BYD Song Plus Reviews

An upgraded version of the Denza B8 from BYD’s luxury arm has been uncovered in China thanks to a filing with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.The new version of the B8 large off-roader, which only just launched at the beginning of 2026 in Australia, also has various styling tweaks, like new wheel designs and bumpers, as well as what appears to be an upgraded safety suite for the Chinese market.The new battery pack moves from 36.8kWh, which granted it 115km of range (NEDC), to 46.7kWh, which grants it a range of 150km (according to the WLTC cycle).The new version of the car maintains the same 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to electric motors as before, with the engine producing 200kW and the motors producing 200kW in the front and 300kW in the rear.In Australia the current 2.0-litre dual-motor set-up provides a combined output of 425kW/760Nm.As with all Chinese regulatory filings, the interior of the updated car is yet to be revealed, although a range of wheel types and exterior trims were also revealed.Locally the current car is offered in just one trim level, which starts from $91,000 for the seven-seat version, moving to $97,000 for the more luxurious six-seater.Sales in full are yet to kick off for the B8, with only nine units registered in the first two months of 2026. Meanwhile, a boatload of the smaller Prado-rivalling B5 has arrived, with the brand adding 300 units to its tally.Denza has ambitious plans to be a dominant player in the emerging Chinese luxury car segment, where it will serve as a rival to Geely’s Zeekr, and the upcoming Wey brand from GWM.While the brand offers two more off-road oriented models currently in the B5 and B8, it will also add the D9 people mover and potentially a version of the Z9 GT sports car later in 2026.BYD and Denza’s plans locally aren’t limited to cars either, the brand has also earmarked an expansion into the charging infrastructure game, with the possibility of introducing its new megawatt-level charging stations to Australia.These stations can charge at up to (or even over) 1000kW, even without the requisite grid support thanks to a buffer battery, removing the usual limitations which see most DC chargers in Australia limited to around 350kW.This will serve as an advantage not just for BYD products, but also other vehicles which have charging capabilities beyond that of Australia’s current network.BYD itself has plans to crack the top-three in Australia by the end of 2026, and is on the warpath to doing so, having already overtaken GWM and MG in Australia’s charts so far this year.

Although the Ford Ranger is currently the best-selling vehicle in Australia for two years running, there's no denying BYD has had a lot of success with the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute.It’s even more of a big deal when Ford CEO Jim Farley comes to Australia to test it out, along with other key rivals to see how they stack up against the Ranger.“They’re totally different animals,” said Farley to Australian media, including CarsGuide, when asked how the Ranger compares to the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.“The [BYD] Shark is a ute, but if you put 500kg in the back, it’s not a Ranger, it’s not a HiLux.“But for someone who doesn’t do that every day and they want electrification, you know, it’s a pretty competitive product.“I have no idea how they make money.“The Great Wall is a very competitive product and I’ve talked to a lot of customers of both and those customers are very educated.“Yet again, [BYD and GWM] haven’t been doing it like our Ranger or the HiLux for decades, so they don’t have all the chassis and all the towing payload and all the experience.“So they’re coming at it with a huge deficit, but it’s a good, solid, competitive product.“I mean I much prefer the Ranger for real work. It’s no competition, but not everyone in buys a Ranger to do the kind of work that we design it for.“There’s a lot of different kinds of customers here.”The BYD Shark 6 ute is by far the best-selling PHEV ute currently in Australia. In 2025 a total of 18,073 examples were sold, making it BYD’s best-selling vehicle for the year, while also outselling a number of diesel-powered rivals like the Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok.While it has a body-on-frame chassis, the Shark 6 has an electric-heavy PHEV powertrain layout with no driveshaft down the middle of the vehicle and no locking differentials. It also has a slightly reduced braked trailer towing capacity of 2500kg.GWM has had success to a lesser extent with the Cannon Alpha PHEV in Australia, but due to how its PHEV drivetrain is configured, it allows for a mechanical four-wheel drive system plus a higher 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.It’s worth noting the Ford Ranger PHEV also has a similar PHEV layout as the Cannon Alpha PHEV and similarly allows for a segment-meeting 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and a mechanical four-wheel drive system.Ford doesn’t publicly disclose sales figures that split out Ranger PHEV sales from the wider Ranger family, which now also includes the beefy Ranger Super Duty. It’s therefore unclear how popular the Ranger PHEV has been in Australia to date.On paper, where the Ranger PHEV is let down over the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha PHEV is pure-electric range. It only offers up to 49km of electric range, whereas the Shark 6 offers 100km and the Cannon Alpha PHEV offers 115km, all according to NEDC testing.Another notable disadvantage for the Ranger PHEV over the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is pricing.The Ranger PHEV currently starts at $71,990, before on-road costs, for the XLT and extends to $79,990, BOC, for the Wildtrak.The Shark 6 on the other hand is currently offered in one trim level, priced at $57,900, drive-away.The Cannon Alpha PHEV starts at $51,490, drive-away, and extends to $58,490, drive-away, thanks to a pricing offer that’s set to end at the end of March.

Buyers are abandoning their supposed skepticism of Chinese carmakers, with affordability proving a key factor in buying decision-making. According to The Next Gear - Australia in Motion data from Gumtree Group (owner of CarsGuide), which surveyed more than 4000 prospective car buyers, 57 per cent of respondents said the country of origin for a car is an important factor in the purchasing process.Further, 42 per cent of respondents said they were unlikely to consider buying a vehicle from a brand originating in China. Unlikelihood to consider buying car from brand originating in following countries Sales data tells a different story. For February 2026 sales, China became the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia. Gumtree Group's data also shows 11 Chinese-owned brands appear in Australian consideration sets. Brands BYD, GWM and Chery were all in the top 10 best-selling carmakers for February 2026, combining for nearly 15,000 sales for the month. China overtook Japan, which 71 per cent of respondents said they would likely consider buying a vehicle with that country of origin. China’s dominance in Australia is only going to increase from here, with many manufacturers offering budget EV options in a market where EVs are increasing of interest to buyers. Mainstream car makers are also starting to shift production across to China, either re-badging Chinese cars or manufacturing cars there.This offers brands the potential to build for and import cars to Australia cheaper, enabling more competitive prices. For example, the highly-anticipated Mazda 6e launching soon in Australia, is a re-skinned version of the Deepal L07, while many of Tesla’s popular EVs are built in China. This comparative cheapness is driving buyers to abandon their brand origin preference.Chinese-made cars are among some of the cheapest on the market, especially in the EV space, such as BYD’s Atto 1, Atto 2 and Dolphin, which are three cheapest new EVs in Australia. It is a similar story for internal combustion powered cars, with the MG3 currently available for under $20K as one example.

BYD is supersizing its luxury Denza plug-in hybrids.The Chinese brand isn’t resting on its laurels, and is already advancing some of its newest Denza branded models with some mega upgrades.In China the Denza N9 and N8L large plug-in hybrid SUVs are getting new batteries that would make most EVs jealous.The Range Rover rivalling models get a 40 per cent electric driving range boost thanks to a new circa-75kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery.BYD claims it pushes driving range up to 315km in the N9 and 320km in the N8L.That new battery is bigger than what is found in most EVs, and is about three to four times bigger than what is found in most plug-in hybrids.The extra battery capacity pushes the two SUV's weight above three tonnes. That extra weight will mean the bigger battery will be more inefficient as it has to move around the extra bulk.Other technical details have not been revealed, but it is likely to maintain the same set-up as the current version.The N9 uses a​​ 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to three electric motors, which pump out a combined 680kW and allow it to hit 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. It takes aim at the European luxury establishment with top-notch items such as dual-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering, a refrigerated centre console box and a 17.3-inch screen which folds down from the roof to provide entertainment for the second and third row.The N9 is more road-focused compared to the Denza B5 and B8 premium off-roaders which have recently gone on sale in Australia.There is no word yet on whether the Denz N9 or N8L will come to Australia, but out of the two the N9 would be the most likely.BYD is aggressively expanding its line-up in Australia, including via its Denza high-end sub brand, which opens the door to the N9 coming Down Under.

Electric vehicle sales in Australia are booming, but not in the locations where you might expect them to be.There has been new insight into where Aussies are buying EVs in Australia from the National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association (NALSPA).NALSPA’s data shows where EVs are being purchased using a novated lease and the Electric Car Discount (ECD).Range anxiety is often quoted as one of the major roadblocks to the uptake on EVs in Australia. This data suggests it might not play on people's minds to the extent previously thought.Many of the suburbs on the list are not immediately located in the city centres, but further out.The top two postcodes are both on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, around 25-30km away from the CBD.Next up on the list are two postcodes from the west of Sydney, before a rural area in the ACT.The outskirt city theme continues down the list, with a postcode roughly 30km from Brisbane, Queensland, followed by another outer Melbourne postcode.Rounding out the list is a postcode in the greater Western Sydney area, along with NSW/ACT border town Queanbeyan and a postcode around 10km away from Canberra’s centre.This point outer metro residents searching for some respite from high fuel costs from their long commutes and they have access to roof top solar power.Top 10 postcodes for electric vehicles using novated leasing and EDCThe ECD waives the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT). The incentive applies to new battery-electric vehicles, up to a total cost of $89,332.NALSPA Chief Executive Officer Rohan Martin said the data demonstrates the importance of the ECD, especially to people living outside of the major cities. “Australians living in the outer suburbs often face longer commutes and are more likely to have access to rooftop solar and off-street parking so switching to EVs with the help of the FBT exemption is a smart cost-of-living and green choice for them, especially during the ongoing cost-of-living crunch,” Martin said. “We cannot increase EV uptake further, especially during this early adoption phase, without continued targeted demand-side incentives - that's the stark reality. The EV Discount is more than proving its worth but there is still much heavy lifting to be done.”This news comes after the federal government announced a statutory review in the EDC last year, with rumours the whole scheme could be pulled. Costs for the scheme have increased significantly beyond original forecasts, with it costing $1.35 billion last financial year. There is potential for these costs to blow out further as EVs become a more attractive option for buyers with petrol and diesel fuels soaring up in price, along with increasingly scarce availability.

The BYD Atto 3 is now one of the brand’s oldest vehicles it still sells locally but a major upgrade could soon be on the horizon.A filing on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) database, as reported by AutoHome, shows BYD is readying a new version of the Yuan Plus, which is the domestic name for the Atto 3 electric SUV sold in Australia.Featuring revised exterior styling cues like flush door handles, slimmer headlights, a full-width rear tail-light bar, plus different front and rear fascias, this new version of the Atto 3 has also grown in size.The MIIT filing notes it measures in at 4665mm long, 1895mm wide and 1675mm tall with a 2770mm wheelbase. This makes it 210mm longer, 20mm wider and 60mm taller than the current Atto 3 and closer in size to the likes of the mid-sized Kia EV5.Power reportedly comes from a rear-mounted electric motor which will be offered in two different power outputs – 200kW and 240kW.It’s fed by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BYD Blade battery with an unknown capacity. Reports indicate that it could be a second-generation Blade battery, potentially meaning quicker charging, energy density and reduced degradation.Other notable details on the MIIT filing include the availability of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as two-tone exterior paint colour finishes.The current BYD Atto 3, known as the Yuan Plus in China, went on sale in Australia in late 2022 when the brand relaunched locally.It has received one update since its launch which included some visual tweaks, a bigger touchscreen multimedia system, as well as different standard-fit tyres.There are two variants currently offered in Australia – the Essential and Premium. Both are powered by a 150kW front-mounted electric motor which is fed by either a 50kW or 60.4kWh LFP Blade battery.Overseas BYD has already launched the Atto 3 Evo which takes the current model and switches it from front- to rear-wheel drive, plus there’s an available dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain.Additionally there’s a larger 74.8kWh LFP Blade battery that offers up to 510km of CLTC claimed range. It operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing for a quicker DC fast-charging rate of up to 220kW.Other notable changes with the Atto 3 Evo includes revised rear suspension, a bigger boot, the addition of a front boot and a repositioned gear selector.Prototype versions of the Atto 3 Evo have previously been spied in Australia, indicating a local launch is on the cards.It’s unclear whether this new-generation version of the Atto 3 will eventually come to Australia, or if it will be a China-only model.

If we know anything about BYD’s rollout in Australia, it’s that nothing stays the same for long. And so it’s unsurprising that the rumours that a new and tougher BYD Shark 6 will launch this year are gathering real steam.Those rumours solidified when BYD lodged Australian government documentation detailing the introduction of a new powertrain for the Shark 6, despite the current version being less than 18 months old in Australia.So CarsGuide has put on its detective cap to bring you everything we know so far about the Chinese ute that promises to now be just as tough as a Ranger, and to offer more tech than a HiLux.Why is this happening?We’re only guessing, but one of the criticisms the BYD Shark 6 faced when it first launched in Australia was its failure to hit some of the non-negotiables for dual-cab utes in Australia — towing and true off-road ability. While the fact the Shark 6 lags its traditional rivals hasn’t impacted sales one iota, it’s entirely possible those criticisms reached important ears.Add to that the fact that Denza has now arrived in Australia, and its B8 model addresses each of those concerns, with its 3.5-tonne towing and proper off-road equipment.In short, the blueprint for a new BYD Shark 6 had arrived.What will be the 2027 BYD Shark 6 platform and powertrain?We have more than a hint on this. In fact, we suspect the answer is already here in the shape of the B8.Government documents suggest the new Shark 6 model will adopt the B8’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine – something the company's executives have been hinting at since 2025 – along with twin electric motors to improve the grunt and massively improve the capability.The Shark 6's homologation documents reveal that the new 2.0-litre engine will produce 180kW before the electric motors are taken into account, compared to the current model's 135kW 1.5-litre turbo.Also worth pointing out that total system power on the Denza B8 is 425kW and 760Nm, but the Shark 6 won't reach that level. Its lodged documents confirm the petrol engine will be joined by a 200kW front electric motor and 150kW rear electric motor for a combined total output of 345kW.Will it be able to tow?Yep, that’s really the core focus of this upgrade. The bigger engine unlocks a true 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity, and 750kg unbraked. That puts it on-par with the diesel dual-cab heavyweights of Australia.Will it improve its off-road ability?That’s a big maybe. If BYD is raiding the Denza product portfolio — and it is — then the B8 has a whole bunch of other kit, like front and rear diff locks, a digitised low range and infinite Terrain Modes.Both the B5 and the B8 have climbed the infamous Beer O'Clock Hill (a challenge the current Shark 6 couldn't rise to), so borrowing from the Denza grab bag of off-road goodies will be a huge step in the right direction.When will it arrive?BYD is yet to comment publicly on the arrival of a 2.0-litre BYD Shark 6, but the government filings suggest the launch is now approaching. We'd estimate an arrival in the second half of 2026, or in early 2027.

With fuel prices surging to around two dollars a litre nationally, and more that three dollars a litre in some regional areas, now is one of the best times to consider switching to a fully electric vehicle.Price was once one of the biggest deterrents for buyers wanting to make the switch, but now that gap has well and truly closed.To highlight this we’ve pulled together the most popular cars from last year in each mainstream car category, and the fully electric alternatives you can now buy for the same money.Seeking a practical small SUV? Top of the charts last year was the Hyundai Kona, and one of its most popular variants is the entry-level Kona Hybrid which starts from $36,950.To be fair here, the Kona Hybrid is a great choice anyway, as one of the most fuel-efficient small SUVs you can buy, but if you’re looking to wean yourself off fuel altogether, a great alternative is the Jaecoo J5.Surprisingly spacious and swish-looking, the J5 starts from just $35,990 before on-roads and offers a 402km (WLTP) range with a 155kW/288Nm electric motor driving the front wheels. It can even charge relatively quickly with its 130kW DC peak speed taking it from 20 - 80 per cent in just over half an hour.Read our Jaecoo J5 review hereYou actually can’t buy the popular GXL hybrid front-wheel-drive version of the Toyota RAV4 anymore, because production ended in the lead up to the launch of the new-gen version. The bad news is, the new one will cost even more than the outgoing car, which started from $45,810 before on-road costs.The RAV4 has earned its place as Australia’s most popular mid-size SUV through its family-friendly design, practical size and interior, and its no-nonsense approach to pretty much everything. The brand’s 2.5-litre 160kW hybrid system remains one of the most user-friendly hybrid systems on the market, too.What can you get as an EV for the same money? Quite a few options these days, as it turns out, and one of the most appealing is the just-updated Geely EX5 Extended Range, which is priced from $45,990 before on-roads.This relatively straightforward EV also provides a spacious interior and practical dimensions, but even combines it with more modern luxuries than the RAV4 offers in equivalent guise. It features synthetic leather interior trim, bigger screens with more connected technology, and its most recent upgrade brought with it a boost in driving range to 450km (WLTP). No wonder this one is storming up the sales charts.Read our Geely EX5 review hereFord’s big Everest off-roader is the most popular option in the large SUV space, and buyers tend to splash a bit more, reaching for the upper mid-grade Sport variant, which wields a 3.0-litre diesel V6 paired to a full-time 4WD system.This car wears a before-on-roads price-tag of $75,990, so what can you get as an EV instead?How about the just-released Tesla Model Y L? Starting from $74,900, sporting six-seats, and expanding in every dimension, this new take on the best-selling electric car in Australia offers more than you might expect.Sure, it’s not a big off-road oriented 4x4, but if it’s a fuel-free family hauler you’re looking for, you could do worse. With 378kW/580Nm it’s rapid, too, and with a huge battery offering up to 681km of range, it’s one of the furthest-travelling EVs on sale in Australia.Plus, it’s much more affordable than truly large electric SUVs, like the Kia EV9, which starts much higher at $97,000 before on-roads.Read more about the Tesla Model Y L hereThe Toyota Corolla continues as a perennial favourite among Australian buyers, and with the popular Ascent Sport hybrid starting from $32,110, why wouldn’t it?The swish little hatch offers Toyota’s perennial 1.8-litre four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain in a front-wheel-drive layout, sporting a modest combined 103kW. There’s no denying that as far as cars with combustion engines go, it’s pretty fuel efficient, officially consuming 4.0L/100km, but what if you could forgo fuel altogether?The obvious answer for some time has been BYD’s Dolphin Premium. Starting from $36,990 before on-roads it carries a slight price premium over the most popular Corolla variant, however, the Dolphin also brings with it a long electric driving range of 490km (WLTP), and a punchier 150kW/310Nm electric motor.It also scores a much more contemporary and screen-laden interior, with bonus luxuries like synthetic leather seats, plus it undercuts the nearest equivalent MG4 by a decent margin.Read our BYD Dolphin review hereKia’s Picanto soldiers on as a hold-out in an embattled city car segment, which, despite ever-rising fuel prices, Australians have turned their back on. It’s still a great option, offering both manual and automatic transmissions, although its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine feels its age.Starting from $20,790 before on-road costs in automatic form, the Picanto is solid value, and while its wheezy engine produces just 62kW/122Nm it’s hardly the fuel sipping hero you might need, still managing to consume 6.0L/100km.This is where BYD’s Atto 1 comes into play. Now Australia’s most affordable electric car, the sharply-styled city hatch is slightly more expensive than the Picanto, as it starts from $23,990 in base Essential form.This entry-level Atto 1 is about even with the Kia on power, producing just 65kW, but it gets a boost in the torque department, with 175Nm. It also scores a middling 220km of range from its small 30kWh battery, but in a city runabout, do you need more?The smallest BYD also scores spec bonuses over its combustion Kia rival, with synthetic leather interior trim, a more contemporary interior design, and even a vehicle-to-load power distribution system.Read more about the BYD Atto 1 here

In 2026 it appears two ‘new’ new challenger brands have overtaken a pair of ‘old’ new challenger brands in the Aussie new car market.Two of the earliest automotive disrupters from China, LDV and MG, have been heading backwards in terms of year-on-year sales performance in recent months while relative newcomers BYD and Chery continue to grow at a spectacular rate.For context, MG suffered something of a false start here with the MG6 in 2013, distributed by private importer Longwell Motor (operating as MG Motor Australia).But the MG brand (re)launched here as a SAIC factory subsidiary in 2016, with the first cars registered - a bunch of elderly MG6s as well as the new MG GS and MG3 - in early 2017.MG’s SAIC Motor Corporation cousin LDV entered the Aussie new vehicle market way back in 2013. At first, the focus was the V80 van range before independent importer/distributor Ateco Group broadened the brand’s scope with the addition of the G10 van, T60 ute and D90 SUV through 2017.And looking at the annual sales volumes for these brands from 2017, the parallels are striking, with both growing impressively thanks to increasing awareness, new models and sharp positioning, until they reach a turning point in 2024.MG went from 600 registrations in 2017 to no less than 58,346 in 2023; perilously close to a 10,000 per cent rise in six years! Meanwhile, LDV rose from 2580 to 21,298, an increase of only 725 per cent for the same period.So, what happened in 2023? Two words… Chery and BYD (well, four if you include Build Your Dreams).Chery had re-started its Aussie efforts as a factory subsidiary after a less than stellar run with the J1 hatch and J11 compact SUV from 2011-2015 (with Ateco as distributor).And BYD had landed with the Atto 3 compact electric SUV which made an immediate impression on the sales charts.Since then, each has added more and more new model options that have found their way onto a huge number of Aussie driveways.  As MG sales softened 29 per cent from 58,346 units in 2023 to 41,298 in 2025, LDV followed suit dropping 34 per cent from 21,298 sales to 14,108 in the same period.So far in 2026, to the end of February, MG is down 14.7 per cent year-on-year (6377 vs 7479), while LDV is 9.4 per cent lower (2125 vs 2346).And the current superstars? Chery is up 91.2 per cent (7718 vs 2875 - hello, Tiggo 4) and BYD is a staggering 161 per cent ahead (10,324 vs 3956). Nothing like competition to shuffle the new car pecking order. And it will be fascinating to see how Chery and BYD fare as even more newcomers like Denza, Forthing, JMC, Lepas, Wey and others make their mark in the near future.

Solid-state is often viewed as the holy grail of electric-vehicle battery technology.It promises to offer unprecedented driving ranges, faster charging and a safer overall set-up. Solid-state differs from other more conventional EV batteries because it uses a solid mechanism to transfer energy. Conventional batteries, such as lithium-iron, often contain a gel or liquid electrolyte to do so.It enables far greater energy density than other batteries.With the technology developing and brands edging closer to production, here is a look at some of the latest developments.CheryChery appears to be the brand with the most advanced solid-state strategy, having already announced two models which will feature the technology.The first was announced in December 2025, called the Exeed ES8, with its solid-state battery having a drive range of 1000km. It is scheduled to launch this year in China.More details were recently revealed about Chery’s second model, the Exeed Liefeng, with its Rhino S solid-state battery packing 600Wh per kilogram, bumping up the driving range of 1500km.While the Exeed brand name remains a China-exclusive premium arm of Chery, there is potential for it to make its way to Australia. Chery Australia COO Lucas Harris said he wants to have Exeed models Down Under. “I really like the Exeed product, and I think they make some really cool, really high end, actual luxury specification vehicles,” Harris told CarsGuide. “If I could make a wish tomorrow and it would come true, that would probably be what I would ask for.”BYDBYD is another brand considering solid-state batteries.In early February, it was reported the brand was targeting small-batch production of its batteries by 2027.There are limited other details on BYD’s solid-state battery, with no vehicles confirmed to be installed with it. It is expected it will use an oxide-based chemistry which is viewed as having greater commercial viability than sulphide electrolytes. This is down to easier manufacturing and benefits such as faster and safer charging. FAWFAW (First Auto Works - one of the oldest car manufacturers in China) has taken a different approach to solid-state, with its ‘hybrid’ solid-state battery. This is not to be confused with a traditional internal-combustion and electric-motor set-up. Hybrid refers to the make-up of the battery itself. As mentioned above, most solid-state batteries have a mechanical separator that has liquid qualities.FAW’s battery is different, because the mechanical separator substance is a slurry, meaning it is semi solid-state. The battery has a capacity of 142kWh, with an energy side of 500Wh per kilogram and a driving range of more than 1000km.The brand has installed this battery into a car, but there is no news on potential full-scale production.Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz unveiled a prototype solid-state powered version of its EQS sedan in September 2025, which travelled 1205km on a single charge.The car completed a journey from Stuttgart in Germany to Malmo in Sweden without a charging stop, and still had more than 130km of range left when it arrived.Chief Technology Officer Markus Schafer said Mercedes-Benz is targeting production of the battery by 2030. “Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort,” Schafer said in a statement.SAICSAIC is another manufacturer targeting a 2027 launch date for its solid-state battery.It has reportedly completed its production line, with sample production beginning late last year.SAIC has stated the battery will have an energy density of 400Wh per kilogram.There is no news yet on whether the battery has been fitted to a car yet or when we might see go into full production.SAIC-owned MG has fitted a semi solid-state battery to its new-generation MG4 in China, but we are unlikely to see it in Australia.ToyotaToyota is aiming to launch a car with a solid-state battery in 2027-2028.The brand has teamed up with mining company Sumitomo Metal Mining to mass produce solid-state battery components.The partnership will produce cathode material needed to make the batteries.Toyota first announced its solid-state plans in 2021, but has not yet produced a prototype.CATLCATL is the world's biggest electric car battery maker, and is expected to have small scale production of its solid-state batteries in 2027.The battery is sulfide-based and its energy density is 500Wh per kilogram.Large scale production is not anticipated until 2030.ConclusionWhile brands, particularly from China, are stepping up their push towards solid-state batteries, it remains a technology in its infancy. There is still substantial opposition to the technology, including from some of the world’s largest automakers such as General Motors (GM). Other battery technologies are also showing promise, which could spell challenges for the development of solid-state.GM has been investigating the potential of silicon alternatives. Silicon graphite blend batteries store more lithium ions to achieve greater battery density, and is rumoured to be closer to commercialisation than solid-state.In addition to BYD's solid-state initiatives, the carmaker recently unveiled its all-electric Denza Z9 GT with 1036km of driving range. It uses a traditional 122kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, which might be on its way to Australia.It should be noted that this figure was established using lenient CLTC testing as opposed to more stringent methods such as WLTP.Solid-state remains an exciting future technology in the EV space but, development and production expenses, other battery solutions and technology improvements mean it is still up in the air as to whether we will see it on a commercial scale.