GWM News

The demise of the diesel ute is approaching.The walls are closing in on the conventional ute as diesel fuel prices soar and the federal government's National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) starts to bite, signalling the days of the diesel ute might be numbered.The ute is the last refuge for diesel engines in the Australian car industry, with most brands already shifting to petrol, hybrid and electric in other segments.Electrified utes have been gathering momentum in recent years as they look to take the place of traditional diesel power.Here is a list of those which could take diesel's ute crown.BYD Shark 6 PHEVThe Shark 6 has already proven its threat to the diesel ute since it went on sale in late 2024, seeing surging sales.Its sharp price tag at $57,900 (before on-road costs) makes it a cheaper option as a plug-in hybrid ute, and it is competitive with some diesel utes.The Shark 6 uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up, meaning it is far cheaper to run than its diesel rivals (so long as you keep the battery charged).It also packs 321kW and 650Nm, despite modest towing and carrying capacity.It has made a solid impression in its time in Australia, being BYD’s best-selling car in 2025 - form it has carried into this year.Chery KP31 diesel PHEVAustralia will be one of the first markets to see the KP31 when it launches Down Under this year.Technically, the codenamed KP31 is still a diesel, but it does come with plug-in hybrid assistance, and there is a petrol plug-in coming in 2027.Diesel adds a different flavour to the PHEV game in Australia, with it overcoming the lugging and carrying limitations of petrol PHEV models such as the Shark 6.While there is no official news on the power output of the 2.5-litre turbo-charged engine and electric motor, Chery has confirmed it will have a 3500kg braked towing capacity and a 1000kg payload.There will also be multiple locking differentials for rugged off-road ability, which is something missing from the Shark 6.GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and GWM Cannon PHEVGWM will be the only brand to have two plug-in hybrid utes on sale in Australia by the end of this year.It already has the Cannon Alpha PHEV on sale, with a starting price of $61,490 drive-away. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol set-up produces 300kW and 750Nm.The smaller Cannon PHEV recently revealed in China is not too far away, and will offer the brand a cheaper alternative to the larger and more premium Alpha.While the Cannon PHEV keeps a 3500kg towing capacity, its 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor only produces 185kW.Ford Ranger PHEVThe best-selling Ford Ranger received a plug-in variant in the middle of 2025 in Australia, and starts from $71,990 (before on-road costs).The 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up pumps out 207kW and 697Nm, with maximum payload of 973kg depending on the variant. It has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.Its hefty comparative price tag means diesel sales still far outweigh their electrified sibling.KGM Musso EVThe KGM Musso EV is one of the only new electric utes on sale in Australia, with a drive-away price of $60,000.It comes in two-wheel and all-wheel drive variants, producing up to 266kW and 630Nm.Its 81kWh battery offers a maximum all-electric driving range of 380km, with 10-80 per cent fast charging taking 36 minutes.It only comes with a payload of 905kg and a braked towing capacity of 1800kg.Toyota HiLux BEVAn electric version of the HiLux is a highly-anticipated new model of Toyota’s lineup, with potential to build on the success of the diesel HiLux in a new electrified era.Initial numbers don't paint a pretty picture. It has a provisional 2000kg braked towing capacity, less than the 3500kg on diesel alternatives, including the HiLux. It also only has a payload of 715kg.The other potential drawback on the electric HiLux is that it has a driving range of just 240km from its 59kWh battery, according to WLTP testing.Expect to see the HiLux BEV in Australia soon.MG U9 EVThe U9 electric ute has just been approved for sale in Australia and will hit showrooms in the near future.It comes with a total system output of 325kW from a dual motor set-up and offers 430km of driving range (WLTP), from its 102kWh battery.It also has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, so it will be in line with its key diesel rivals.Nissan Frontier Pro PHEVThe Frontier Pro is Nissan’s first plug-in hybrid and like many on this list is built in China, and there is strong potential for it to soon be available in Australia.It has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and electric motor, producing 300kW and 800Nm, and is also expected to have a 3500kg braked towing capacity.

GWM’s Ora band confirmed in early March this year it was moving from making just electric cars to hybrids (HEVs ) and pure combustion vehicles, and now three weeks later the Ora 5 hybrid has debuted at the Bangkok motor show. The Ora 5 HEV is the same size as the electric version of the small SUV at 4471mm end to end and 1641mm tall, but is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine combined with an electric motor.The four-cylinder engine and motor produce a combined 164kW and 476Nm. According to GWM the combined fuel consumption is a low 2.3L/100km.Now on sale in fellow right-hand drive market Thailand, which oopens the door to an Aussie expansion.The Ora 5 HEV has the same suspension tune as the EV and comes in two grades.Standard features between the HEV and EV are identical with the top-of-the-range Ultra coming with LED headlights and daytime running lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, power tailgate and proximity unlocking. Inside, there’s power adjustable front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, air-conditioning, 14.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless phone charging.The electric Ora 5 will come to Australia in mid-2026, but GWM Australia wouldn't confirm if it would be joined by the hybrid variant, too. “HEV represents a new addition to the ORA range expanding beyond its existing BEV offering,” said a GWM spokesperson. “At this stage, the only information we can share is that all options remain under investigation for the ANZ region.”Currently GWM has the Ora small five-door hatch on sale in Australia, having arrived in 2023, and the Ora 5 EV SUV version will be sold alongside it.Pricing for the Ora 5 EV in Australia has yet to be announced, but it will be more than the smaller Ora hatch's $32,990 drive-away starting point.Buyers can expect the Ora 5 EV to come in closer to the Leapmotor B10 and Chery E5, both from $38,990.A hybrid version could drop below the $30,000 mark.GWM has been open about expanding the Ora brand even as it struggled with just the small and aging Ora hatch doing all the heavy lifting.GWM Australia Chief Operating Officer, John Kett, told CarsGuide in 2025 that Ora will grow in Australia and even thrive in the years ahead.“From our perspective, and without announcing our (future) portfolio, we have Ora sitting in the small car segment, and we will have a small SUV next year,” he revealed.“And, we're still considering a mid-size SUV also coming out of the Ora line-up (for Australia).”

Fuel prices continue to increase in Australia.Hybrid models generally offer better fuel efficiency than a comparative petrol model, but they are also more expensive. Questions remain about how much going hybrid actually saves buyers on fuel and how long it will take to pay off the extra upfront cost. Below is a comparison based on some of the most popular models in Australia offering petrol and hybrid choices and the potential increased savings in the current climate. Figures have been calculated based on the average yearly kilometres driven at 15,000km, and the cost to fill-up based on average NSW pricing data using the official recommended fuel for each model. Small car/sedanHyundai i30 sedanThe Hyundai i30 is one of few passenger car models which are available with petrol and hybrid variants in its lineup. Many of its rivals have become hybrid only, such as the Toyota Corolla and Camry as well as the Honda Civic. The hybrid is cheaper to fill up and goes further on its tank, so it takes around four years to pay off the $4000 hybrid premium - well within the seven-year warranty period for the car. This is also due to the smaller and more efficient hybrid motor compared to the bigger petrol engine.Small SUVChery Tiggo 4 The Chery Tiggo 4 is one of the cheapest SUVs on the market, with a drive-away price under $30,000 for both petrol and hybrid variants. The Hybrid carries a $6000 premium over the petrol, which means it will take roughly seven years to pay off the extra cost. This is part due to the $850 year-on-year saving, which is less than many of the other cars on this list. Unlike the other examples, there is no change in engine capacity between petrol and hybrid variants of the Tiggo 4.  The seven-year break-even point matches the seven-year warranty provided on the car. Medium SUVGWM Haval H6There is a $5000 gap between pricing on the petrol and hybrid versions of the Haval H6, but the smaller and more efficient hybrid engine sees savings of more than $1000 year-on-year. The H6 hybrid offers an average of more than 500km of driving range than the petrol. This means the extra cost of the hybrid can be paid off in just under five years. This falls within the seven-year warranty period for the H6. Large SUVHyundai Santa FeThe Hyundai Santa Fe was CarsGuide’s 2026 Overall Car of the Year, and offers one of the most competitive hybrid/petrol pricing comparisons. This is because the hybrid Sante Fe is less than $4000 more expensive than the petrol and offers more than 400km average driving range. With nearly $1200 of savings each year, it would take around three years to pay off the hybrid premium, and the majority of the car’s seven-year warranty will also still be valid.UteThis comparison uses the cheapest dual-cab variant of the Toyota HiLux Workmate and the single-variant BYD Shark 6. While these utes are obviously not variants within the same lineup, the Shark 6’s petrol status offers savings over the diesel ute. It also has a smaller fuel tank, which makes filling up cheaper. The HiLux is also slightly more expensive to drive-away, costing about $59,500 in NSW.Fuel efficiency on the Shark 6 dramatically decreases when the ute has less than 25 per cent of battery charge, dropping to 7.9L/100km. This still makes it less expensive to run than the diesel HiLux. *Petrol engine only fuel use figure not provided by Ford but calculated over several CarsGuide road tests once battery had been depletedThe plug-in hybrid set-up in the Canon Alpha does make it cheaper to run overall, but the substantial price difference between the plug-in hybrid and the petrol, means it would take eight years to break even on the extra cost. The Ranger PHEV is more of a curve ball, it is harder to hit on exactly how much fuel it will use. It all depends on how ofter you charge the battery. If you don't charge it every night it'll be more expensive to run than the diesel, as it needs to be topped up more often. If you regularly charge it the cost equation flips and it's a wallet saver.You'll need to be vigilant about charging to pay off the $15,000 premium, though.

Major Chinese carmaker GWM will invest more money into its solid-state battery program over the coming years to better challenge BYD and Chery.Solid-state batteries offer the potential to wipe out fears over range anxiety with a solid internals enabling greater energy density than liquid units in conventional batteries. It could ensure cars with a driving range of over 1000km become the norm across electric models. There are also potential benefits in relation to safety and efficiency, making them an attractive proposition for carmakers.According to a post from GWM's outspoken Chairman Jack Wei on Chinese social media, solid-state batteries face multiple challenges, such as cost efficiency, safety and performance. Wei played off the chances of seeing solid-state batteries in the next couple of years, with it more likely to be into the next decade. This is despite it being announced at the brand's 2024 annual general meeting it was able to begin making small capacity solid-state batteries.GWM is not giving up on the viability of solid-state batteries for commercial output, with the brand pumping more money into the project to make progress on research and development. Wei said GWM’s solid-state battery developments would take at least five more years before being available for commercial use. This means we will not see a production-ready solid-state unit from the brand until after 2030.GWM battery tech subsidiary Svolt unveiled a solid-state prototype in 2022, which had an energy density between 350-400Wh/kg - less than the 600Wh/kg of Chery’s incoming units. GWM’s battery, like Chery's, uses a sulfide-based make-up. The battery underwent extensive testing, including rigorous thermal efficiency trials, maintaining stability at 200 degrees, as reported by CarNews China.GWM currently only has one electric car on sale in Australia, which is its budget Ora hatch. It is expected to add the Ora 5 crossover to its EV line-up this year.Chery is also pushing ahead with its solid-state plans, including the launch of two models within the next couple of years, with the brand's Australian branch keen to have them Down Under. Its recently-announced 600Wh/kg unit is claimed to have a driving range of 1500km, significantly more than any other fully-electric car on the market. BYD has also been gearing up its pursuit of solid-state, with small-batch production scheduled for 2027.Wei’s comments line up with similar sentiments from US giant General Motors in October 2025. The company's Vice President of Battery, Propulsion and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said solid-state “is still years away”, but the brand remains vigilant to its developments in the coming years.It echoes similar comments recently by Toyota executives, who went so far as to say "there's no telling if it will work or not" despite heavy investment in the tech.

Brand loyalty is being increasingly eroded according to exclusive data in Gumtree Group’s The Next Gear: Australia in Motion report.In a survey of prospective buyers looking at hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, just three per cent had an exact model in mind and only nine per cent had a preference on brand.The data shows 38 per cent of respondents said they were open to a variety of car options or were undecided, while 25 per cent knew the type of car they wanted, but had no preference on the brand. The data was generated from a survey of nearly 4400 people who visited Gumtree, CarsGuide and Autotrader in 2025.The erosion of brand loyalty has been in part brought on by the significant influx of new players entering the Australian market, with aggressive price-points.This trend has continued into 2026. Already this year, BYD’s luxury sub-brand Denza launched with its B5 and B8 SUVs, while several other brands, including Chery’s sub-brand Lepas are not too far away. These new players will add to the already-diverse list of manufacturers with cars on sale Down Under, with some of those shaking up the established pack. The likes of BYD and Chery, with extensive electric and hybrid options, have made huge strides in the Aussie market at the expense of brands such as Mitsubishi and Subaru.The latest sales data also revealed Chinese manufacturers overtook Japanese manufacturers Down Under for the first time in February 2026.It is a similar story when looking at the best-selling brands, with both Toyota and Mazda experiencing sizeable drops in sales month-to-month, while BYD, GWM and Chery all saw big increases. There are signs now that Chinese brands are beginning to snatch more sales from each other in Australia, with LDV and MG losing out to rivals.The same goes for established brand GWM, which for the first time was overtaken by BYD in the sales charts for Australia last month.Hybrid choices continue to grow in popularity, but petrol sales remain dominant for now. As brands continue to favour hybrid over petrol in their line-ups thanks in no small part to Australia's new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES), the electrified shift with accelerate. Many brands like Toyota have shifted entire product portfolios to hybrid-only, while others are expected to follow suit before long as regulations bite toward the end of the decade.

Fuel prices in Australia are soaring, meaning fuel efficiency in vehicles is a more important consideration than ever. Hybrid cars offer the potential for superior fuel efficiency compared to internal combustion power without the big price premium if fully electric or plug-in hybrid options. This makes them an increasingly attractive option for buyers given the current global climate. Hybrid sales are already booming in Australia, but will increases in fuel prices accelerate the shift away from pure internal combustion cars? NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said that while hybrid sales are increasing, an even swifter transition is less than clear. “If you’re driving a standard vehicle with a 55-litre tank, compared to what we were paying before the war began to now, it’s a $45 increase on one tank of petrol. That applies regardless of whether it’s hybrid or petrol,” Khoury said. “Historically speaking, looking at what happens after an oil shock, it certainly opens up their consideration. “No doubt that if this crisis continues and these prices hang around for weeks or months, Australians will look at those alternatives more seriously.” Below is a comparison between popular petrol and hybrid choices in each segment to see how they stack up in a changing fuel context. Fuel cost has been calculated using current data from the New South Wales’ government’s average fuel price for unleaded 95 petrol and diesel. Toyota’s Corolla hybrid hatch offers superior fuel efficiency and driving range compared to the Kia K4 petrol model. The Corolla is also cheaper to fill up with fuel thanks to its smaller tank and offers a substantially bigger driving range. The Kia Seltos is a petrol-only variant, but despite its bigger fuel tank, it has less driving range than the Toyota Corolla Cross, courtesy of the hybrid powertrain. The bigger fuel tank means the Seltos is also more expensive to fill up. The mid-size CX-5 has a non-turbo charged petrol engine, which sees it offer an impressive estimated driving range of more than 800km, but once again the Toyota competitor’s fuel efficiency wins out in the RAV4 hybrid. The Toyota Kluger continues the Japanese juggernaut’s fuel efficient theme, with a hybrid set-up offering a driving range of more than 1122km, which is significantly more than the MQ QS, despite both cars costing a similar amount to fill up at the bowser. Utes are some of the worst affected by the fuel price increase as many of them are powered using diesel engines, with diesel fuel rising more than petrol. It has now risen to well beyond the $2.60 mark per litre. The BYD Shark’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses petrol, which makes it an affordable option, given the price of diesel. It should be noted that the Shark 6’s fuel efficiency is significantly reduced when the battery is not charged. It’s a similar story for the GWM Cannon Alpha, which should be noted is no longer on sale, but remains one of limited plug-less hybrid utes in Australia. 

GWM’s much-hyped V8 engine is still not locked in for Australia as the company mulls how it will introduce such an engine when emissions regulations are starting to bite.The Chinese giant announced the existence of a new 4.0-litre V8 engine at last year’s Shanghai motor show, claiming that it has “solved problems overseas companies couldn’t solve” when it comes to higher capacity engines.The announcement was a shock given every other manufacturer is downsizing their internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains or moving to electrification.Speaking with journalists in Melbourne recently, GWM ANZ Chief Operating Officer John Kett said the newly developed V8 was still a chance for Australia, but the company has to determine how that will work with the New Vehicle efficiency Standard (NVES) now in play.“We'd love to turn that V8 story that we spoke about last year into something. We got visibility around certainly V8 ICE. Not sure if we can pay the NVES penalty, but we want to think about that too and how that would work. And we don't have anything more in our plug-in hybrid V8, but it's certainly still there.”Questioned on whether the V8 was guaranteed for Australia, Kett said:“I would say the technology is there. We haven't made a final decision.”He added GWM needs to keep pushing its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and EV models, including Ora, for the V8 to get over the line.Currently there are a number of PHEV models in GWM’s growing portfolio, including the H6 and H6 GT PHEV, the Tank 500 and soon-to-launch Tank 300, as well as the Cannon Alpha ute. A plug-iun version of the smaller Cannon ute has also been confirmed.Ora consists of just one niche hatchback model for now, but GWM confirmed two to three new Ora models to launch in 2026, including the Ora 5 crossover.The V8 could find its way under the bonnet of the Tank 700 SUV or the coming Tank 800 flagship, but that’s yet to be confirmed.Kett said he understands that messaging could get confusing for GWM which claims green credentials while planning a V8, but suggested there could be other ways to bring the big engine to market.“I'm not sure how we explain them in this world, that we're a green company and we have a V8, but I'm sure we'll work our way through that, right?“We certainly see in the upper-large segments what they're getting away with, and the opportunity for us. So if it ends up being a narrow build or a limitation on how many we bring in, but certainly in our portfolio, there's a car we could take. It's just the economics piece.”He said one option could be to introduce the engine in very limited numbers, but he would like it to be broader. Another option was to charge V8 customers for cost of NVES, but that too is far from a certainty.“So maybe it has to pay for it, maybe we just have to say outside of V8 will be neutral and a bit of credit, V8 customer are just going to have to pay for the tax that goes with that right? That economically makes sense. I'm not sure PR wise or corporate wise, whether they would like that. That's the economic side.”GWM ANZ Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver has faith that the company will be able to introduce the V8 in healthy numbers, but it comes down to economic sense.“If we can build a business case and there's demand there, we're not going to limit. We'll sell as many as we can get our hands on. And we're pretty confident we'll get support from the factory for us to do that.“We have to get that hybrid and plug-in hybrid and EV part of the portfolio right. And we think we've got today, a good setup of product technology to take us there. But again, knowing what's coming in the pipeline, we will add a significant number more plug-in hybrids, EVs into that space, and we're confident we'll grow that.“And if we can do that, it really firms up V8 for us. But we're still going to make the business case as we do with any new car coming up.”In other words, watch this space.

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.

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.