Electric News

Is the electric ute running out of charge already? Ram’s recent decision to scrap plans for an electric-powered version of its popular 1500 pickup may prove to be a turning point for the broader ute community.

The zippy 2026 Zeekr 001 has hit the market in China as a rival to the Tesla Model S.

The Volkswagen Group’s long-awaited response to cheap electric vehicles (EVs) from China is shaping up to be one of next year’s most important global debutantes.

KGM Australia (formerly SsangYong Australia) has received a tick of approval from the Federal Government for the local appearance of a pure-electric version of its Musso dual cab ute.

If you’re in a market for a new Hyundai Ioniq 5, then act quickly, because the highly-acclaimed and ground-breaking electric vehicle (EV) is about to become $6400 more expensive to access, thanks to the deletion of the base Standard Range battery grade.Why? It is understood that Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is making room for the coming Elexio/EO expected here sometime next year.This is the fresh mid-sized SUV EV fraternal twin to the popular Kia EV5, co-developed and built in China through the brand’s Beijing Hyundai joint-venture program with BAIC Motor.The number of Ioniq 5 grades for 2026 has been slashed, from 11 to just four, including the N flagship that now costs around $4600 more than before. The Dynamiq and Epiq variant names are also disappearing – perhaps due the Volkswagen Group’s coming Skoda Epiq EV SUV.“We have nothing to say about future product and nothing has been confirmed at this stage,” HMCA General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Bill Thomas, told CarsGuide.According to a dealer source, the slow-selling, entry-level 125kW single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) 63kWh Standard Range (SR) battery grade, starting from $69,800 (all prices are before on-road costs) is about to be dropped for the 2026 model year.This comes barely 15 months after the Ioniq 5 RWD 63kWh SR was announced, as part of a wholesale mid-cycle facelift in July, 2024.Stepping in its place will be the continuing, more-powerful 168kW RWD 84kWh Extended Range (ER) version, that is now $400 more expensive than before from $76,200, followed by the fresh Elite 168kW RWD 84kWh ER from $81,200, which usurps the previous Dynamiq 168kWh RWD 84kWh ER from $80,800.The upside of the ER is usefully more WLTP range compared to the SR (up from 440km to 570km in its most efficient specification wearing 19-inch wheels), as well as stronger performance, though – as before – torque remains the same in both motors, at 350Nm.Buyers will need to fork out an additional $6400 for a 2026 Ioniq 5 with the rousing 239kW/605Nm twin-motor and all-wheel drive (AWD) ER powertrain.This is because the current mid-spec Dynamiq 84kWh ER AWD from $85,300, its sportier Dynamiq N-Line 84kWh ER AWD from $87,800, up-spec Epiq 84kWh ER AWD from $88,800 and sport/luxury Epic N-Line 84kWh ER AWD from $91,300 will also soon be gone for 2026.All but the latter will be wiped out, to simplify a complex model-walk structure, and replaced by the newly-minted N-Line Premium 84kWh ER AWD grade from $91,700.While all the AWD versions also use the 84kWh ER battery, the added weight of the second motor plus other items means that its WLTP range drops compared to the RWD equivalents, from 570km to about 500km.Additionally, for 2026, all versions adopt the so-called Digital Key 2.0, enabling owners and users to operate their vehicle with a compatible smartphone, rather than having the experience the inconvenience of carrying a regular key fob.Meanwhile, the previously-optional Vision Roof – a fixed panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade – is now standard equipment in the Ioniq 5 N, accounting for its circa-$4600 price hike. Whether that affects its 3.4-second (on boost) sprint-time to 100km/h from standstill is not yet known.Finally, the highly-controversial digital side mirror that forced drivers to rely on even more screens instead of an intuitive exterior-mirror glance has been discontinued.We understand that Australian production for the 2026 Ioniq 5 range kicks off next month, with cars reaching dealers possibly before Christmas.Stay tuned to find out more.

One Chinese EV maker is trialling a new safety feature, which has been panned online.A video posted to X shows an iCar 03T (iCar is Chery sub-brand) undergoing a bizarre safety procedure.The video shows the electric 03T explosively ejecting its battery to mitigate any safety risk to the car.X users were quick to slam the idea.One user wrote: "Also, are we trying to kill pedestrians instead of putting vehicle occupants at risk? What an asinine design."Another said: "Absolutely annihilating the kids walking down the sidewalk.""Watching this makes my ankles hurt," wrote another.This tech is believed to mitigate the risk of battery fire, known as thermal runaway, which is extremely hard to extinguish and is at risk of reigniting even after the fire has been initially quenched.The novel idea asks more questions than it answers.Yes, it can help protect the car, but the manner and violence in the way the battery is expunged could lead to damage and injury to nearby vehicles, pedestrians and other road users.There is no evidence this safety feature is in production vehicles yet.The risk of an electric car fire is highly unlikely according to Australian data.EV Fire Safe, which is backed by the federal government, said there have been eight electric car fires since 2021 in Australia and only one is from an unknown cause with the rest the result of an accident, an external fire or arson attack.Electric vehicle fires are rare, but when they start they can have devastating results.US shipping company Matson announced earlier this year it would cease to accept any booking to move electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, according to reports.The announcement follows the sinking of the Morning Midas off the coast of Alaska, which was caused by a fire starting in an electric car.Chery’s iCar vehicles are currently not on sale in Australia but they could land Down Under in coming years.According to Autocar, iCar will launch in the UK in 2026, however it will be marketed as ‘iCaur’ outside of China given Apple owns the rights to ‘iCar’.Chery Australia is remaining quiet on the iCar brand for now, with a company spokesperson telling CarsGuide previously: “We’re certainly interested in the exciting product that was revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show. However, at this early stage there are no confirmed plans.”

China’s new car brand onslaught continues.New brand Lepas has been confirmed to arrive in Australia in 2026.Lepas is part of Chery’s sprawling sub-brand portfolio, and promises to be more edgy than Chery’s existing brands, which include Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda.Chery Australia boss Lucas Harris said, “Australian SUV buyers have had practicality covered for years. What they’ve been missing is personality. Lepas delivers both.”Lepas was launched in China at the Shanghai motor show in May this year.Lepas displayed its first vehicle, the L8, which is earmarked for Australia in 2026.It is built on the same platform as several of Chery’s other SUVs, including the Chery Tiggo 8, Jaecoo J7 and Omoda 7.The L8 is a mid-size five-seat SUV, which measures 4688mm long, 1860mm and 1695mm tall with a 2800mm wheelbase.Lepas also has two smaller SUVs, the L4 and L6, which are the twins of the Chery Tiggo 4 and Tiggo 7.The L8 will have the same mechanical set-up as many of the other Chery vehicles, but will feature different styling and interior fit-out to help it stand out from its stablemates.Chery Australia hasn’t confirmed details yet, but it is in line for petrol and plug-in hybrid power. Full electric power is a strong possibility down the line, too.Chery’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor to make a combined 255kW/525Nm. A circa-18kWh Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) battery delivers a driving range of up to 93km on the more lenient NEDC test cycle.Chery will reveal full details of Lepas closer to the brand’s official launch in 2026.

Australians love diesel-powered vehicles, but according to Toyota, it isn’t a fuel source of the future.

CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), the biggest supplier of EV batteries in the world, has confirmed details of a potentially game-changing sodium-ion battery chemistry that’s headed for high-volume production in 2026.

How this Japanese company is innovating on current battery technology to bring more range to EVs sooner.