Electric News

For over a decade we’ve been told the sedan is dying. Sales have declined, the amount of options available has dwindled and buyers continue to gravitate to SUVs and utes. And yet, the sedan survives. But not just survive, new models are now arriving and sales for the total mid-size sedan market have been on the rise in 2026. Mid-size sedans, both mainstream and luxury, are up 18 per cent year-to-date to the end of September. Geely is the latest brand to believe there is a future for sedans, confirming the new Emgrand L plug-in hybrid will arrive in Australian showrooms next year to compete against the likes of the Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal and Mazda 6e. Despite the relatively-fresh competition and the recent sales growth, sedan sales are still amongst the smallest in the country. The best-selling sedan is the Toyota Camry, with 9471 sales to the end of September, which compares to 31,209 sales for the Toyota RAV4 mid-size SUV. Geely Australia’s Director of Product Planning and Marketing, Andrew Tuitahi, said the brand is confident there will be buyers looking for an SUV alternative. “When it comes to Emgrand L EM-i that's designed to target a slightly different market, but we think there is an opportunity for a more traditionally styled sedan with high technology and alternate fuel offerings,” Tuitahi said. “There's a lot of metrics and a lot of research that we've conducted,” he added. “Certainly the response from customers is positive. The response from dealers is positive. And there are absolutely buyers who don't want to drive an SUV. They want something that looks a little bit more conventional, and they like that style of sedan.”  “ I think we'll put together a package and share it when we launch Emgrand. But certainly there is a buyer profile demographic that is finding sedans appealing,” he said. Looking at the latest sales figures there is a growing market for electric and plug-in hybrid sedans, led by the likes of the Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal and Seal 6 as well as the new Mazda 6e. All of those models have grown in volume in the first three quarters of 2026, although the Seal 6 and Mazda and both all-new models, so any sales would be incremental volume. While they have grown, that is from a small base and overall sales remain relatively small. Tesla has sold 5775 examples of the Model 3, which is a seven per cent increase on 2025, but that figure is dwarfed by the combined 35,930 sales of the Model Y and Y L. BYD has sold a combined 4727 Seal EV and Seal 6 PHEV sedans (and wagons), which does mean that two of the three best-selling sedans are electric, suggesting there is a demand from customers for efficient vehicles outside of the SUV market. However, it isn’t a large demand with the rest of the market contributing a combined 27,805 total mid-size sales, which is less than the RAV4 has managed on its own - just to underscore the dominance of SUVs. Kia’s EV4 has managed just 361 sales, the Skoda Octavia 340 and the MG MG7 only 230. Even the once popular premium sedans, including the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Class are down significantly in 2026. So, while Geely is confident there are buyers for the Emgrand L, and Tesla, BYD and Mazda are managing to make sedans work for them, the cold, hard fact remains that the traditional ‘four-door’ is unlikely to become a mainstream choice again for Australians. Sedans aren’t dead yet, but anyone expecting a resurgence shouldn’t be.

The recent Everything Electric show in Sydney provided an unintentional visual metaphor for the Australian car industry - and one brand in particular. Tucked away behind two towering, no-expense-spared Zeekr and Geely stands was a much more modest Subaru showcase. The Japanese brand had its electric range on display, the Trailseeker, Solterra and the new Uncharted, but many people I spoke to at the show didn’t even know that Subaru was there. And that feels very much like what is going on with the brand itself, the former favourite of so many Australians is now at risk of fading into the crowd and if that happens there is no guarantee for its long-term future here. Which would be sad not only for fans of the Forester, Outback and co. but also anyone who enjoys good cars. It had been a long-time since I had last driven a Subaru, but recent time in the Trailseeker and Uncharted has me scratching my head why more people aren’t considering them as electric vehicles (EV) sales soar. The Trailseeker starts at $63,990 plus on-road costs, which I concede does not make it an EV bargain by today’s standards. But the high-grade Touring is priced from $69,990, which is just $1090 more than the Tesla Model Y AWD Premium Long Range. The Trailseeker makes 280kW of power, takes just 4.5 seconds to run 0-100km and has 533km of range. By comparison the Model Y has 220kW, takes 5.9 seconds and has 551km of range. So, on paper, the two are closely matched in the key areas. However, the Subaru has a far more functional and intuitive cabin, thanks to its button-filled, traditional car design ethos. To be fair, the Tesla is a much younger, more tech-savvy company, but it takes its cost-saving-disguised-as-minimalism design approach to a level that just looks cheap to me. Maybe this is a sign I’m getting old, but the Trailseeker is a much more user-friendly car to drive, and for older buyers, those with $70k to spend on an EV, it makes a lot of sense. It also just drives nicer than the Model Y. The Trailseeker is a joint-venture between Subaru and Toyota, two companies with decades of experience developing, engineering and fine-tuning cars. The Model Y is only the fifth car Tesla has made - ever. That is painfully obvious when you drive the two on the road. The Subaru is quieter, with better insulation from both the outside world and the mechanical sounds of the car. It is also more composed and pleasant to drive, with nicely tuned steering and a comfortable, controlled ride than the Model Y simply doesn’t match, in my opinion. The problem for Subaru (and so many other legacy brands) is Tesla is the ‘Esky of EVs’, with the brand seemingly the default choice for so many buyers when they go looking for an electric car. Sales of the Model Y have been huge this year, and while it has many good attributes and I’m not suggesting people shouldn’t buy them, it’s surprising just how far away the Trailseeker is in terms of sales. Subaru has sold 517 Trailseeker since it went on sale in June, which is an average of 129 per month, while Tesla is selling an average of 3166 Model Y per month. So while they may be similar on paper and the Subaru has an edge on the road, where it really counts - sales - the Model Y is leaving the Trailseeker eating its dust. This is very-much indicative of the wider challenge Subaru is facing, as it is getting overwhelmed not only by Tesla but also the influx of Chinese brands that can offer either something equivalent or something for even less money. Subaru sales are down 29 per cent, despite having a relatively fresh line-up, with the new Forester arriving just last year and the Outback earlier this year. The Forester, Crosstrek and Outback remain the brand’s three most popular models, but all three are down dramatically in 2026. As I have written previously, Subaru’s decision to evolve the Outback from a more-conventional wagon to a line-blurring wagon/SUV is a calculated risk. Unfortunately it appears to be a risk that it is not paying off, with Outback sales down 42 per cent in 2026. The compounding problem is, while these traditional petrol and hybrid models are struggling, the brand’s new electric options aren’t filling the gaps. The Solterra, Trailseeker and the Uncharted are all appealing cars in their own way, but obviously Subaru has not made a compelling case to Australian buyers yet. The challenge for the brand is to turn this around and get the attention onto its EV options to try and, if not compete against the likes of Tesla in pure volume, not get overshadowed by Geely and Zeekr like it did at the Everything Electric show. Subaru still sells more cars than Zeekr and is only a few thousand sales behind Geely, at the time of publication, so it’s not too late to turn it around. But getting more attention for its appealing electric options should be a priority if Subaru doesn’t want to fade into obscurity.

Aussie car buyers have plenty of affordable EV choices in Australia. From hatchbacks to city SUVs, there are now several compelling options around the $30,000 mark. The BYD Atto 1 compact SUV became the cheapest new car on sale in Australia, while the Geely EX2 hatchback has had a surging start on the sales charts. Other competitors include the GAC Aion UT hatch and the incoming Leapmotor B03X small SUV, which provide buyers with some further thinking to do. Here is how the four stack up on the numbers. The Atto 1’s $19,990 (drive-away) price tag isn’t just the cheapest on this list, it’s the cheapest new car currently on sale in Australia. This deal does run out in December, when it will revert to $23,990. The premium grade of the Atto 1, which adds a bigger 43kWh battery with 310km WLTP range, starts from $27,990 (before on-road costs), which is on par with its rivals. The B03X starts from $29,990 (drive-away), making it the cheapest small electric SUV in Australia. Geely’s EX2 entered the Australian market in July 2026 at $26,490 (before on-road costs), which pushes the final drive-away price closer to $30,000. GAC’s Aion UT is available from $31,990 (drive-away), but the new Chinese brand will add a cheaper standard range variant in December, 2026. The MG4 Urban hasn’t been included in this list, but the electric hatch is currently available from $29,990 (drive-away) until October 31, courtesy of a $2000 cashback offer. The Aion UT’s single electric motor produces 150kW and 210Nm, edging out the B03X’s 130kW and 200Nm. Geely’s EX2 produces 85kW/150Nm - closely rivalling the Atto 1’s 65kW/175Nm. The EX2 stands out with a rear-wheel-drive configuration, potentially providing an on-road edge over its front-wheel drive rivals. The Aion UT’s 60kWh battery trumps the rest of the competition, offering a driving range of 430km, however, the incoming and cheaper short range Aion UT will only offer 320km from a 44kWh unit. The EX2 has a 35kWh unit with 280km, close to the B03X (292km from 40kWh) and besting the Atto 1 (220km from 30kWh). Inside the cabin, the Aion UT and the Leapmotor B03X have 14.6-inch central touchscreens and 8.8-inch digital drivers displays, but the former boasts synthetic leather seats as standard, instead of fabric. The EX2 also has synthetic leather seats as standard, but a smaller 12.3-inch central touchscreen and 8.0-inch digital driver display. The Atto 1 has a 10.1-inch central touchscreen and 5.0-inch digital driver display, with fabric seats as standard. As an SUV, the B03X has 1325L of storage space, including a 105L storage area under the main boot. The EX2 offers an impressive amount of storage space for a hatch, with 1320L, which includes a 70L front storage space. The Atto 1 still has 1037L, despite being the smallest car in this comparison. The Aion UT provides 689L of total cargo when the rear seats are folded, but this is noticeably less than the rest of the pack. The Atto 1 is the smallest car of the pack, with Aion UT longer than the EX2 and the same length as the B03X. The Aion UT is also the widest of the cars and has the longest wheelbase. The B03X is the only SUV here and is naturally taller than its hatchback rivals. The Atto 1 and EX2 were awarded a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety ratings. The Atto 1 performed well in crash testing, with 82 per cent adult protection and 86 per cent child protection. ANCAP assessed the EX2 using its new ‘Stages of Safety’ criteria. Features like its driving monitoring system and adaptive cruise control guided the EX2 to a 79 per cent safe driving rating. It rated crash avoidance at 72 per cent, and overall crash protection at 86 per cent. The GAC Aion UT also received five stars and performed well in all categories. The Leapmotor B03X remains untested by ANCAP, but it has a suite of active safety features, including auto emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. The Aion UT wins the warranty battle, with an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for both the car and its high-voltage battery. The EX2 also has a strong warranty guarantee, with seven years/unlimited kilometres for the car and eight years for its high-voltage battery. The Atto 1 and B03X are offered with similar warranties. Both guarantee six years or 150,000km, and an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty. BYD does further guarantee the Atto 1’s battery will still have at least 70 per cent after eight years. The Atto 1, EX2 and B03X all need to be serviced every 12 months or 20,000km, while the Aion UT is every 12 months or 15,000km.

Fast-rising Chinese brand Geely has a secret weapon in its plans for local success. Australia’s unique road conditions and our particular taste in vehicles has always presented a challenge for international brands. It’s one of the reasons why Holden and Ford were dominant for decades and it’s why the likes of Hyundai and Kia invested millions in their own local ride and handling testing programs. GWM recently announced it had hired former Holden engineer Rob Trubiani to lead a local engineering program to make its cars more ‘Australia specific’. But despite all this, Geely’s management doesn’t believe there is a need for a similar investment of engineering and other resources to make its vehicles more suited to Australia’s specific roads and drivers. According to Andrew Tuitahi, Geely Australia’s Director of Product Planning and Marketing, the brand can instead call on the engineering experience and expertise of fellow Geely-owned brands, such as Lotus and Volvo. “ Certainly when we look at Geely Holding Group relative to some of the other Chinese brands I think we're in a unique position,” Tuitahi told CarsGuide. “Under our umbrella we carry a lot of European brands that are well-renowned for various disciplines, whether that be safety with Volvo or things like ride, handling dynamics with Lotus. And so I think we can lean more heavily on talent and know-how across our group rather than trying to focus it here in Australia. “That's not saying that programs wouldn't take place here, but certainly I think a lot of that engineering excellence could be deployed here and in other parts of the world to deliver a product that will perform well in Australia, and it wouldn't need to be done by personnel on ground employed here.” In addition to Volvo and Lotus, Geely Group owns, or has a significant stake in, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Smart and Aston Martin. CarsGuide understands that no Lotus or Volvo engineers have worked directly on the current Geely range offered in Australia - the EX2, EX5 and Starray - but Tuitahi has left the door open for future opportunities. But the local offerings are sold in Australia with a more European-engineer steering and suspension set-up, which is firmer and more direct than what is offered in the Chinese domestic market models. Tuitahi indicated that Geely Australia has made it clear to management that the ‘European tune’ is better suited for local tastes. After a slow and deliberate start in Australia, Geely is planning a significant model expansion, with up to six new models due in the next 12 months. This will include the Battleship 700 (name subject to change) off-roader, Monjaro large SUV and the Emgrand L mid-size sedan.

XPeng is continuing to make moves both overseas and here, with a new model, likely destined for Australia, launching in its home market. Pre-orders for the 2026 Mona L05 SUV have opened in China, with the EV having been spied earlier this year testing on Australian roads. While the L05 is not locked in for Australia yet, the smaller Mona L03 is due to launch in Australia in 2027 and both have been testing together with evaluation in mind. In China, there will be full EV and range extender (EREV) powertrain options, the former being available in versions with driving ranges from 615km to 660km, the latter with a maximum combined range of 1310km thanks to a 37.2kWh battery. According to CarNewsChina the Mona L05 will launch from the equivalent of around A$36,400 in its home market, with prices reaching just north of A$41,000. Of course, that won’t translate directly to Australian pricing if the L05 does eventually land here. At 4870mm long, 1930mm wide, and 1636mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2940mm, the mid-size Mona L05 has a swoopy almost ‘breadvan’ rear shape and differentiates itself from the XPeng G6 by targeting a younger audience. It boasts a few key features like a 102L front-trunk to add to the 702L boot space, LEDs reminiscent of Volvo and Polestar’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ lights at the front, a 26.8-inch head-up display for the driver and a huge 17.3-inch touchscreen for rear passengers. The front seats get massage, heating, and ventilation functions while the front passenger gets a ‘zero-gravity’ mode.

Physical buttons are making a return to cars around the world, but the Chinese government is taking it a step further. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has filed proposals to mandate physical buttons and switches for critical car functions. Multimedia screens, large-area displays and complex head-up displays in cars must undergo mandatory safety checks under the proposals. These tests will measure the impact on driver distraction, reliability in extreme weather and crash performance. The rules take effect for new models from January 1, 2027, with existing models getting the same scrutiny from July 1, 2027. In February 2026, China overtook Japan as the biggest seller of cars in Australia. The China-built BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y have consistently been the two best-selling electric cars in Australia. They feature 15.6-inch and 16.0-inch central touchscreens, respectively. The Model Y’s screen controls virtually all functions, while the touchscreen in the Sealion 7 controls climate as well as vehicle and safety settings. Installing a large screen instead of a series of buttons and switches can save carmakers money. Housing features like this in a touchscreen increases driver distraction, with drivers needing to sift through menus instead of looking at the road. It arguably causes a similar distraction to using a mobile phone while driving, but using a big touchscreen isn’t illegal. These new rules will require key functionality to be controlled physically as opposed to being embedded in the in-car software. Buyers will see many of Australia’s most popular models adopt a new layout inside the cabin from 2027. Some brands have already started to reintroduce physical controls in the cabin in response to buyer feedback, including Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. The Chinese government is moving to prohibit “folding” or “flexible” screens inside the car. While there aren’t mass-production cars that have these styles of screen, some brands were developing plans to introduce them down the line. China is also banning the use of ‘zero-gravity’ seats while driving that have become hugely popular in luxury models. This feature enables a seat to recline back on a steep angle, while elevating the leg rest to distribute body weight evenly, hence ‘zero-gravity’. This poses dangers to passengers, because in the event of a sudden stop or a crash, they could slide under the seatbelt, and will also be misaligned with airbags. It comes after the Chinese government outlawed electrically-operated hidden door handles, in favour of manual emergency releases.

BYD has launched a new EV at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, but it’s one Australians might find a little familiar. The BYD Atto 8 launched this week is an electric version of the 2026 BYD Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) launched in Australia recently. Set to top the BYD range in Europe, the Atto 8/ Sealion 8 EV is the first in that market to feature cutting-edge ‘flash charging’. The new feature allows the large SUV to go from 10 per cent battery capacity to 97 per cent in just nine minutes, a feature yet to launch in Australia. BYD’s local arm told CarsGuide the Sealion 8 PHEV is, for now, the range-topper given how recently it launched, with no immediate plans to bring the EV version here. “We only launched Sealion 8 earlier this year and it’s ticking all the boxes for us at the moment so we’re not thinking too far ahead at this stage,” a BYD spokesperson said. The BYD Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid launched at the start of 2026 with a starting price of $56,990 before on-roads for its front-wheel drive base model, with a top-spec all-wheel drive grade at $70,990. In its home market of China, the Sealion 8 or Atto 8 is called the ‘BYD Tang L’ The base Atto 8 has a front-drive setup with 340kW and 365Nm, with a 115kWh battery and a WLTP range of 652km, while the top-spec AWD version has 570kW and 775Nm with a range of 602km but an impressive 0-100km/h sprint of 4.6 seconds. A huge 26-inch widescreen head-up display, a 15.6-inch central multimedia touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a seven-seat layout with heating and cooling in the front two (outboard) rows join tri-zone climate control, dual wireless phone chargers, numerous USB-C ports and a front refrigerator/heating compartment. In each grade, the seat upholstery is all genuine leather. With “3000 stations to be installed across Europe by the end of 2027”, flash charging is about to become a much more common thing in the EU.  The system allows as much as 1500kW to juice the EV’s battery, in this case the Atto 8’s 115kWh battery, to near-full much faster than usual. In the Atto 8, this means 10 to 97 per cent in nine minutes, though in severely cold temperatures that normally limit charging the flash system still allows 20 to 97 per cent in 12 minutes, not bad. Just five minutes of charging is said to add 60 per cent (from 10 to 70 per cent) to the battery - all resulting in BYD’s line of ‘ready in 5, full in 9, cold add 3'.

A new affordable electric SUV is here. The Lepas L6 mid-size SUV starts from $47,990, before on-road costs, available in a single grade. This means it’s $6000 more than the popular Geely EX5 and the smaller BYD Atto 3 Evo that both start from $41,990. The Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid boasts a similar footprint to the L6, but starts from $59,515. The L6 is the youth-focused Lepas brand's first model on sale in Australia and will hit dealerships from early November. The L6 uses a single electric motor, producing 160kW and 275Nm, while its 65kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery offers a 440km WLTP driving range. The car will only be available with front-wheel drive, and there are no plans for an all-wheel-drive set-up at this stage. DC charging from 30-to-80 per cent takes 22 minutes at 120kW, according to Lepas. The car rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, and comes as standard with a panoramic sunroof that has a retractable sunshade. Inside, there is a 13.2-inch central touchscreen and 8.9-inch digital driver display, with a 50-watt wireless phone charger also standard. Seats are wrapped in synthetic leather, with the front ones heated and ventilated. Other features include automatic parking assist and other advanced driver assistance systems. The L6 will use Chery Group's next-generation LEXP platform specifically developed for the Lepas brand as dedicated EV architecture. The new platform has also been tuned by European engineers to limit roll in heavy cornering and manage pitch under braking. Lepas covers its L6 with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a year less than Omoda Jaecoo, but the same as Chery. It has an eight-year/200,000km high-voltage battery warranty and is available with a seven-year capped-price servicing deal, with intervals every 12 months. Lepas is the latest sub-brand to join Chery Group in Australia alongside Omoda Jaecoo, but the brand is just getting started with the L6 EV. It will launch a plug-in hybrid variant of the L6 in March 2027, with the smaller L4 EV arriving in June 2027. The L8 PHEV large mid-size SUV is scheduled towards late 2027, before the L9 full-size SUV makes its way here as well.

There is a sprint to the finish line as carmakers prepare for a tumultuous end to 2026. This year will be remembered as the point China ascended, but a few other storylines are developing. This is our prediction for the last quarter of 2026. That is a shocking number, that would have seemed impossible just four years ago when Aussies bought about 33,000 electric cars. The sheer breath of choice across all body  shapes, price ranges and brands is what is driving the EV revolution. Healthy incentives, such as the Fringe Benefits Tax exemption, are making the idea of an EV palatable to those that previously never would have considered one. Tesla is still the dominant force in electric cars, but it isn’t the only mover and shaker. BYD’s success has been driven by its range of EVs, and Geely and Zeekr are both selling their electric cars in big numbers. Even Toyota, which was firmly in the no camp for EVs just half a decade ago, has managed to increase sales of its bZ4X by more than 300 per cent this year. New Chinese brands are doing the heavy lifting, but mainstream carmakers are starting to leave their mark by converting their loyal base to zero-emissions vehicles. Toyota will be the best selling car brand this year and the foreseeable future. Despite all the commotion made about BYD’s barnstorming run up the sales charts, especially in the early part of the year, there was never any doubt Toyota would come out on top. Toyota has sold about double the cars of BYD, which is actually a mega effort by BYD and it is on track to sell more than 100,000 cars this year. Toyota has assured everyone it will finish the year strong, with an increase of supply for key models, including RAV4, HiLux, LandCruiser and bZ4X. Toyota is predicting more than 220,000 sales for this year, which means they would need to deliver about 23,000 a month through the last quarter. Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen were once the first choice for a huge swath of Aussie buyers, but they haven’t had the vehicles buyers demanded in recent years. Now those once-loyal buyers have jumped ship to BYD, Geely, Zeekr and the like. It’ll be a hard fought battle to win those buyers back. All have some exciting models in the pipeline, with the new Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD, ASX VR-e electric hatch, Nissan Patrol, Nissan Navara Pro PHEV ute, VW ID.Tiguan chief among them. But it is likely the ship has already sailed as the tide has turned towards these new brands. They have the wind in their sails and recording eye-popping growth numbers. Zeekr is up 1500 per cent, Geely and Jaecoo are up more than 600 per cent, BYD is up 100 per cent, Chery is up more than 50 per cent and GWM 14 per cent. The momentum is in their favour and they also have a healthy pipeline of affordable and desirable vehicles locked in for the next 12 months.

There is plenty of affordable Chinese car choice for buyers in Australia, and we’ve just learnt why. Chinese brands can build an EV for $11,000 less than European legacy automakers, according to a report in AutoNews.  Manufacturers aren’t just winning on price, they’re winning on speed as well.  Chinese automakers develop cars more than two times faster than their European rivals. These advantages are seeing Chinese manufacturers surge up the sales charts globally, and there’s more than 100 EV models on sale in Australia.  Chinese carmakers can build and sell cars faster.  European carmakers take up to five years to bring a new model to market, while Chinese rivals can do it in only two years.   When these models do finally hit the market, they aren’t as prolific as Chinese ones, with less than a third of sales from vehicles introduced in the past three years.  New Chinese models account for up to 100 per cent of a brand’s sales within the first two years by contrast.  These factors have contributed to European car brands’ pre-tax profit dropping from 13.2 per cent in 2021 to 6.9 per cent in 2025, which in turn limits their ability to innovate.  The European Union has resorted to hefty tariffs on Chinese EVs coming into the region to protect its car industry, but it’s not stopping buyers choosing them.  These brands have now started building their cars in Europe to avoid tariffs, while taking advantage of under-utilised European automaker factories.  Consultancy firm AlixPartners told AutoNews the way Chinese brands are operating in Europe has fundamentally reset consumer expectations on price and technology. “A gradual response isn’t an option,” AlixPartners co-head of automotive for Germany, Austria and Switzerland Xing Zhou said.  “Manufacturers need to restructure, support their suppliers and move faster on technology partnerships than most have been prepared to do so far.” European carmakers need to aim for two-year development cycles and lean into artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce costs and increase production and development speed, according to the firm.  “The window to act from a position of financial strength is closing, and closing faster than most boardrooms and governments assume,” global co-leader for automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners Andrew Bergbaum said.