Electric News

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.

Although it’s only just arrived in Australia, Nissan will axe the Ariya electric SUV in the US.As reported by Automotive News, the Japanese carmaker will pause US-bound production of its Tesla Model Y rival for the 2026 model year.“This decision enables the company to reallocate resources and optimize its EV portfolio as the automotive landscape continues to evolve,” said Nissan in a statement to Automotive News.An unnamed person with knowledge of the decision told Automotive News the Trump administration’s 15 per cent import tariff has hurt the profitability of this Japanese-made electric vehicle (EV) in the US.Federal $7500 EV tax credits are also set to expire in the US at the end of September, with EV demand anticipated to fall after this.It hasn’t helped that US sales of the Ariya have been slow ever since its introduction in 2022. There have been plenty of price discounts and incentives to get buyers over the line.Nissan Senior Director for EV strategy and transformation Trisha Jung told Automotive News the US market is currently undergoing a shift.“When you look at what’s going on between incentives and the value that the vehicle is bringing brandwise, and economically long term, the fact is has a different valuation today than it did before,” said Jung to Automotive News.“We have a major shift in the demand curve, so we’ve got to understand what that means in terms of customer demand, volume, price point.“We just need to make sure we have a setup that’s sustainable for the company, the dealers and the consumer.”At this stage it’s unclear whether the Ariya will ever return to the US market.However, Nissan could reportedly be pausing Ariya sales to redirect resources for the launch of the forthcoming, new-generation Leaf electric crossover. It’s due to launch in the US later this year.Battery shortages could limit supply of the new, Japanese-made Leaf for the US. An unnamed person told Automotive News that initial allocation for the US will be limited to 500 units per month.As noted above, the Nissan Ariya is only launching in Australia now despite being offered in other markets for three years. It was originally revealed in 2020.There are four variants on offer with pricing starting from $55,840 before on-roads and extending to $71,840 before on-roads.At this stage the new-generation Leaf is set to launch locally in the Japanese 2026 financial year (April 2026 to March 2027).

Meet Geely's three-row plug-in hybrid SUV which is over five meters long!

Audi launched its China-only fully-electric E5 Sportpack this week and took more 10,000 orders within the first 30 minutes of it becoming available.

Tesla is redesigning its door handles after it was slammed for potential safety issues.

Tesla has officially launched its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) semi-autonomous driving function in Australia and New Zealand and it’s now available for public use.Australia and New Zealand are the first right-hand drive markets to receive FSD (Supervised). The EV carmaker had previously only offered it in left-hand drive markets, like the US.In order to use this technology you need to own a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y with the newest Hardware 4 (HW4) camera system.You also need to have purchased the $10,100 FSD (Supervised) package. A subscription option is also coming soon for $149 per month for eligible vehicles.If both of those boxes have been ticked, eligible customers will be able to enable FSD (Supervised) with an over-the-air (OTA) update when connected to WiFi.Using the on-board Tesla Vision surround-view camera system and a neural network, FSD (Supervised) “attempts” to drive to destinations by following road curves, stopping and negotiating intersections and roundabouts, making left and right turns.It’s also able to stop at traffic lights and stop signs, plus it reacts to other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists on the road.Like regular adaptive cruise control, it’s able to keep a set distance between a car in front. However, the system is able to conduct lane changes as well.Tesla stresses that FSD (Supervised) “does not make the vehicle autonomous” and it’s a “hands-on feature” that requires you to be fully attentive behind the wheel. You need to be ready to take immediate control of the vehicle.The car uses its cabin camera to read how much attention the driver is paying to the road ahead.Tesla claims it doesn’t require full visibility of the driver’s eyes in order to monitor attentiveness. This means the system stays fully active while wearing sunglasses, for example.If the cabin camera can’t see the driver’s hand and arm locations, the central touchscreen will prompt the driver to periodically apply slight force to the steering wheel.If a driver repeatedly looks away from the road, prompts will play saying to pay attention to the road. If these are ignored, they escalate in intensity, then display an alert message saying FSD (Supervised) is unavailable for the current drive.In the worst case scenario, the car will sound a continuous chime, turn on the hazard lights and bring the car to a complete stop.Tesla notes that drivers can be suspended from using FSD (Supervised) if improper use is detected. Five strikes are granted.At this stage Tesla hasn’t detailed how older vehicles will be able to receive FSD (Supervised) approval despite owners being able to buy the package for years. It’s likely a retrofit option will be offered eventually.Test drives of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y examples with FSD (Supervised) are now available at Tesla dealers around Australia.

Look out, BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y and other EVs sourced from China, because Skoda from Europe is gate-crashing the value end of the family SUV segment in Australia.

Nissan Leaf production reportedly impacted by battery shortages ahead of its international roll-out.

The Zeekr 7X is gearing up for sale in Australia, with the brand’s MD Frank Li revealing deliveries for the hotly anticipated model would begin on October 15.