Articles by Tim Gibson

Tesla has announced its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology in Australia will move to a subscription-only service from April 2026. Buyers were previously able to purchase the technology for a one-off price of $10,100 or pay $149 per month. It is a Level 2 advanced driver assist system, which can navigate its way to the chosen destination. It is available on Tesla Model 3 or Model Y examples equipped with a Hardware 3 or 4 camera.The brand has confirmed the monthly subscription cost will remain the same for the time being. As with most subscriptions services, such as Netflix, there is a strong possibility for incremental increases on a regular basis.The initial pricing of the Model 3 and the Model Y has not changed despite the shift to a subscription model. The Model 3 starts in Australia from $54,900, before on-road costs, while the Model Y has a starting price of $58,900. Both cars were among Australia’s best-selling electric cars, with the Model Y topping the charts at more than 22,000 sales. Buyers will not be able to outright purchase the technology from the 31st of March 2026, so vehicles will have to be ordered by that date to be eligible for it. Existing owners of eligible vehicles will be able to outright purchase the technology via the Tesla app until the 31st of March as an upgrade post purchase. Tesla’s transfer promotions on the system will also no longer be offered from April of this year. This promotion allowed for owners of existing Tesla's with the FSD or Enhanced Auto Pilot to transfer it onto a new model without additional cost. The announcement confirms Australia will follow Tesla in the US, which ceased the outright purchase of the technology in mid-February of this year. The technology made headlines when it was released in Australia towards the end of last year as the first right-hand drive market to receive it.The move to a subscription-only service for FSD (supervised) is one of several big moves the car maker has made in recent times. Tesla announced in late January that it was cutting production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV in the middle of this year. This is to make way for production of Optimus robots in the same factory. 

GWM’s V8 hybrid luxury off-roader will launch next month, according to reports.There is no news yet on the Tank 800’s potential Australia future, but its impending China launch means it might not be too far away from Aussie shores.It was previously thought the car would launch some time in 2026, but that time line now appears to have been moved up.It is expected the car will take the shape of a large SUV, offering a luxury rival to the Range Rover and an off-roading competitor to the Toyota LandCruiser. The headline news with this GWM off-roader is that it will be fitted with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo eight-cylinder plug-in hybrid set-up, producing a combined 735kW.There is also a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid, producing 283kW. These engines are said to fall in line with the emissions regulations in Australia, which have forced its potential Aussie rivals, such as the Toyota LandCruiser and the Nissan Patrol, to down-size their V8s to six-cylinder units.GWM's V8 plug-in hybrid outputs leave its rivals in the shade, with LandCruiser 300 Series' 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel six-cylinder making 227kW and 700Nm.The Nissan Patrol's 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine produces 317kW and 700Nm.This would leave the Tank 800 with a competitive advantage, being a V8 off-roader in Australia, but priced similarly to its rivals at around $100,000.Unlike the LandCruiser and Patrol, the Tank 800 will feature a more luxurious interior, with a likening to the Range Rover. We got our first look at GWM’s new V8 in April 2025 at the Shanghai motor show, with other cars likely to utilise the engine in the future. GWM has been growing its Tank range in Australia, with the Tank 300 and Tank 500 proving popular, and there are an increasing number of power set-ups launching. A plug-in hybrid Tank 300 will launch in the first quarter of 2026, while a V6 diesel Tank 500 also launching this year. 

Ford has reported heavy losses.The brand has reported a $11.1 billion net loss in the fourth quarter of this financial year — its worst financial performance since the GFC in 2008, or the Great Recession. Headlining the losses for the company is a five per cent decline in fourth-quarter revenue to $45 billion, with adjusted gross earnings more than halving to $1 billion.This is despite record full-year revenue for the company increasing to $187.3 billion.This reflects a difficult overall year for the Blue Oval, with gross losses of $8.2 billion, due to electric vehicle asset value decreases, and $2 billion worth of tariffs. Electric vehicle sale underperformance has forced Ford to axe production of its F-150 Lightning full-size pick-up, with it failing to stimulate sufficient demand after a turbulent four-plus years on sale. As part of these EV adjustments, Ford's in-progress BlueOval City manufacturing facility in Tennessee will build internal combustion F-150s instead of the Lightning variant.Ford has not given up on its EV ambitions, with the brand planning five new budget models, which will launch by 2030 in the US. This includes an all-electric ute in 2027 called the Ranchero, which will look to capitalise on the raging success of the petrol-powered Maverick. Ford’s diesels have been the foundation of its sales success in Australia, with the Ranger ute and Everest SUV some of best sellers in the country. It is unclear at this stage whether Ford will bring across some of these emerging electric models to offset potential New Vehicle Efficiency Standard impacts.Ford is not an exception to impacts from tariffs and EV, with others cutting projects before they get off the ground to avoid losses. Late last year, it was reported Kia had canned plans for an electric full-size pick-up, which would have been a competitor to the F-150 Lightning. Toyota is also holding off on its plans for a small affordable ute for similar reasons. 

Pricing for the incoming BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis ute has been revealed on the website RedBook.It will start from $55,900, before on-road costs, which is $2000 cheaper than the pick-up version of the popular ute already in Australia. BYD Australia when contacted for comment said that the company was not in a position to share an official launch date for the new variant. The cab-chassis Shark 6 does not have a direct rival in Australia with the Ford Ranger PHEV being a pick-up-exclusive variant. GWM is preparing a budget PHEV ute in China, which has good prospects for an Australian launch some time this year, but it looks like that will be a pick-up-only variant as well. BYD’s newest ute Down Under was first revealed in late November when it appeared in Department of Infrastructure filings confirming sale approval. These latest details reveal the car will miss out on some of the Shark 6 pick-up’s gear, such as a head-up display along with heated and ventilated front seats.It will still have a digital driver display and central touchscreen display, but the leather-wrapped steering wheel has been replaced by a synthetic one. It can also now be confirmed that the ute will have the same power set-up as found on the pick-up variant. A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, producing 321kW and 650Nm. The ute has a 29.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, with an electric-only driving range of 100km, according to generous NEDC testing.The cab-chassis increases the payload to 900kg, but capacity will decrease with any tub or trailer installed. braked towing capacity remains at 2500kg.This news comes as BYD prepares to update the pick-up variant of the ute later in 2026. It is expected to be fitted with front and rear differential locks and a two-speed transfer-case, which would likely come with a price bump. 

The next-generation Toyota Highlander — known as Kluger here — three-row SUV has been revealed in the United States as an electric-only model.A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said there are no current plans to add the Highlander to the range Down Under. That does not definitively rule out the new-generation Highlander as an option for Australia in the future.The new model will ditch hybrid power, so its unsure if Australia's US-sourced Klugers will continue.An electric Kluger would offer Toyota a three-row SUV EV rival to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 9, Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90 in Australia. The top-spec all-wheel drive model has two electric motors, producing 252kW and 438Nm.There are two battery choices on the Highlander, which are a 77kWh with 462km of driving range and a 96kWh battery with a range of 515km. It is also available in a single motor, front-wheel drive layout.The 2027 Highlander is built on the TNGA-K platform, rather than Toyota's electric car platform that has spawned other models such as the bZ4X.The incoming RAV4 plug-in hybrid launching in Australia this year is also built on the TNGA-K platform, which opens the door to a future EV version.It has similar design elements to the new-generation RAV4 and Prado SUVs, with a boxy look and sharp creases in the bodywork, riding on 19-inch wheels. Overall, the car is bigger than its predecessor, but it sits slightly lower than the outgoing Highlander/Kluger. On the inside, it comes as standard with a 14.0-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital driver display.The seats are covered in a synthetic leather, with the front seats heated as well as the steering wheel. The car is expected to officially launch in the US towards the end of 2026 and the start of 2027. 

Toyota’s small ute plans appear to have been put on hold in the United States, according to reports.The small Toyota ute was seen as a potential future rival to the popular Ford Maverick in the US.It was thought there were strong prospects for a small ute from Toyota in the middle of last year. Toyota's Chief Operating Officer in the United States Mark Templin said the brand was “looking at it”. A senior vice president in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America Cooper Ericksen echoed the COO's words."We could really do well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it," Ericksen said in a separate interview with The Japan Times. "It’s a matter of timing."Like the Maverick, it was speculated that a Toyota compact ute would be built on an SUV monocoque platform, potentially the RAV4's. This would differ from the HiLux and other major ute players underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis.Plans for the ute seemed to be at an advanced stage, with Toyota even going as far as to reveal a concept in 2023, which was said to be hybrid powered.It now looks like those plans are on hold with Templin pouring cold water on the immediate prospects of a compact ute, emphasising patience. “It’s a really intriguing segment for us, but the whole segment right now is 160,000 to 170,000,” Templin recently told Auto News.“When the market’s right, we may have something.”It looks like continuing US tariff trouble is behind Toyota’s hesitation.The future of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement may be up in the air after recent comments from the US administration on the topic. A trade deal collapse could spell the end of any small ute plans for Toyota, with manufacturing costs in the US and consequent steep pricing making production difficult to justify.

Chinese brand FAW has unveiled a new type of battery, which can achieve a driving range exceeding 1000km, according to reports.The battery has a capacity of 142kWh, and offers an energy density of 500Wh per kilogram. This is a new type of high-tech battery, differing from the traditional idea of solid-state, which is often viewed as the next big step.Chinese companies are continuing to develop their solid-state batteries, such as BYD and Chery that have recently announced projects.Chery claims its solid-state battery has an energy density of 600Wh per kilogram, but FAW’s efforts still represent a significant improvement on conventional alternatives.Traditional solid-state batteries do not use a liquid or gel electrolyte for the mechanical separator. Unlike solid-state, the mechanical separator in FAW's battery is made up of a slurry-like substance, combining solid and liquid components. This hybrid composition is able to provide the desired high energy density in comparison to common lithium-iron batteries, while also offering potential for cost-effective mass-production.The lithium-manganese battery developed by FAW features lithium manganese cells and solid electrolyte elements.While this battery has been mounted into an FAW car, there is no news on the battery's full-scale production future.FAW produce several electric models, and from the photo, it looks like the battery has been fitted to the Hongqi Tiangong 05 sedan launched in 2025.Solid-state batteries have commercial and manufacturing challenges in the pursuit of full-scale mass-production, which is why some car makers have ruled them out in the short and medium term.BYD and Chery have taken different approaches for the composition of its solid-state battery, but neither brand has committed to long-term mass-production of the technology.Chery has unveiled two cars featuring solid-state batteries, but they are both part of the brand’s premium Exeed branch, so it will not be offered in mainstream products. BYD will only produce solid-state vehicles in a small batch coming next year. FAW’s hybrid alternative could offer a route towards solid-state in the interim while the technology develops towards a more sustainable level. 

The new-generation Suzuki Across plug-in hybrid SUV has just been unveiled.It shares much of its design and features with the Toyota RAV4, being more-or-less a rebadged version of the popular family car. It is unlikely we will see the Across in Australia, as its previous generation was a Europe-exclusive model, but there is potential for that to change.The outgoing Across was introduced to Europe to help with tightening emissions standards in Europe, which was not the case Down Under at the time. That has now changed.There is now increasing pressure from Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), with brands facing penalties for selling vehicles that emits CO2 over a certain threshold. This threshold gets lower every year.Suzuki could be subject to this, given its Aussie lineup is entirely made up of purely petrol-powered cars, apart from the Swift hatchback, which is a mild hybrid. The Across would have the same rivals in Australia as the RAV4, including the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5.It's plug-in hybrid set-up would offer something different to those big-hitters.Suzuki Australia has been contacted for comment as to whether there are any plans for the Across to launch domestically. It will employ the same plug-in hybrid system as the coming RAV4 PHEV, which includes a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 105kW and 226Nm, and two electric motors.The front electric motor produces 150kW and 271Nm, with the smaller rear motor making 40kW and 123Nm, which takes total system output for the Across to 225kW. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 6.1 seconds, with a top speed of 180km/h, and comes as standard with an all-wheel drive systemThere is a 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery, which in the RAV4 is claimed to deliver about 100km. It is hard to spot the difference between the Across and the RAV4, with it featuring the same boxy overall design, as well as the standout grille and fenders.On the inside, the car gets a 12-3-inch digital driver display and 12.9-inch central touch screen display.There is also a head-up display, and heated and power-operated front seats as part of the standard gear. It gets plenty of valuable safety equipment like auto-emergency braking, lane-change assist, lane departure warning and a 360-degree camera. 

BYD is the latest brand to get in on the solid-state battery scene, with small-batch production to get underway in 2027, according to reports.This latest development puts BYD back in the race against Chinese rival Chery that has also recently announced solid-state technology. The Chery Exeed Liefeng shooting brake will feature a battery offering a potential driving range of 1500km, with an energy density of 600Wh per kilogram.This will launch after the Exeed ES8 shooting brake, which will be Chery’s first solid-state model, with a driving range of 1000km. We do not know which BYD vehicles will be fitted with this solid-state technology or its real-world potential yet.It is expected BYD’s technology will differ from Chery’s as it will use sulfide electrolytes as opposed to oxide-based chemistry. This different set-up could be a more practical route to commercial viability for solid-state technology as it is claimed to be easier to manufacture and provides benefits such as faster and safer energy transfer that could result in faster charging and lower fire risk. BYD’s solid-state powered vehicles will only be available in a small batch next year, which suggests there are no plans yet for the technology to enter full-scale production at this stage.Solid-state batteries have been gaining traction with car makers in China, but other big-name manufacturers in Europe and North America have been slower to get behind them. General Motors has highlighted its scepticism for solid-state, preferring investment in silicon graphite batteries, while Ford views it as a ‘possible future technology’.Mercedes-Benz unveiled a prototype solid-state powered version of its EQS sedan in September 2025, which travelled 1205km on a single charge. Full integration of this technology remains several years away, with full market integration unlikely to occur until the 2030s if it continues to gather steam in the EV space. 

Ford is planning five new budget models, including utes and SUVs, according to Automotive News. The Blue Oval will introduce five models priced under US$40,000 (under $55,000) by 2030 as it builds up its affordable options. These models will offer the brand some competitive alternatives to ever-expanding lineups from Chinese rivals.The first model will be an all-electric ute in 2027, potentially called Ranchero, built on its new Universal EV platform and part of a push into affordable EVs for the brand.It is expected the ute will have a price tag of about US$30,000, which is circa-$46,000.The Universal platform differs from the Global Electrified 1 platform used by the Ford Mach-E SUV. Electric ute options remain scarce and pricey in the market, with Toyota’s coming HiLux EV the most notable example so far.Ford recently ended production on its F-150 Lightning full-size pick-up EV due to slow demand.President of Ford Blue and Model e Andrew Frick said the five models would employ a variety in the power set-ups, wearing new names and focusing on affordability.“It will be across our lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and it will be multi-energy,” Frick told Automotive News.  “That’ll start to fill in the product side, but we have work to do to help affordability in the near term more tactically.“I would say there’s probably 10 actions that we’ll do to help affordability.”Frick’s comments also outline that SUVs will form part of the five incoming models under the budget plan. Nothing further has been confirmed on that front yet, but it is unclear if Australia will see these budget models, given they will be built in America and likely be left-hand drive.These electrified models could assist Ford in Australia, offering valuable credit towards its Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) situation, with most of its current models being internal combustion powered.The Blue Oval only has a plug-in hybrid version of its best-selling Ranger ute as well as the Mustang Mach-E SUV and Transit Custom EVs.Ford’s last SUV model on sale in Australia was the Escape, which never took off in Australia. It is anticipated Australia will get a China-built variant of the Ford Bronco SUV to fill this space, which uses a range-extender hybrid set-up.