Articles by Stephen Ottley

Stephen Ottley

Contributing Journalist

Steve has been obsessed with all things automotive for as long as he can remember. Literally, his earliest memory is of a car. Having amassed an enviable Hot Wheels and Matchbox collection as a kid he moved into the world of real cars with an Alfa Romeo Alfasud.

Despite that questionable history he carved a successful career for himself, firstly covering motorsport for Auto Action magazine before eventually moving into the automotive publishing world with CarsGuide in 2008. Since then he's worked for every major outlet, having work published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Drive.com.au, Street Machine, V8X and F1 Racing.

These days he still loves cars as much as he did as a kid and has an Alfa Romeo Alfasud in the garage (but not the same one as before... that's a long story).

BYD Ute will have 'Australian pulse': Local experts will help design and testing of all-electric Toyota HiLux rival from China

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Dec 2022

BYD’s new all-electric ute will be designed and developed with Australian conditions in mind. That’s according to EV Direct boss Luke Todd, who recently visited BYD headquarters in China to help the process.

Read the article

Step aside Tesla and Toyota, Hyundai wants to be the electric car leader in Australia!

By Stephen Ottley · 04 Dec 2022

Hyundai Australia is confident it can become the “leading EV player” in the local market with the arrival of its all-new Ioniq 6 sedan in 2023. But supply constraints mean the brand’s management stopped short of declaring it will out-sell Tesla, which is on course to sell approximately 18,000 EVs in 2022.

Read the article

Better looking than a Lamborghini Urus? Why Ferrari is no longer taking orders for its controversial new Purosangue 'SUV'

By Stephen Ottley · 04 Dec 2022

Upset that Ferrari has built an ‘SUV’? Well, the Italian brand and its customers don’t care because the ‘high-riding sports car’ is already a sell-out before it’s even hit the production line.

Read the article

Electric cars will spearhead Hyundai Australia's latest product onslaught, but where is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid-fighting Tucson SUV?

By Stephen Ottley · 03 Dec 2022

Hyundai is readying to unleash a wave of new electrified models in a bid to recover lost ground in the sales race and establish itself as an electric vehicle leader. Fresh off launching 18 new or updated models in an 18 month period, the South Korean brand’s Australian operation has confirmed it will introduce 17 new or face lifted products between now and early 2024.

Read the article

Is this Australia's cheapest electric car? 2023 BYD Dolphin EV spotted as new Nissan Leaf rival undergoes local testing ahead of imminent launch

By Stephen Ottley · 02 Dec 2022

The BYD Atto 3 is set to get company soon, with an example of the Chinese brand’s Dolphin electric hatchback spotted on a Sydney street. The lightly camouflaged right-hand drive vehicle is seemingly undergoing final testing ahead of its launch here in 2023.

Read the article

My electric car did my washing for me! The hidden benefits of having an EV | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 27 Nov 2022

I was reviewing a Genesis GV60 last week. Why was that good? Because it’s one of the few current electric vehicles on the market today that offer bi-directional charging - otherwise known as vehicle-to-load (V2L).

Read the article

Missing in action: The must-have models from Australia's biggest brands including the Toyota Sequoia, Mazda CX-50 and Chevrolet Tahoe

By Stephen Ottley · 27 Nov 2022

Australians are spoiled for choice in the new car market with literally hundreds of models to choose from. But we could always do with more…

Read the article

Why we don't need the Toyota Prius anymore | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 26 Nov 2022

Toyota unveiled a striking new Prius last week in Los Angeles, but there’s uncertainty over whether or not this new hybrid hero will make it to Australia.

Read the article

What is the future of Tesla? Electric rivals, delayed models and Twitter buy-out raise questions over the long-term plans for the American electric car maker | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 20 Nov 2022

Yes, that headline will surely make the keyboards fire up with a mixture of ‘I told you so’ and ‘how dare you doubt Tesla’ - but let’s all take a deep breath and ask ourselves that question in a neutral tone.

Read the article

Hypercars are too hyper: Why the constant quest for faster supercars is ultimately pointless | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 19 Nov 2022

The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar reclaimed the Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record for production cars recently, lapping the 20km German circuit in 6:35.183 minutes.

Read the article