultra grade. A heated microfibre covered steering wheel, wireless charging, ambient lighting, nine-speaker stereo that jumps to 18-speakers in the Performance Ultra. The range-topper also gets active noise cancellation to keep the outside world at bay. The L03 is a mid-size SUV that is a similar size to big names such as the Geely EX5 and Toyota RAV4, but slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X. It is 4650mm long, 1920mm wide, 1600mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2850mm. It has a ground clearance of 144mm and seating for five. The boot can hold 494-litres, which increases to 539L with the under-floor compartment included. There is a front cargo area under the bonnet that can hold 102L. It is rated to 750kg unbraked or 1500kg braked. The L03 can be had in white, two types of black, silver and purple.

Subaru has done what no other carmaker has and fixed one of the biggest problems facing electric car owners in the process.  Subaru has revealed a new accessory that will allow you to fit a spare tyre under the floor. The majority of electric cars currently come with a tyre repair kit, which is fiddly to use and worthless on serious punctures, resulting in customers usually needing a tow. Subaru has revealed a new accessory for the Trailseeker electric SUV. The genuine spare tyre accessory kit will fit a space saver spare underneath the boot floor, maintaining the low floor height without taking away the standard cargo space. Subaru said it can be fitted to new orders or existing vehicles and is priced at $1145. No other carmaker has a similar accessory. Boss of Inchcape, Subaru’s Australian importer, Blair Read said the new accessory will help Australians use their vehicles as they really want to. "What we're hearing from customers is that Trailseeker offers something genuinely different. "They love the idea of an EV that still feels ready for a weekend away, a road trip or an adventure beyond the city limits,” said Read. The Trailseeker is a big five-seat SUV, and is related to the Toyota bZ4X Touring. Being a Subaru it lives up to its outdoorsy theme, with all-wheel drive grip thanks to two electric motors combining for 280kW and 537Nm. It has Subaru’s X-Mode that improves grip in various road surfaces and inclines and declines. It also has 211mm of ground clearance to help it hop over the rough stuff. The Trailseeker is priced from $63,990, before on-road costs, and rises to $69,990 for the Touring grade. At its heart is a circa-75kWh battery that delivers 533km of driving range in the base version and 488km in the Touring. There is plenty of standard kit included, such as heated, power adjustable synthetic leather-wrapped seats, a heated steering wheel, power tailgate, 14-inch multimedia screen and plenty of safety tech. When it comes to electric cars that come with a spare tyre the list is a short one. The Chery E5 is the only EV that comes with a full-size spare. GWM’s new Ora 5 comes with a space-saver spare, as does the Hyundai Kona Electric. Toyota has fitted a full-size spare tyre to its HiLux BEV ute. There are a number of commercial electric vans that have a full-size spare, including several Farizon vans, Ford E-Transit, LDV eDeliver 5 and 7 and the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and eVito.

Chery’s Lepas brand is preparing a car that is unlike anything else. Chery Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris said the incoming L2 “is on a different planet” to the current crop of small electric cars. Harris said the L2, which is due in Australia in 2028, is totally different to the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2 that are currently lighting up the sales charts. “This L2 is absolutely nothing like those cars, not even a little bit. Not even a distant relative,” said Harris. “It’s a hatchback, not a small SUV. It's not like a little micro BEV, it's more Corolla size. It is really handsome, very sporty. It is on a different planet to those other cars.” Details are scarce, with Harris saying it could be available as a hybrid or electric car. “At the moment it's a little bit being decided, and we will probably make a firm decision closer to the time. "Just given how much the market changes at the moment, and who knows what events will happen over the next 12 months and how it might change the powertrain interests of consumers,” he said. Being a small hatchback, it could borrow tech from some of Chery's arsenal of smaller EVs such as the Jaecoo J5 EV or Chery E5. That means it could use a single electric motor to make 155kW and 288Nm and a circa 60kWh battery to deliver a driving range of more than 400km. A lot can change in two years, especially at brands that move as fast at Chery, so the ned product might be completely different. Harris said the design is about 99 per cent locked in, even though it hasn’t been revealed yet. Harris said it has a real sports-luxury look to it, which makes it unlike anything else in that segment. Harris would bring it here in a heartbeat if he could, but it’ll have to wait. “The most exciting for me, and I guess it's more of a personal taste and preference, is L2. I think the design really speaks to me, it has a real sports design look about it. “I think hatchback is super interesting. I don’t think there are a lot of compelling options in the market at the moment, particularly for BEV. So if I could click my fingers and launch the next one tomorrow it would be the L2 every day of the week.” Before the L2 arrives, Lepas will launch the L6 electric and plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV, L4 electric compact SUV, L8 and L9 plug-in hybrid large SUVs.

Nissan is preparing to shake-up the 4WD segment with a new affordable ute-based off-roader. Nissan has already confirmed the Xterra, which Nissan America boss Christian Meunier labelled “badass” on social media. It is also expected to cost the equivalent of $56,000 in Aussie dollars when it launches in the US next year.  Nissan hasn’t revealed the 4WD, which will be based on the US-market Frontier ute, but digital artists AutoYa and from TopElectricSUV have taken recent teaser images and given us a full width view of the tough-looking off-roader. The renders show a bold, aggressive front end with massive air intakes in the grille, coloured LED lights across the bonnet and underbody protection. Wide, muscular haunches and a boxy silhouette follow the trend set by the Toyota Prado, Denza B5 and new Mitsubishi Pajero. The Xterra will be built on a ladder frame underpinning, which is best suited to rough-and-tumble four-wheel drives. You’ll find that tough chassis underneath the Prado, Pajero and Everest 4WDs and nearly all dual-cab utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. It’ll likely use V6 petrol or V6 hybrid power. This will be different from the brand’s 'e-Power' hybrid technology found in the Qashqai and X-Trail SUVs, which use the engine purely as a generator to charge the battery while electric motors drive the wheels. Nissan has promised the Xterra will be a no-nonsense 4WD. “The Xterra represents the DNA of Nissan: affordable, durable and high quality,” Meunier told Automotive News. “We don’t want to over-engineer it and make it overly complicated or expensive. “We’re going to give our Nissan customers everything they need, nothing they don’t,” he said. Bad news? The Xterra will be built in the US for the North American market, with no known plans to bring it to Australia. But another ladder frame ute-based Nissan 4WD has emerged as a possible starter in Australia. The Terrano 4WD is based on the Chinese-built and developed Frontier Pro ute, the latter is expected to be called Navara Pro when it arrives in Australia, and could be Nissan’s local answer to Pajero and Prado. The Navara Pro will use plug-in hybrid grunt, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor with total system outputs of 300kW and 800Nm. It can offer up to 135km of electric range, according to the lenient CLTC test cycle. Nissan has confirmed the new Terrano is “intended for selected global markets”, but hasn’t revealed if Australia is one.