Articles by Tom White

The Renault/Nissan alliance will lean deeper into their ties in China for ultra-rapid vehicle development, according to a new report from industry source Automotive News.While Nissan has been open about its need to lean into its Chinese joint-ventures for rapid global vehicle development off the back of a range of successful models in China, its alliance partner Renault has started the process of decoupling from its Chinese ventures.However, the French giant maintains a development centre in Shanghai, established in 2019, from which it leverages the Chinese market’s speed and competitiveness to develop next-gen electric cars and hybrids.According to Automotive News the development cycle of these new models is just 16 months from concept to production, as part of a push by Renault to be more competitive with Chinese brands making rapid inroads into Europe.Brands like GWM, BYD, and Chery have ultra-rapid design cycles that often shorten generational changes to well below the usual seven-to-10 year mark that traditional automakers often stick to, with updates and facelifts regularly rolled out.The first models to benefit from the knowhow of the Shanghai development centre are a range of new city cars based on the upcoming Renault Twingo E-Tech. The electrified city car will spawn an equivalent Nissan (the next-generation Micra) and a low-cost spin-off for the Dacia brand.It will mean the Twingo is designed in France, built in Slovenia, with spin-offs developed in Shanghai.The model is the company’s most affordable mainstream electric car, with the equivalent of an AU$33,446 starting price in Europe. In the same vein as a BYD Atto 1, the Twingo is equipped with a 60kW electric motor, features 263km of driving range and has a relatively impressive 360-litre boot.Part of Renault’s mission with the retro Twingo was to reduce weight for an electric car, thereby having a lower rate of energy consumption and requiring smaller batteries which form a bit part of the cost. To that end, the city hatch has an LFP battery with just 27.5kWh capacity, which is smaller than some plug-in hybrids.The battery is so small the car doesn't even come with DC charging capability, but a 50kW DC port can be optionally equipped, reducing charge time to just 30 minutes. It can also optionally be equipped with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, allowing a power output of up to 3700W for external devices.It is unclear whether Renault’s Australian importer has designs on the Twingo, although it has previously stated it plans for Renault to be primarily an electric car brand going forward, earmarking re-badged Dacia models (like the recently-launched Duster) as the future of its combustion cars.Meanwhile, Renault has effectively exited the Chinese domestic market, wrapping up its joint-venture with Dongfeng. It has various strategic interests in Asia, including a partnership with Geely on a spin-off combustion engine business, Horse Powertrain, and it has re-configured its South Korean manufacturing base.Formerly Renault Samsung Motors, the Korean factory is now also a joint-venture with Geely, which produces new Renault models for the global market, as well as vehicles under the Geely umbrella, like the Polestar 4.Horse Powertrain, meanwhile, will build engines in Europe and China for Renault and Geely models, as well as for Dacia, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Lynk & Co, Proton and even Mitsubishi.French brands have struggled to compete in Australia's new-car landscape that's being re-defined by aggressive Chinese carmakers.Renault sales were down 17.8 per cent by the end of 2025 compared with 2024, while arch-rival Peugeot fared even worse, down 28.8 per cent in the same period.Citroen, meanwhile, exited Australia in November 2024 after 102 years following a long period of slow sales.

Tesla’s Cybercab has been spotted testing in the USA as the company forges ahead with its plans to produce a fleet of driverless vehicles rather than expand on its range of popular EVs.The Cybercab was spotted on the streets of Chicago where it can be seen with a few design changes since its controversial debut in 2025.The test car features wing mirrors for a start, but also forges ahead with the concept’s lack of a rear window, meaning it relies on a camera for its rear vision, in much the same was as the Polestar 4.The car builds on the stark and nearly featureless body panels Tesla first showed on the Cybertruck, and then rolled out to the updated Model Y in 2025. The spotted prototype maintains the fully covered wheels.Tesla has previously confirmed the Cybercab can be fitted with a steering wheel and pedals even if it wants the design to be entirely driverless, adding fuel to rumors the Cybercab is a re-purposed take on the ‘affordable’ sub-Model 3 car Musk long said the brand was working on.According to a report in 2025, the so-called ‘Model 2’ was personally cancelled by Musk to make way for the driverless Cybercab. Musk then denied it was cancelled, which alarmed employees and shareholders who knew the company had already severed supply contracts relating to the Model 2.Another reason for Tesla going all-in on autonomous vehicles rather than produce a more affordable Model 2 is because of the surging competition in the affordable EV space.It was claimed the cheapest Tesla would be a US$25,000 (AU$36,743) pitch to buyers, although in many parts of the world there are now even more affordable EVs in this space.In this price range just in Australia for example, there is now the option of the Leapmotor C10 (from $45,888), Geely EX5 (from $40,990), and BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990), all of which are in the more popular family SUV size-bracket.Instead, as a short-term solution, Tesla is in the process of rolling-out more affordable base Standard versions of the Model 3 and Model Y in global markets, featuring cloth seats, solid roof panels rather than a panoramic sunroof, and with some stripped-out interior tech like the rear climate and entertainment screen, as well as ambient lighting and electric steering column adjust.It is unclear whether the entry-level versions of the Model 3 or Model Y will debut in Australia. It also remains unclear if our market will ever see the rest of the brands catalogue, like the Cybertruck or Cybercab.Tesla has had a relatively strong innings in 2025 off the back of the arrival of its much-anticipated Model Y update. The updated SUV remained the top-selling electric car in Australia in 2026, selling 22,239 units. It is significantly more than the next most popular model, the BYD Sealion 7, which moved 13,410 units in the same period.The Model 3 also remains a popular option in third place, moving 6617 units over the year, but is tumbling down in raw numbers (-61.3 per cent year-on-year) despite a well-received update launching in early 2024.

MG’s luxury division, IM Motors, has revealed another ultra-luxury large SUV, which will join its range in the coming year.The LS8 is a large three-row SUV, which will sit above the IM6 that is currently sold in Australia, but below the flagship LS9 revealed in 2025.Information recently filed with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), we know the LS8 is more than five meters long, exactly two meters wide, and 1817mm tall with a 3060mm wheelbase.The LS8 will be a range-extender plug-in hybrid, combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine acting independently of electric motors on each axle. IM models currently sold in Australia are electric-only.The MIIT information shows IM is planning two massive battery sizes, either 52.1kWh or 65.9kWh, for an electric driving range between 268km and 335km according to the more lenient CLTC testing cycle.The new exterior pictures show a boxy large SUV design, which is distinct from the more curvy design language on the IM5 and IM6 sold in Australia.It shares many similarities to other upcoming luxury large SUVs from rival brands, like the Leapmotor D16 and Denza N9 from BYD’s luxury arm, suggesting strong demand for luxury hybrid SUVs in the Chinese domestic market.It features a contemporary light strip and Kia-style vertical LED fittings at each corner in the front, and a matching light strip across the rear. It has a raked roofiline with contrasting black panels in very similar style as popularised by cars like the Range Rover Sport and Velar.The interior is yet to be revealed, but is expected to mirror the designs seen in the LS9No Chinese brand has yet launched one of these luxury large hybrids in Australia.The closest option currently comes from BYD’s Denza, which offers the more off-road focused Denza B5 that is roughly Prado-sized, or the Denza B8 flagship that is more LandCruiser 300-sized.IM Motors has previously told CarsGuide that every new model developed by the luxury arm are aimed at global markets, so the LS8 and LS9 could very much be on the cards for an Australian launch.The brand’s previous CEO Peter Ciao said the company is planning a strong line-up for 2026, with IM Motors forming a part of that planning, so expect an expansion on the range soon.

We're running Hyundai's tiny new electric city car as a long-termer. Here are our first impressions.

Toyota is aiming to have its range of vehicles be at least 30 per cent built from recycled materials by 2030, as new EU regulations are expected to target more than just tailpipe emissions in the next decade.Toyota is focusing on recycled metals, such as re-forged steel used from crushed or deconstructed vehicles as part of an extensive ‘circular economy’ push and to reduce waste.A strategy document shows various initiatives Toyota will be undertaking, which includes up to 25 per cent recycled plastics used in new vehicles by 2030, a declaration on the content of recycled metals (including steel, aluminium and magnesium) for its vehicles by 2028, and future designs will be easier to deconstruct when they reach end of life.The brand flags 19 parts including catalytic converters, bumpers, EV batteries and motors to be designed to be easily removed from scrap vehicles and deconstructed future range of vehicles.Part of this push is to comply with existing and incoming European regulations on materials use and recycling for cars. Regulations around end-of-life products require 25 per cent of plastics used in cars to be from recycled materials, while battery regulations require “recycled usage rate” targets for key materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel and lead.In total, Toyota is “aiming to achieve a recycled material rate in its vehicles sold in Japan and Europe of 30 per cent or more by 2030”. The 30 per cent figure is not by number of parts but by total weight of the vehicle.The report notes there are easier gains to be made toward this goal in the recycling of steel in order to reduce new raw materials used, plastics, meanwhile, are much more difficult to process due to the differences in materials used, and volatile components within them which make them expensive to re-process into new materials.Thanks to this new initiative, Toyota’s Gosei plastics manufacturing subsidiary has developed materials with a 50 per cent recycled plastic content and performance equivalent to newly-made plastics, which it says is a world-first. Examples of this material being used are in the glovebox and grille-backing material in the new Euro-market Camry.Other new Toyotas using recycled plastics include the incoming new-generation RAV4 and the Crown Sport SUV.As the majority of Toyota models sold in Australia are built in Japan, we can expect at least some of its more popular vehicles the RAV4, Corolla, and Camry to be made of this 30 per cent-by-weight recycled materials.While the goals seem to apply at a global level for the brand, it is unclear at this stage whether the targets for vehicles built in Europe and Japan will also apply to vehicles built in Thailand, like the ever-popular HiLux ute.Other brands will have to have similar targets for materials recycling in order to continue to sell vehicles in Europe, with regulators also expected to come after other non-exhaust particulate matter, like tyre waste and brake dust.As a result, many manufacturers are experimenting with re-introducing drum brakes, which capture waste, or using brake systems that heavily rely on regenerative braking via electric motors with back-up friction brakes contained in the motor assembly (inboard brakes), rather than discs on the wheel hub.One of the leaders in the sustainability space, Polestar, issues a sustainability report claiming its new Polestar 4 has the lowest lifecycle emissions in its entire range, despite it wielding a massive 100kWh battery pack. The brand says this is largely due to advances made in using recycled aluminium and steel in the car’s frame, as well as renewable energy power used in its factory and by suppliers.Nissan is also aiming for a 30 per cent recycled material target, while BMW is aiming for a 50 per cent recycled material content by 2030.

In what seems to be an obvious end-game as part of its team-up with Leapmotor, Stellantis could be set to lean on its Chinese partner for hybrid technology to bolster its other brands in Europe.Ultimately, according to a new report from Autocar, this will mean the range extender hybrid tech from Leapmotor’s C10 and B10 will be deployed in at least Peugeots and Fiats.Autocar quotes Leapmotor’s international CEO Tianshu Xin as saying the company is “exploring the possibilities” to use range extender hybrid tech in other Stellantis brands, as part of the group finding “synergies by using each other's technology.”The international boss also earmarked future platform sharing as the direction in which the partnership was moving.Stelllantis, which was born from a merger between the America-focused Fiat Chrysler and Euro-focused PSA Group, has had a disparate array of products built for an array of different markets on a range of platforms which didn’t start out with a lot of commonality between them.The brands under the group include Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram and Vauxhall.While this initially made it challenging for the group, it has gradually begun to rationalize its platforms into a handful to be used across its global range. For passenger cars this includes the 'STLA' small, medium, and large architecture, 4x4s and utes ride on the SLTA Frame platform.Leapmotor, which is 19.99 per cent owned by Stellantis, uses a separate 'LEAP' architecture for its vehicles, developed separately from Stellantis in China. Leapmotor is now also building cars in EuropeMr Xin’s comments on future platform sharing seems to indicate there could be future cars from European brands on the LEAP platform, or future Leapmotor cars underpinned by an STLA platform.Either way, Leapmotor’s range-extender hybrid technology solves a problem for Stellantis in rolling out a consistent range of hybrids in emissions-sensitive markets, or potentially even for the American market where EVs are floundering thanks to the removal of incentives.For Australia, it could lead to a range of appealing range-extender hybrids wearing a wider array of badges, whether they are Fiats, Peugeots or even Jeeps.Jeep in particular is embattled in Australia, down a whopping 33.3 per cent until the end of 2025, moving just 1585 units for the year. Its range of products has been cut down significantly, with the brand discontinuing the new-generation (and significantly more expensive) Grand Cherokee after a slow sales run.This strips its range down to just the Wrangler off-roader and its related Gladiator ute, as well as the Euro-sourced Avenger electric compact SUV and outgoing previous-generation Compass mid-sizer.Peugeot is also embattled in Australia, having taken a 28.8 per cent sales hit over the course of 2025. It moved just 1350 units for the year, as it faces stiff competition from rivals new and old.Even Leapmotor’s fledgling effort in the Australian market has struggled to find traction. The brand offered the mid-size C10 in both EV and range-extender hybrid forms, and yet managed to sell 644 new vehicles over the course of the year.In comparison, its most direct rival, Geely and its EX-5 and Starray EM-i hybrid spin-off, moved over 5000 units in the same period.Next for Leapmotor’s Australian efforts is its B10 small SUV, initially in electric and later hybrid form. Internationally, the brand has also debuted the C16 large SUV and A10 crossover in China, as well as the B05 Golf-sized hatchback in Europe.

Mazda has pushed back its in-house EV plans to 2029 as it focuses development of its incoming in-house hybrid drivetrain, according to a new report.Mazda had planned to launch its next-generation Japanese-developed electric car in 2027, but had pushed back to 2028 and now 2029. According to industry source Automotive News this is because hybrid demand is booming in the US, while electric vehicle incentives are being removed.The outlet quoted Mazda’s CEO Masahiro Moro as saying the brand expects EV sales now to only account for 25 per cent or less of its global sales due to changing market forces, particularly in the US.This revises Mazda’s original expectations of 25 - 40 per cent of global volume to be fully electric by 2030.However, while a significant portion of the brand's sales remain in North America and Japan, a significant portion remains in markets like Europe and Australia. Australia is the third largest market by volume for Mazda globally, after the US and Japan, forcing the brand to adapt to our conditions.This means sourcing more low emissions vehicles in the interim to comply with our Euro-inspired New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). This recently-introduced regulation tightens the vice on carbon emissions based on manufacturer’s vehicle sales, under threat of fines for every unit sold which pushes them over a pre-defined CO2 limit.Mazda is one of the most exposed brands in Australia currently. It offers only a limited array of hybrid models, with the majority of its sales still being pure combustion vehicles, like the ever-popular CX-5.A next-generation CX-5 is due, although it will continue on with a petrol engine until the hybrid variant launches in 2027. Unlike the hybrid Mazda CX-50 available in America, which borrows its hybrid tech from Toyota, the new CX-5 will use an in-house Mazda-developed hybrid system the brand calls SkyActiv-Z.In the interim, Mazda has confirmed it will sell the China-built fully electric 6e sedan and CX-6e, both are platform-shares with Changan’s Deepal brand. The brand has earmarked even more models to potentially spawn from this tie-up.Potentially this could include a Mazda take on Deepal’s S09 over-five-meter-long large SUV, or a small SUV based on the more compact S05, which would sit beneath the CX-6e to compete with the likes of MG’s S5.In another potential blow to Mazda in Australia, there are also fresh reports out of Japan that its two entry-level models, the Mazda 2 and CX-3, will cease production over the course of 2026.While these two cars are the oldest models in Mazda’s line-up, they continue to sell well in Australia thanks to regular updates. The removal of these accessible models plus the delay on a hybrid CX-5 could see Mazda tumble down the sales charts in 2026, making the roll-out of its Chinese-built models ever more important. However, Japanese media are also reporting a small car successor is due based on the Vision-X compact car shown at Tokyo Motor Show in 2025. The model will reportedly be built in Thailand as part of a push by Mazda to make the country a new export hub. Again, if this model does come to Australia, it could be as far out as 2028, making Mazda’s short term outlook for 2026 and 2027 more challenging.Mazda has told CarsGuide in 2024 its order of priorities are the new CX-5, its hybrid version, and then “small architecture cars.”Stay tuned for more on Mazda’s plans for 2026 as it faces a rapidly changing new car market. In particular it will need to fend off an aggressive new model strategy from an ambitious BYD, which is plotting a top-three market position by the end of the year.

GWM has teased its upcoming flagship SUV, which, at well over five meters long, will be one of the largest vehicles in its line-up.It’s a three-row SUV to compete in the same size-bracket as the Hyundai Palisade or Kia EV9, and appears to show a boxier and more refined design language.The SUV seems most likely to live either under the Haval SUV brand or the Wey premium brand, which is yet to debut in Australia.The incoming vehicle will be the debut product for the brand’s next-generation platform, dubbed GWM One.This platform is designed to support internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and hydrogen fuel-cell power. It also has the flexibility to be single-axle or all-wheel drive and support several different form factors.The platform will also support an 800-volt architecture, with the new SUV using a 2.0-litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid set-up, according to presentation slides shown by GWM at an event in China. Its electric motor looks to have a peak output of 270kW.The brand also said it will achieve up to 363km in fully electric mode, or up to 1393km in combined mode, according to the more lenient WLTC cycle. In addition, it will consume 6.3L/100km when the battery is drained, and is said to sprint from 0-100km/h in as low as 4.4 seconds.Of the other powertrains this platform will support, the brand said it would even be launching both a plugless hybrid and a diesel hybrid, which is a not-often explored technology.Diesel hybrid tech seems to be a new direction some Chinese manufacturers are investigating, with Chery’s upcoming dual-cab ute also plotting a diesel hybrid variant for superior off-road and heavy duty performance as well as low emissions and fuel consumption.Other features of the platform include more “AI-enabled” software features, which reportedly take in various powertrain, chassis, and driver assistance data to optimise vehicle performance.In addition the brand is plotting its future product range on this platform to have a high level of parts commonality for a higher parts commonality and lower assembly cost.GWM is on a winning streak locally, after fighting its way to the top of the pile of local Chinese brands. In 2025, it placed seventh on the charts of Australia’s favourite automakers, placing behind Mitsubishi. In 2026 it will face a tough challenge from BYD, which placed just behind it last year, in eighth position.To hold its position GWM will be launching its Wey premium brand with its Wey 80 people mover, opening the door to its range of premium plug-in hybrids available overseas. It will also update and expand on its range of Ora electric vehicles, and don’t be surprised to see deeper upgrades across its Haval range of SUVs, too.In addition, the brand has made no secret of its plans to top out its Tank range with something like the Tank 700 PHEV, although it might not be until an update is due in 2027.GWM's flagship SUV offering looks to face tough competition with its rivals, with BYD plotting a similar range-topper, and Zeekr has also already revealed its luxurious hybrid 9X.

Ford might be the most exposed to the changed auto landscape forced by Australia’s tough new emissions laws.The Blue Oval is the number two brand in Australia thanks to impressive sales of its Ranger ute and Everest 4x4 SUV, and more than 90 per cent of its sales are turbo diesels.To make matters worse for Ford, the brand has globally discontinued the smaller but strong-selling 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel, making the higher-emitting new 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 likely to be the brand’s best seller going forward.Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) places fines on brands that sell too many vehicles above a C02 limit.Ford’s Australian Marketing Director Ambrose Henderson explained how Ford is being driven by customer demand rather than emissions limitations going forward, as it doubles down on its top-selling internal combustion powered models.“When we look at a vehicle and our business, and the decision on whether we bring that vehicle or not, of course NVES is an ingredient to that. But, it’s only one factor in a really broad range of things we assess and we need to work with,” he explained.“There’s exchange rates and material costs and labor rates and all sorts of things around the world which impact the business case for a vehicle.“What it comes down to is what do customers want? What do they actually need? If you don’t deliver on that then it doesn’t matter what equation you come up with, you can’t sell it. So it has to be about that."Henderson said one of Ford’s unique advantages in Australia is its local division, which remains substantial even in the era of post-local manufacturing.“We’re the largest automotive employer in Australia and we have our designers and engineers right here in Melbourne, more than 1500 of them, who design and engineer Ranger and Everest for the world - and they’re seeing success around the world.”“We understand Australian customers, Australian roads and Australian environments and that’s allowed us to achieve that success.”Henderson said the plan to transition to more emissions-friendly models would continue to be driven by buyers, and said Ford thinks there are limitations with electrified technologies in Australia.“We’ll obviously transition over time as our customers are able to get the capability and the experience out of the cars that they’re really looking for.”“We have the broadest range of powertrains available in the ute segment out of any other brand - we have a four-cylinder diesel, a six-cylinder diesel, the performance petrol engine in the Raptor and the hybrid powertrain available in Ranger PHEV. We’ve done that specifically to provide the choice and those options that our customers are actually seeking,” he said.What would really help Ford in the short term is a better performing pure electric model.The brand’s Mustang Mach-E continues to struggle on the sales charts, moving just 483 units in the last year.“If you think about where Ford does really well - providing that capability to travel around Australia and provide the ability to do those kinds of 4x4 activities - for those types of applications there still needs to be more investment from an infrastructure point of view to make those things more viable.”The brand’s success in the 4x4 market could be its downfall in the long run. The Everest remains the top-selling large SUV, and is diesel only, with no PHEV model to be seen yet. The Ranger PHEV is noticeably limited on the EV range front compared to its primary rivals the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and smash-hit BYD Shark 6.At least one relief for Ford executives is the Ranger Super Duty, which is in a category above the usual ute crop, and is immune from being counted against the brand's C02 total for the year.It could be the emissions-forward knowledge from China, which helps Ford in the short-term, as it’s hard to see any emissions-friendly models from its European range landing a knock-out blow in any segment in Australia.Sources have told CarsGuide Ford will bring a Chinese-built version of the Bronco monocoque SUV to Australia, offering the brand a blocky off-road styled mid-sized SUV right in a popular sales segment the brand needs to bring its fleet average down.The Chinese Bronco adopts the trendy blocky styling of the rest of the Bronco range, whilst offering either fully electric or range-extender hybrid powertrains, both of which could serve to carve chunks out of Ford’s local emissions footprint.When again asked about models like the Bronco from the brand’s Chinese line-up, Henderson had nothing to add to comments made to CarsGuide earlier about the model.“We’re always evaluating what we’ve got in the global portfolio,” he said. We have nothing to announce for today, but we’ll continue to assess that.”

Chinese giant Dongfeng, which has joint-venture projects with Nissan and Honda, has announced it is entering late-stage trials for a new solid state battery, which it predicts will be in a production car by 2027.The brand says its new battery will grant electric cars a range of 1000 kilometres, and has established a limited production line for its new technology.Solid state batteries are still seen as the holy grail of electric car technology, promising to unlock massive driving range thanks to higher energy density, ultra-fast charging times, the ability to deal with temperature extremes and a safer, longer service life.The brand’s latest testing was for batteries with a 350Wh/kg density (current battery technology ranges from 180 - 300Wh/kg) in extreme cold, and the brand claims its testing sees the batteries maintain 72 per cent of their energy capacity at temperatures as high as 170 degrees celsius.Its next round of testing will see the batteries subjected to real-world conditions in the far north of China in temperatures as low as -40 degrees.The brand is aiming energy densities as high as 500Wh/kg, which would make them twice as dense as some EV batteries currently on the market. It also showcased an ultra fast charging 1200-volt electric platform concept, which is said to add 2.5km of range when charging every second.This will require a 2MW charger, which is unbelievable in Australia but much closer to reality in the Chinese domestic market where 1MW chargers already exist.Currently the fastest EV chargers in Australia are around 350kW, and even these are limited by high costs to install and rely on the local power grid being able to support such outputs.Dongfeng plans to put these new solid-state batteries in pre-production cars before the end of 2026, with a production run expected by 2027.The batteries are likely to debut in a vehicle from Dongfeng’s Yipai brand (styled eπ). The passenger sedans from the brand share their Tianyan platform with the Nissan N7, which has shot to relative popularity for the brand in its Chinese home market.Nissan also partners with Dongfeng to make the NX8 large SUV and the much-hyped Frontier Pro dual-cab plug-in hybrid ute, which many see as Nissan’s potential answer to the BYD Shark 6.Dongfeng is not the only brand that claims to be close to cracking the solid state battery code. MG is fitting semi-solid state batteries in its IM luxury cars and even its upcoming re-worked MG4. The brand has said the tech isn’t set for an Australian launch imminently, as it was still a work in progress for markets outside of China.China-based CATL is the world's biggest electric car battery maker and only expects to have small scale production of solid state batteries in 2027. It told Chinese media late in 2025 that large scale production is still as far away as 2030.Even Toyota is working on solid state, which it says will solve a lot of electric car problems in “a single stroke”. The Japanese giant has cast doubt on whether the technology will eventuate in the way we expect, with the brand’s Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima saying “development is always unpredictable. Franky, there’s no telling if it will work out or not”.Toyota’s aim was to have solid state technology in cars by 2027, while its rivals over in Europe have also been making progress, with prototypes being tested in some vehicles in the BMW and Mercedes-Benz line-ups.