Electric News

Electric cars are finally having their mainstream moment in Australia, and now make up over 16 per cent of Australia’s new car market.Sales have significantly jumped year-on-year, helped along by a much wider availability of more affordable models, but also an unprecedented fuel crisis, which has made the cost of running a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle front of mind for many.This surge of new options has also seen the list of top-selling electric cars undergo a significant re-shuffle, with new brands featuring heavily.Tesla notably takes the crown for the best selling EV in Australia for the first half of 2026, with its Model Y achieving 20,396 total registrations according to Electric Vehicle Council data. This is due to an eyebrow-raising 8072 unit tally in June thanks to a literal boatload of cars arriving.Next down the charts is BYD with its smash-hit Sealion 7 mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7, which is a key rival to the Model Y, can be had at a more keen $54,990 price-point with similar specs to the Tesla that starts from $58,900 before on-roads.Alongside the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, the Sealion 7 is a major part of BYD’s success story in Australia over the past year.The next two players down compete at the entry-level to their respective segments.Geely’s EX5 clocked up 6756 registrations in the first half of 2026, a quiet achiever in an extremely competitive part of the market. While it goes into battle against a range of rivals in the $40,000 price bracket, it has more than doubled the sales of its closest rival, the previously-popular BYD Atto 3, and it sold 20 times the volume of the similar Leapmotor C10.Below the EX5 is the Jaecoo J5. While this model is now available with petrol power, it is the EV version that has been on sale longer and managed to secure fourth position for the first half of the year, racking up 6113 units.This is no doubt largely thanks to the electric version’s extremely keen $36,990 before on-roads price-tag and generous dimensions for a small SUV, making it the sweet spot for many first time EV adopters. It also undercuts the Atto 3 and Leapmotor B10, and has good visibility in the market thanks to Omoda Jaecoo’s rapidly expanding dealer network.Rounding out the top five electric cars in Australia for the first half of 2026 is the Zeekr 7X. A smash hit for Geely’s premium arm. The 7X stands out for its radical design and strong specs at a generous price point (from $57,900 before on-roads). As a result, the brand tells us that it is attracting not only aspirational buyers, but also buyers who were previously driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.Previous top-sellers, the Model 3 and BYD Atto 3, have now dropped out of the top five, amassing a little over 3000 sales each. Kia’s also-popular EV5 mid-size and EV3 SUVs fell short of the list with less than 3000 sales each.All of the electric cars in the top five for the first half of the year were built in China, with the exception of the Performance grade of the Tesla Model Y (which would account for only a small proportion of its sales), showing the country’s leadership in the electric car space.Mainstream brands are struggling on the EV front, with cars like the Toyota bZ4X mid-size SUV amassing just 1718 sales. Volkswagen is in a similar position, with its similar ID.4 amassing just 1183 sales.Even MG, which was the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has tumbled down the charts. Its MG4 hatch has lost hundreds of sales year-on-year. Its S5 and S6 electric SUVs are struggling to compete with newer players, amassing just 1713 and 647 sales respectively.The share of EV sales in the Australian market will inevitably grow as tough new emissions laws start to shape the line-ups of most brands.

The Tesla Model Y has just had its biggest sales month in Australia, and it has put it among the best sellers of all time, including the legendary Holden Commodore.The Model Y achieved 8072 sales in June 2026.Its sales have almost doubled year-on-year, up 95.5 per cent, with nearly 10,000 more than what it achieved in the whole of 2025. Tesla’s most popular model eclipsed the sales results of the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux by more than 2000 units in June. It is also the first fully electric car to top the sales charts in a single month.The Ranger and HiLux ute duo usually comfortably sit at the top of the charts in Australia each month, but the Model Y has shot ahead of them.It’s not just established players the Model Y is taking down. It’s even chasing the records of heroes past. The Holden Commodore was one of Australia’s most popular models ever, and by the late 90s and early 2000s was reaching its peak with the VT, VX and VY versions.It achieved more than 9000 sales in a month on three separate occasions between 1998 and 2000.It peaked with 9667 sales in October 2002. Model Y sales could continue to rise in Australia due to soaring fuel prices and emissions regulations.  The Model Y has led the way for EVs for some time in Australia, and it continues to bat away hugely popular alternatives like the Zeekr 7X.The ongoing Iran war and fuel price increases have no doubt impacted its increased popularity in Australia, along with many other EVs. This sales increase has also coincided with the arrival of the Model Y L six-seater, which the brand said "capturing a significant share" of sales. Tesla usually delivers every vehicle that is shipped to Australia that month, but something the shipping cycles don't lie-u to the same amount every month, which can result in unusually low or high results in any particular month.Tesla sold about around 2000 units less of the Model Y in April 2026 than it did the previous month, which Tesla Australia said was down to the delivery cycles of the vehicles. The brand said it has been able to satisfy increasing demand through the production capability of the Shanghai Gigafactory.

Hyundai’s Chinese joint-venture has revealed more details on its upcoming Ioniq V coupe as it nears its overseas launch.The new member of the Ioniq family moves the brand in a new design direction, but with the same retro-futuristic vibe found with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs which are sold in Australia.The wedge-shaped coupe features a new headlight signature, with thin strip-style LEDs rather than the blocky pixel LED light fittings the Ioniq brand is known for. Interestingly, these styling motifs are also seen on the upcoming Avante (likely to be called the i30 sedan in Australia), suggesting a new design direction for Hyundai.The Ioniq V also features frameless doors, and an interior that's virtually unrecognisable for a Hyundai, with a dramatic and minimalist dash and new octagonal steering wheel. Like the recently launched Elexio, which is also a Chinese-built joint-venture model, the Ioniq V features a multimedia screen spanning both the centre and passenger side.In this case it's a whopping 27 inches and has a 4K resolution. It also features a head-up display sunken into the dash, similar to the one perched atop the dash in the Elexio.The brand also revealed the car’s exterior colour palette, which will include seven colours, from the usual white, silver, grey, and black, to more adventurous shades like gold, green and purple.The company also confirmed it will use an array of local suppliers in China, like sourcing its 800-volt battery from CATL, its self-driving system from Momenta, and various software and hardware components from other Chinese companies.At 4900mm long, 1890mm wide, and 1470mm tall the Ioniq V is similar in size and four-door coupe design to the Polestar 4. Hyundai says its design allows for an 86 per cent usable floor area ratio.Hyundai Australia told CarsGuide the incoming Ioniq V is “under study” for the time being. It is likely it will be significantly more affordable than the outgoing Ioniq 6 (which started from $67,300 before on-roads), which could help the company comply with tough new emissions rules as some of its pricier Korean-sourced models struggle for sales in the face of cheaper options flooding the market from China.The Elexio, Hyundai’s first China-sourced model for Australia (priced from $58,990 before on-roads), has gone on to register 639 units since its recent arrival, nearly tripling the tally of the more expensive Ioniq 5’s year-to-date sales.The next Ioniq model for Australia will no doubt be the Ioniq 3, although it will be sourced from Europe, casting doubt on whether it will be price competitive with Chinese rivals.Hyundai’s renewed push into the Chinese market with its BAIC partner (which has had $1.1 billion USD invested in it) will also spawn a larger and also more dramatically styled SUV to join the Ioniq V at a later date, with 20 new models planned in total.The company has racked up 94,697 units in China so far in 2026, making it a minor but growing player in the world’s second largest market.Expect full specs and more information for the Ioniq V to be revealed closer to its launch later this year in China.

The Jaecoo J5 has a revamped electric SUV rival in Australia.The MG S5 has been updated in Australia and will now be offered with a condensed range, bumping up the entry-level price.The base variant of the S5 has been cut from the lineup, meaning the car is roughly $2500 more expensive than it was before, starting from $42,990 (drive-away).The long-range variant of the car is $3000 more expensive, starting from $47,990 (drive-away), with the cheaper grade no longer available. The S5 will continue to be available as a rear-wheel drive exclusive model. MG said the reason for the model change-up is due the greater interest in the higher specification models.The top-grade Essence variants equate for more than 80 per cent of orders.The S5 tackles the larger end of the small SUV segment, which includes the sales-smashing Jaecoo J5 EV ($36,990, drive-away) and the BYD Atto 3 ($39,990 (before on-road costs). The S5 is a cheaper alternative to the Hyundai Kona Electric ($46,000, before on-road costs) and Kia EV3 ($47,600). The base S5 still has the same performance from its single electric motor (125kW/250Nm), but the range-topping car has seen its set-up tuned to produce 150kW and 350Nm.The increase in power results in a faster 0-100km/h time of seven seconds. Driving range on the top grade has also increased up to 450km from its 62kWh unit, according to WLTP standards.The cheapest variant has remained at 335km from its 49kWh battery.The car’s interior features a 12.8-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch digital driver display, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now as standard. There is also a leather steering that is heated, along with an electrically adjustable driver seat, with both front seats heated. Other new additions to the standard feature list include a hands-free power tailgate. 2027 MG S5 pricing Australia 

Lexus Australia has confirmed pricing and specification for the new eighth-generation ES sedan, with a choice of petrol-electric, and for the first time, pure-electric power.That EV power costs only $2000 more than the hybrid version, which is similar to Toyota's old jump up from petrol to hybrid power, and brings EV price parity closer than ever.Underpinned by an evolution of the global ‘GA-K multi-pathway platform’ the new ES breaks the design shackles with a sweeping fastback-style profile while retaining a conventional boot.Inside, a new 12.3-inch driver’s display joins a centrally mounted full-HD 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen running a more powerful Arene operating system with a shift-by-wire Electro-Shiftmatic toggle shift lever controlling the transmission.Longer (+170mm), wider (+55mm) and taller (+110mm) than the car it replaces, with an expanded wheelbase (+80mm), the new ES offers a choice of two BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) powertrains.The line-up launches with the ES 350e, powered by a single electric motor sending 165kW to the front wheels only, while the dual-motor ES 500e distributes a combined 252kW to all four wheels.The BEVs 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged at up to 150kW DC for a 10 to 80 per cent fill “in as little as 28 minutes” while 22kW AC charging capacity is also onboard.Scheduled to arrive later in the year, series-parallel hybrid models feature a newly developed sixth-generation powertrain combining a (105kW/227Nm) 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine with a new ‘eAxle’ incorporating a (150kW/270Nm) permanent magnet synchronous motor generator, inverter and Power Control Unit in the transaxle(s) for a combined output of 144kW.Claimed combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy is 4.5L/100km for a theoretical range of around 1200km.Standard equipment on the entry-grade ES 300h includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats (with eight-way power adjustment), smart entry and start and 10-speaker audio.Step up to the ES 300h Luxury + EP and the list of included features adds ventilated front seats, multi-colour ambient interior lighting, a head-up display, wireless device charging, a 360-degree view and 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio.The battery-electric ES 350e Sports Luxury tips in 21-inch alloy wheels, high-definition adaptive high-beam headlights, easy-close doors, semi-aniline leather accented seat trim, 10-way driver’s seat adjustment, driver and front passenger radiant heating, dual wireless smartphone chargers, rear door sunshades and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).Then, the flagship ES 500e Sports Luxury adds the extra motor with all-wheel drive as well as Interactive Manual Drive and unique 21-inch alloy wheels.

BYD is a serious sales threat to Toyota in Australia.The giant Chinese carmaker sold 243 fewer cars than Toyota, which has dominated the Aussie charts for decades.There is one particular segment BYD is chasing Toyota in that isn't getting the attention of the others.Sedans have generally been on the decline in Australia, with SUVs climbing the charts in their place.The Toyota Camry has owned the sedan segment for many years, and has recently seen a huge boost in sales.It has faced little competition from European rivals like the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat.BYD is now showing promise where those models haven't made an impression.The brand has introduced two sedans in Australia so far: the Seal EV and Seal 6 plug-in hybrid. The Seal is one of few fully-electric sedans on sale in Australia, with the Kia EV4 and Mazda 6e providing further competition in recent months.It has proven to be one of the best-selling electric sedans since it launched in late 2023, trailing only the Tesla Model 3 on the sales charts this year.The Camry remains the outright leader of the sedan segment, but the Seal’s sales trump every competitor but the Camry and the Model 3. It is also the sedan that has experienced the most growth in 2026, up nearly 65 per cent. The Seal isn’t the only sedan providing a threat to the Camry from BYD, with the Seal 6 PHEV also now on sale.It has managed 249 registrations since it went on sale in April.BYD’s sedan push doesn’t stop there.The Seal 7 has recently been approved for sale in Australia.It will size up similarly to the Camry, compared to the smaller Seal and Seal 6.It could be an appealing alternative for fleets and ride share drivers, as it may be available in both plug-in and fully electric forms.Those sales remain an important component of the Camry’s success in Australia.

The Zeekr 7X has a renewed Australian rival.The updated XPeng G6 has been priced in Australia ahead of its arrival in showrooms next month.This model is only available through the factory-backed XPeng ANZ operation and has no connection to the previous distributor, True EV.True EV was appointed XPeng's exclusive importer, distributor, and retailer for Australia in 2024.True EV commenced legal action against XPeng in the Federal Court of Australia earlier this year, with hearings scheduled for October.  The new G6 will be priced from $51,800 (before on-road costs) for the rear-wheel drive, while the new all-wheel drive variant is available from $63,800. This means the range kicks off from $3000 less than it did previously.The G6 is now more than $6000 cheaper than the hugely popular Zeekr 7X ($57,900), and roughly $5000 cheaper than mainstream rivals like the Kia EV5 ($56,770).It will also be more affordable than the Tesla Model Y ($58,900) that is currently experiencing a huge sales surge in Australia.The RWD standard range has a single electric motor, producing 185kW and 440Nm, with the long range boosting power to 218kW/440Nm.The new AWD variants have dual electric motors pumping out 358kW and 660Nm. The base variant of the G6 has a 69kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery, offering a driving range of up to 480km, according to WLTP standards. All other variants have an 81kWh unit, with a maximum driving range of 525km, but AWD examples only have 510km.The G6 rides on an 800-volt platform, enabling DC fast charging from 10 to 80 per cent in 12 minutes. On the inside, there is a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch digital driver display, with two wireless phone chargers. The cabin also features an 18-speaker audio system, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both come as standard.It can be optioned with synthetic leather seats that are heated, ventilated and have a massage function. The G6 also launches with the range-topping Black Edition. It adds 20-inch black wheels and brake callipers, and exclusive black exterior paint, with other black elements elsewhere.2026 XPeng G6 pricing Australia  

China could be about to take down the diesel ute for good. CATL has unveiled its new 8C battery specifically designed to charge light commercial EVs, including utes.The battery can charge from 20 to 80 per cent in less than seven minutes, with a full charge taking less than 10 minutes.High diesel fuel prices and increasingly stringent emissions standards are accelerating the diesel ute’s demise, particularly in Australia. The ute segment has declined more than 11 per cent so far in 2026, with almost all diesel models impacted.Electrified alternatives such as the BYD Shark 6 have provided a sneak peak into the future, but roadblocks to a full-scale uptake remain. The Shark 6’s plug-in hybrid set-up has been a revelation in Australia, but it only has an electric-only driving range of less than 100km - insufficient to be routinely used on just EV power.Its 30kWh battery takes around half-an-hour to fill from 30 to 80 per cent. Other brands have begun introducing fully-electric utes in Australia, including the KGM Musso EV, with the MG U9 EV coming soon. Toyota recently launched an electric version of its hugely popular HiLux ute.Its 59kWh battery has a total driving range of 315km, according to the more generous NEDC standards.A WLTP figure is more likely to sit in the mid-to-high 200km range. Charging from 10 to 80 per cent via DC takes 30 minutes - a figure not among the top scores in the EV space. EV driving range and charging remains a challenging combo to perfect.Diesel power has proven to be effective for utes, ensuring they can get through the heavy and constant work required.Weight and the necessary high amounts of power and torque pose a challenge to electric utes.CATL’s new battery could provide a big step towards the usability of them.Chinese brands BYD, Chery and Geely have developed fast charging batteries, but CATL's example is especially designed for commercial vehicles.It would mean these electric utes could be charged significantly faster, so even if range figures are not as high, the battery can be replenished quickly.CATL also said the battery can excel in extreme conditions, and it only takes an extra two-and-a-half minutes to charge at -20°C.Toyota has a global partnership with CATL and uses its batteries in key models, but not in the HiLux BEV currently.CATL's new battery could be a huge opportunity for Toyota to take its electric ute to the next level.The battery maker has been stepping up its EV fast charging game in recent months.It announced its third generation Shenxing battery earlier this year, capable of charging from 10 to 80 per cent in less than four minutes.

The small and light passenger car segments have been dwindling for years in Australia, but new offerings are helping to revive the affordable new car.These cars are the BYD Atto 1, MG3 and MG4 Urban. They’re all from Chinese carmakers and offer electrified power options.In June BYD sold a total of 871 examples of the Atto 1. It’s only been on sale for a few months and it’s the most affordable electric vehicle (EV) in Australia with a starting price of $23,990 before on-road costs.It was only pipped at the post in terms of monthly sales by the MG3 with a total of 898 examples sold. This is down 1.8 per cent compared to June 2025.The MG3 is now one of the only cars that's available for less than $20,000. It’s offered with both petrol and hybrid power.The Kia Picanto is the only other new car that’s available for less than $20,000 and it’s even smaller than the MG3. The South Korean carmaker sold 626 examples during June, which is down 13.3 per cent over the same month last year.MG also had some sales success with its new MG4 Urban small electric hatchback in June with a total of 1015 examples sold during the month.This almost outsold the venerable Toyota Corolla which shifted 1037 units. This is down 28.6 per cent compared to June 2025.Looking at the year-to-date (YTD) sales figures, BYD has sold a total of 3254 examples of the Atto 1 despite only being on sale for a few months.The Chinese carmaker has been going from strength to strength in terms of sales in Australia. It’s now the second best-selling brand in Australia behind only Toyota, which has held the crown for the last 20 consecutive years.MG sold a total of 3917 examples of the MG3 to the end of June which was down 25.9 per cent year-on-year. For context, MG sold a total of 8984 examples of the related ZS small SUV over the same period, an 11.7 per cent drop.MG sold a total of 1424 examples of the MG4 Urban up to the end of June. It’s only been on sale for a few months now and it appears full supply is coming on tap and backorders are being fulfilled.Forecasting for the rest of the 2026, it will be interesting to see how much of this renewed interest in certain small cars carries on as the segments as a whole continue to decline.Light and small SUV sales continue to boom and don’t look like they’re slowing down anytime soon. The overall sales volume for the segments are much higher than the respective passenger car segments too.Chery sold a total of 13,638 examples of the Tiggo 4 small SUV until the end of June, which is up 70.6 per cent year-on-year. It also makes it the fifth best-selling car in Australia overall.The best-selling passenger car currently is the Toyota Corolla in 22nd place for YTD sales. Every vehicle with a higher sales volume is either an SUV or ute.

XPeng’s new segment-bending Mona L03 SUV has been caught testing in Australia just after going on sale in China.Spotted by CarsGuide’s own Byron Mathioudakis on Victoria's Great Ocean Road, the SUV remains heavily camouflaged but still identifiable as the L03 thanks to its partially exposed signature front headlights, tail-lights that form part of its rear spoiler piece and partially exposed alloy wheels with XPeng logos.Glimpses of a steering wheel on the right-hand side can be identified, which is the first time the L03 has ever been spotted in this configuration.The L03 sits below XPeng’s only current model in Australia, the G6 mid-sizer SUV, which competes with the Tesla Model Y. The L03 will compete with more affordable SUVs such as the Geely EX5 (from $41,990), BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990) and GAC Aion V (from $42,590).It shares a familiar minimalist interior treatment to many of its Chinese contemporaries, with modern touches like a large central multimedia touchscreen, oval steering wheel and floating central console, with its key differentiator being its slinky fastback-style rear.The L03 is available overseas in electric form, with a 183kW/280Nm rear-mounted motor and either a 56kWh or 69kWh battery pack for up to 625km of range, according to lenient Chinese standards.A range-extender hybrid model will follow, using a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a 37.2kWh battery pack.The L03 was spotted alongside another unknown XPeng model, which appears to be a hatchback or crossover. It could be a third member of the Mona family, with the L03 being an SUV and the M03 being a sedan.It stands to reason that XPeng would launch a hatchback as the brand has been active in the European market for some time. It would follow in the footsteps of the original MG4, Leapmotor's B05 hatchback, both created specifically for the European market, or BYD and its Euro-focused plug-in hybrid derivatives of the Atto 1 and Atto 2.The M03 sedan has been previewed in Australia in left-hand-drive form under XPeng’s previous distributor, and has gone on to become a popular low-cost vehicle in China, but it is unclear whether XPeng’s new factory-backed operation will follow through with plans to launch it in Australia now the company’s model range has evolved overseas.The freshly spotted car seems to have more in common with the SUV design, featuring a bar-style tail-light rather than the individual light clusters of the M03 sedan, while its hatch-style tailgate is a new profile for the brand.CarsGuide understands the L03 is due in Australia in 2027, and the spotted SUV is likely undergoing validation testing for the Australian market.The hatchback model is likely undergoing initial testing and will launch further down the track.XPeng is seeking to get its business back on track in Australia amid an ongoing legal stoush with its former distributor TrueEV.The now factory-backed brand currently only offers the updated G6 on its website, with the X9 people mover listed as coming soon.It is yet to comment locally on the L03 and CarsGuide has sought clarity on the hatchback model.