Articles by Tim Gibson

The European Union is proposing an alternative to its tariffs targeting Chinese-made electric-powered vehicles, in the form of a minimum price model, according to Bloomberg.Under the model, Chinese exporters can submit price offers, which must be “adequate to eliminate the injurious effects of the subsidies and provide equivalent effect to duties”.Details such as the minimum import price, sales channels, cross compensation and future investments in the EU must be included.Alternatively, brands who do not use this new model will continue to be subject to the tariffs.A 2024 investigation found China’s car exporters gained unfair advantage from Chinese government subsidies, which found they were able to sell cars significantly under the price of Europe-built alternatives.To combat this, Chinese brands were hit with tariffs of up to 35 per cent on imports in addition to a 10 per cent foreign cars tariff.These tariffs are designed to counteract the impact of these subsidies to protect jobs and entice buyers toward European cars.They also are intended to encourage Chinese brands to build cars in Europe.Chinese auto makers have already begun building cars in Europe.For example, Xpeng is using local assembly in Austria, while Leapmotor manufactures cars in Poland.This latest change demonstrates a cooperative approach between the EU and Chinese car makers, described as a “soft landing” in China.Despite tough economic conditions for Chinese car makers in Europe, brands are gaining an increasingly strong hold.Chinese car brands outsold Renault and Audi in Europe during August in 2025. The following month they sold more vehicles than South Korean brands in Western Europe for the first time ever.These defiant sales figures are largely due to Chinese brands shifting focus from EVs to the import of hybrid and internal combustion vehicles.The news comes after reports that the EU is planning to remove its total ban on petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.

A new hybrid hot hatch concept has just been revealed in Japan.Nissan has unveiled a new fiesty hybrid hatchback called the Aura Nismo RS concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon.With the car still only a concept, Nissan has said it is still exploring the potential of bringing it to market as a production car.Nismo is Nissan's performance branch, derived from its motorsport endeavours.The car is based on one of Nissan’s hybrid hatches found overseas, and also has the same power set-up found on the X-Trail Nismo — a performance version of the popular mid-size SUV.It  has been pitched as an “Agile Electric City Racer” concept, using Nissan’s e-Power hybrid set-up, which differs from the conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies.Its dual electric motors are powered by a 2.1kWh battery, which is charged by a 1.5-litre petrol engine.The engine produces 106kW and 250Nm, but it has no role in powering the wheels and acts purely as a generator to fill the battery, with the front and rear mounted electric motors driving the wheels exclusively.The front motor produces 150kW and 330Nm, while the rear motor produces 100kW and 195Nm.It drives using Nissan’s specialist all-wheel drive system.In addition to these performance upgrades, the RS has undergone some big physical changes in comparison to the original Aura Nismo to give it increased track and race capabilities.The RS is 145mm wider, with its beefed up fenders.The overall ride height has been dropped by 20mm, designed to improve handling in hard cornering.It comes in 142mm longer, taking its total length to 4262mm, and weighs 100kg more at about 1500kg.The brakes have also been beefed up, with new large opposed-piston calipers.Its exterior design features sleek bodywork, appearing in a dark grey, with roof-mounted spoiler and a standout red front splitter.Red elements surround the base of the car, contrasting the paint work.The car has plenty of blacked out elements, including the front grille and roof, while RS badging shows on the doors.Despite its different power set-up, its hot hatch status sees it as a potential rival for Hyundai’s i30 N and Toyota GR Corolla.

A new electric people mover has just been announced. Hyundai has revealed an all-electric version of its Staria people mover at the Brussels motor show. It is unclear at this stage whether we will see the new electric Staria down under.A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia said the brand is currently reviewing the business case for the Staria Electric, but there are no plans to launch it locally at the moment. The Staria Electric will be built in Hyundai’s manufacturing plant in Ulsan, South Korea, which increases the viability of it being shipped to Australia. The Staria EV would enter the fray in the growing electric people mover market where it would rival the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer.There is no indication on the Staria price, but those two rivals start north of the 70K.A closer competitor would be Kia’s PV5, which is scheduled for an Australian launch later this year. The Staria EV measures 5255mm in length, which is significantly longer than its rivals. Overseas it will be available with two configurations — a seven-seater and a nine-seater.It is similar in size to the popular Kia Carnival, but that people-mover only comes with diesel and hybrid power. The regular Staria is the second-best selling people mover in Australia, but still a long way behind the Carnival.It was confirmed late last year Australia would get an updated Staria in 2026, but it now seems unlikely to be joined at the same time by an electric variant.The Staria Electric will go on sale in South Korea and Europe in the first half of this year, with additional markets coming after that.The Staria gets a 160kW electric motor, powering the front wheels, with a top speed of 184km/h. The newly-announced electric Staria features a 84kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery with an estimated range of up to 400km (WLTP).It will also feature 800-volt architecture, enabling DC fast charging from 10-80 per cent in around 20 minutes.There will be vehicle-to-load functionality, and a braked towing capacity of up to 2000kg. On the inside there are dual 12.3-inch digital displays, as well as an electric-variant-specific lighting design. Front and second-row seats will be heated and ventilated as standard. 

Volvo has issued a dire recall notice for one of its popular electric SUVs, but there is no fix in sight.The brand has put a notice out for thousands of its EX30 compact SUV due to a high-voltage battery defect, which could cause a vehicle fire.The recall affects 2815 units of the 2024 model year.According to the recall notice issued via the Federal Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development Communications, Sport and the Arts, a manufacturing issue can cause the cell modules installed in the battery to overheat at high charge levels, which could lead to vehicle fire.Without a remedy as of yet, “battery charge level should be kept below 70 per cent,” the notice reads.This can be done through the charging setting menu on the vehicle display.“A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders, and/or damage to property,” the recall notice said.Volvo Australia said there have been no reported incidents locally.Volvo Cars has identified a potential issue with high-voltage battery cells manufactured by a particular supplier on certain model year 2024-2026 EX30 Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance cars," a spokesperson said."In rare cases, the battery can overheat when charged to a high level, which could in a worst-case scenario lead to a fire starting in the battery. Safety is a top priority for Volvo Cars, and while the number of reported incidents is very small – representing around 0.02% of the cars we have identified as potentially affected – and we have no reports of related personal injuries, we are treating it very seriously. "We plan to roll out a recall as soon as possible to fix the cars in question. In the meantime, we are contacting all affected owners to ask them to limit their cars’ maximum charge level to 70%. We will contact them again as soon as a fix is available. Other models are not affected by this notice, and not all variants of EX30 are affected."Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Volvo requesting to schedule an appointment to have the repair work carried out free of charge.The EX30 has proved a solid seller in the compact SUV space in Australia, following its launch in 2024, starting from $59,990 (before on-road costs).Volvo launched a cross country version of the EX30 back in September 2025.

Kia has officially unveiled its EV2 all-electric compact SUV at the Brussels Motor Show. The Oz-bound EV2 will launch in the second quarter of 2026, and could be Kia’s cheapest EV Down Under.It will take on the likes of the BYD Dolphin, starting from $29,900 (before on-road costs) and the GWM Ora, which starts from $35,990 (before on-roads).There has been no official indication on price just yet, but the EV2 should come in cheaper than the EV3 that starts from $47,600 (before on-roads).The brand provided several details at the recent launch to give us an idea of how the EV2 will shape up.The EV2 keeps many of the design elements on the bigger EV3, featuring a petite exterior. Measuring at 4060mm long, it is shorter than the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.It will come with two battery options: standard-range and long-range. The base model standard-range has a 42kWh battery with a driving range of 317km, according to testing done under WLTP cycle conditions. It can DC fast charge from 10-80 per cent in under half-an-hour.The long-range variant has a 61kWh battery, which extends the range 448km (WLTP) and it can fast charge from 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes. This means the EV2 will have a similar driving range to its rivals in the compact SUV market. The car will have a panoramic multimedia display consisting of a 12.3-inch digital driver display, 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a 5.0-inch climate panel.The car can be fitted with sliding and reclining second row seats, which boosts storage capacity to 403L when fully forward, but reduces seating capacity from five to four.Following the standard range launch, Kia said we can expect the long-range and a fully loaded GT line variant to launch throughout the year.An official release date for Australia will be announced closer to the start of sales.

Have you ever wondered what the most expensive car in Australia is?Would it break the $1m mark?As we get towards the end of the year, here is a look at the five most expensive cars on sale in Australia with no added options.Price: $846,888, before on-road costsStarting off the list is one of two offerings from Ferrari. The SF90 Stradale features 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and three electric motors, which have a total output of 746kW and 800Nm.It has the trademark Ferrari speed, shifting from 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds and boasts a top speed of 340km/h.Its interior has a standout 16-inch curved digital screen, which is designed to give the driver a Formula 1 feel.Price $886,800, before on-road costsFerrari also claims second spot with a convertible on this list.This convertible is more than $80,000 more expensive than the hard top 12Cilinidri. The 12Cilinidri has a 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine producing 610kW and 678Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 2.9 seconds. On the interior, the car has three different digital screen, which are a 15.6-inch digital driver display, 10.25-inch touch screen and a passenger display.Price: $895,000, before on-road costsThe Cullinan is the only SUV on this list, and the last car before the $900,000 barrier is breached. Amazingly, the Black Badge edition is a $118,000 upgrade on the standard Cullinan. It has a 6.7-litre V12 engine, which produces 441kW and 900Nm. The car also features the optional iconic 'shooting star' headliner, with a multitude of other customisable specifications. Price $933,000, before on-road costsThe Black Badge Spectre is Rolls Royce’s most expensive and first-ever all-electric offering on the market.The luxury coupe is one of the few cars on this list not famous for its speed, but it still manages to offer plenty of power. Its dual electric motors produce 485kW and 1075Nm, shifting from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds.It has a range of more than 500km, according to the WLTP testing cycle from its 102kWh battery.As with all cars featuring the Spirit of Ecstasy, it comes with the outrageous luxury add ons one would expect for a car approaching the $1m mark.Price: $987,000, before on-road costsThe most expensive car on sale in Australia is the only Lamborghini to make this list. As Lamborghini's flagship supercar, it has one of the most advanced hybrid systems.Its 6.5-litre V12 engine and three electric motors pump out 747kW and 807Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 2.5 seconds.It has a 3.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which if you really wanted to, can make the car run on electric-only power for 10km. The Revuelto is a near $400,000 jump from the next most expensive Lamborghini in the Huracan STO. 

A new budget EV hatchback could be coming soon.

Volkswagen's new Chinese flagship large SUV has been revealed.

The Australian new car market is going through one of its biggest changes to date.A wave of budget-focused Chinese brands has washed over the market in the past two years, eating away into the sales of many established carmakers.The emergence of new technologies such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles will change the cars we drive forever.Despite that, some things have stayed the same. Diesel-powered utes and 4WDs are the dominant force in Aussie motoring, but new models are snapping at their heels.Here are the best selling 100 vehicles in Australia during the past year.

A new electric compact SUV is getting closer.