Tesla News

The Australian new car landscape is getting reformed in front of our eyes. July sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), showed the cars and brands Aussies are loving and the ones we are falling out of love with.

Leaked images of a stripped-down Model Y, which Tesla supremo Elon Musk said would be the brand’s more attainable new model, have appeared in China.The Model Y looks exactly the same dimensionally as the current car, but has a few notable changes.Tesla has pulled out the panoramic sunroof, rear entertainment screen, the light bar across the front, and likely the light bar across the rear too (although this isn’t seen in the images).A stripped-down specification for the Americas already existed, with Mexican Model 3s once being available with cloth seats and the rear multimedia screen taken out. This variant was hardly revolutionary on the price front, wiping around the equivalent of $4000 off the price-tag.The Chinese images show the Model Y maintaining the synthetic leather interior, pointing to continued production and equipment differences between the Chinese-built vehicles, which arrive in Australia, and the cars built in and for the Americas.Chinese media is claimed inside sources said the new low-cost Model Y is already in production and will launch, at least domestically, before the end of 2025.A six-seat Model Y with an extended wheelbase was also recently revealed by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) as a Chinese-market special variant. It is 180mm longer, 45mm taller, with an additional 150mm in the wheelbase. In addition, the six-seat version scores a unique set of wheels and an alternate bumper design.Expect increased diversity from the Model Y in the future as Musk earmarks it for future sales growth. The controversial CEO confirmed the more affordable new model coming from the brand would be a variation of the Model Y and warned investors there would be more “rough” financial quarters ahead.Musk said the biggest obstacle isn’t whether people want the Model Y, it’s simply that they can’t afford it.“The more affordable we can make it, the better,” he told investors.In Australia, Tesla had a significant boost year-on-year thanks to the new and heavily updated Model Y earlier in 2025.The Model Y currently starts from $58,900 for a base rear-wheel drive, it used to be one of the most affordable new electric cars on sale in Australia. It is now comfortably beaten in the SUV space by the Leapmotor C10 (from $45,888) and Geely EX5 (from $40,990). It is also facing stiff competition from the BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990) and XPeng G6 (from $54,800).BYD’s Sealion 7 has done impressive numbers since its recent arrival, the Leapmotor C10 has yet to set the charts on fire despite its bargain pricing, having moved just 309 units this year. The Geely has fared much better, having moved 1845 units.

The polarising Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup could soon be getting a little sibling.Speaking with Business Insiders, Tesla Engineering Vice President Lars Moravy confirmed the company is already looking at a mini Cybertruck.“We always talked about making a smaller pickup,” said Moravy.“I think in the future, as more and more of the Robotaxi comes into the world, we look at those options and we think about, OK, that kind of service is useful not just for people, but also for goods.“We've definitely been churning in the design studio about what we might do to serve that need for sure.”This potential mini Tesla Cybertruck could be perfect for international markets, like Europe and the UK, as the current full-size Cybertruck isn’t being offered in certain markets due to its hefty kerb weight and trapezoidal design.Currently the Tesla Cybertruck is only offered in the US, Canada and Mexico, as well as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.The regular Cybertruck still hasn’t launched in Australia yet, though Tesla’s Country Director for Australia and New Zealand Thom Drew said earlier this year it’s “never been off the table”.Tesla Australia has also been briefed on changes required for the Cybertruck to be approved for sale locally, though there’s no timeframe of when it’ll actually go on sale.If this potential mini Cybertruck is offered in Australia, it could sit alongside the full-size Cybertruck and align more closely in size to the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.There’s only one electric mid-size ute offered in Australia currently, the LDV eT60. The full-size Ford F-150 Lightning is also offered and converted from left- to right-hand drive by AusEV.Looking to the future, LDV has previously locked in the new eTerron 9 electric ute for Australia and there’s an electric version of the Isuzu D-Max coming.

Tesla has issued a warning to Australian owners about driving their vehicles through tunnels with the cruise control system activated, warning that it is a “known-limitation” of the model’s Traffic-Aware Cruise Control. The situation came to light most recently through user complaints of phantom braking when the cruise system is active in a tunnel, with a complaint to Tesla eliciting the warning. It is also included in Tesla’s user manual.

If you need any more proof that China is becoming the dominant force in Australia’s automotive landscape, consider this.In the first six months of this year, 102,938 Chinese-made vehicles have been sold in Australia. Flash back five years to 2020, Chinese vehicle sales totalled just 11,055 in the same six-month period.That’s an 831 per cent increase in just five years. At this rate, China will overtake Thailand as the number two country of origin in Australia by next year. Japan is currently number one for imports, but for how long?Clearly a large number of Australians have no issue buying Chinese-built cars.The top 10 car brands for the first half of the year include Chinese giants GWM and BYD in seventh and eighth place respectively, while Tesla - which only imports cars to Australia from China - is ninth and SAIC-owned MG is just outside the table in eleventh.Yet looking at some of the commentary around this trend you’d be mistaken for thinking otherwise. There’s still a lot of negativity around Chinese brands and models despite the appetite for them here in Australia. But is it warranted?Honestly, it’s complicated.I appreciate some people have a moral issue buying a Chinese car given the long list of alleged current and historical human rights abuses carried out by the Chinese government. This is understandable.However, you could argue that if you take a stand against a particular country for historical human rights abuses there wouldn't be many countries left to buy cars from. The US isn’t exactly covering itself in glory when it comes to human rights at the moment.Other people take issue with the perceived quality of Chinese-made vehicles, in terms of build quality, materials and what they’re like to drive. And some of this concern is absolutely valid.The first crop of Chinese cars to hit Australia were, largely, awful. GWM, back in 2009 when it was just called Great Wall, served up some stinkers. The V240 SUV and X240 ute were terrible to drive, had poor build quality and the ute was even engulfed in an asbestos scandal.MG’s reboot as a Chinese-owned marque started in 2013 with the already dated MG6 sedan, but before it, Chery’s terrible trio of the J1 and J3 hatches and the J11 SUV ensured an early exit for the brand.Even some more recent attempts have been less than successful. Poorly calibrated advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) impacted Chery’s relaunch here a few years back with the Omoda 5, while even Deepal’s own company executives admitted the S07 EV was the most annoying car on sale in Australia thanks to incessant beeping and ADAS intervention.And, having driven a large number of Chinese cars currently on sale in Australia, I can confirm it is a mixed bag of good, bad and in between.But things are changing fast. I spent some time recently in China driving a raft of new models from BYD. While the test track was far too limited to develop decent drive impressions, it’s clear the overall quality of their cars has improved significantly. The interior design, materials used and even things like seat design impressed a lot of us hardened Aussie motoring writers.MG is on a roll at the minute, too. While I am yet to drive one myself, everyone that’s tested the MGS5 EV, including our very own Laura Berry, has raved about it. It’s like an SUV version of the already impressive MG4, only even better.GWM is consistently improving its models as it goes and having driven cars like the Tank 300 diesel and Haval H6 GT PHEV, I can confirm this to be true. Hiring noted former GM Holden engineer Rob Trubiani to tune its products will only help further.The quality of Tesla’s product improved greatly when Australian sourcing shifted from the USA to China a few years back.Granted, there are still some decidedly average cars in many of the Chinese brands’ model range.But to dismiss all cars from China is to fight a losing battle. Check those sales numbers again. Very soon half of the brands in the top 10 will be from China. GWM, MG and BYD all have ambitions for the top five or top three and some of the legacy brands aren’t doing much to stop them.I have had some alarming conversations with executives from legacy brands about China’s rise. I won’t name names, but multiple execs from top 10 brands have dismissed the popularity of Chinese brands in Australia and their potential to take over the industry. There is a sense from some that buyer loyalty will ultimately lead people back to long-standing brands.But this ignores the fact that hundreds of thousands of Australians don’t care about loyalty and they just want a good deal. And they are getting that in spades from the Chinese carmakers, much more than they are from the Japanese, Korean and European brands that have dominated for so long.So I guess what I am saying is, it might be time to get over the anti-China bias. Because you’re missing out on some pretty good cars. And in a few years there might not be as many non-Chinese brands to choose from.

The exciting cheap new Tesla model will just be a stripped-back Model Y.

Long-wheelbase versions of cars are very popular in China and the latest to get this is the popular Tesla Model Y electric SUV.Imagery and initial specifications of the so-called Tesla Model Y L have surfaced on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) as published by Car News China.The Tesla Model Y L measures in at 4976mm long, 1920mm wide and 1668mm tall, with a 3040mm wheelbase.This makes it around 180mm longer and 45mm taller than the regular Model Y, with a 150mm longer wheelbase.As a result of this extra length and the higher rear three-quarter section, Tesla has been able to fit a third row to the Model Y L. Car News China reports this car has a six-seat configuration, likely with second-row captain’s chairs.This isn’t the first time Tesla has fitted a third row of seating into the Model Y. In pre-update form, a seven-seat option with the standard wheelbase was offered in certain markets, including the US. It wasn’t offered in Australia.Power in the Model Y L will reportedly come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 340kW of power. This is 9kW more than the standard-wheelbase Long Range AWD.Thanks to the extra length the Model Y L reportedly has a kerb weight of 2088kg, which is around 100kg more than the standard Model Y Long Range.Car News China reports the Tesla Model Y L will be launching in China during its Autumn (September to November).It’s unclear if it will ever be offered outside of China, though it’s worth noting all versions of the Australian-specification Model Y are currently made in China.We’ve reached out to Tesla to see whether the Model Y L will be offered locally. We’ll update this story once we hear back.Despite the updated Model Y ‘Highland’ launching in Australia earlier this year, Tesla has been experiencing a big slump in sales locally.In the first six months of 2025 the company sold a total of 14,146 vehicles, which is down 38.8 per cent year-on-year.In June however, Tesla sold a total of 3457 Model Y examples, making it the third best-selling car for the month. It was behind only the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

Model Y gets a battery boost.

There is now less risk in buying a used electric car. Auction house Pickles has launched a new EV battery health score for the used electric cars it sells.

We’ve now reached the halfway point of 2025 and new vehicle sales are a little cooler than they were last year.According to VFACTS, a total of 608,811 new vehicles have been sold in the first six months of 2025, which is down 3.7 per cent year-on-year.The following is a breakdown of the brands that have experienced the biggest amount of sales growth or decline in the first half of 2025.We’ve only included mainstream and select premium brands in this story, because while niche luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley may have experienced a large change in sales growth or decline, they come from a much lower base.This Chinese brand has been surging up the sales charts ever since returning to Australian shores in 2023.Chery’s biggest seller by far this year has been the cut-price Tiggo 4 Pro (7996 sales YTD). Its crown of the cheapest SUV in Australia was recently snatched by the Indian-made Mahindra XUV 3XO.The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max was the Chinese carmaker’s model with the biggest growth in sales (1386 sales YTD, up 507.9 per cent), though it’s worth noting this car only launched locally in May 2024.China’s BYD experienced the second highest sales growth in Australia. In fact, in June it was the fifth best-selling brand.BYD’s best-seller was the popular Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute (10,424 sales). It was actually the fourth best-selling ute in June, behind the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.Another BYD model that has experienced a huge surge in sales is the Sealion 6 PHEV (4375 sales YTD, up 807.7 per cent), though this car only launched in May 2024.Mini’s sales growth comes from a considerably lower base than Chery and BYD, but its year-to-date sales are still up 80.4 per cent year-on-year.The Mini Countryman is one of the biggest reasons for the brand’s sales growth. A total of 1135 examples were sold in the first six months of 2025, which is up 155.1 per cent year-on-year.From an overall year-to-date sales volume perspective, however, the Mini Cooper did outsell the Countryman, with 1181 examples sold. This is up 52.2 per cent year-on-year.Cupra has slowly but steadily been increasing its sales in Australia since it launched in 2022.The Formentor SUV has been the brand’s best-seller since it arrived, with 909 examples sold in the first half of 2025. This is up 50.0 per cent year-on-year.The Born hatchback is another model on the rise for the brand, with 309 examples sold in the first half of 2025. This is up 19.3 per cent year-on-year.Polestar has a low sales base compared to rival brands in Australia, but it has picked up in the first half of 2025.The recently introduced Polestar 4 is currently the brand’s best-seller with 676 examples sold so far this year.However, only 396 examples of the Polestar 2 were sold in the first half of 2025, which is down 58.3 per cent year-on-year. Only 30 examples of the Polestar 3 were also sold over the same period.Even though the Tesla Model Y was the third best-selling car in June, it didn’t make up for the sales slump the US electric vehicle (EV) brand has been experiencing so far this year.A total of 10,431 examples of the Model Y were sold in the first six months of 2025, which is down 16.7 per cent year-on-year. This is despite the fact it launched in a new-generation guise a few months ago.Sales for the Model 3 also took a nosedive with 3175 examples sold so far this year. This is down 65.0 per cent year-on-year.The French brand doesn’t have a massive sales base in Australia to begin with, but it shrunk further in the first six months of 2025. This is despite the fact it has shaken up its product offerings and introduced more hybrids.Sales for virtually all Peugeots were down year-to-date compared to the same point last year, except for the 408 liftback. A total of 58 have been sold, which is up 48.7 per cent year-on-year.Overlooking the Peugeot 508 (2 sales YTD, down 94.6 per cent) which has been axed locally, the model that took the biggest hit in sales volume was the 2008 (111 sales, down 61.1 per cent).This Korean brand formerly known as SsangYong has been going through its second rebrand in two years and it has clearly taken a hit to its sales so far in 2025.KGM’s current best-seller has been the Musso dual-cab ute for a considerable amount of time now, however only 1131 examples were sold in the first half of 2025, which is down 44.2 per cent year-on-year.The model that saw the sharpest downturn in sales is the Korando. Only 79 examples have been sold year-to-date, which is down 71.0 per cent year-on-year.Without taking the Fiat Professional commercial vehicle brand into consideration, this Italian brand only sells small hatchbacks.A total of 207 examples of the Fiat 500 and Abarth counterparts were sold in the first half of 2025. This is down 28.6 per cent year-on-year.While sales for the regular Fiat brand are slowing, sales for the Fiat Ducato (sold under Fiat Professional) have been booming. A total of 708 examples were sold in the first half of 2025, which is up 32.8 per cent year-on-year.Local sales for the Czech brand have been sliding for a few years now, but there are new and refreshed products in the pipeline which will potentially pump up the sales numbers in the coming months.Sales for Skoda’s best-seller, the Kodiaq SUV, have remained steady in the first half of 2025 despite just launching in new-generation guise. A total of 688 examples were sold, which is down 2.4 per cent year-on-year.All Skoda models experienced a downturn in sales in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The model with the biggest decline is the Scala hatchback (76 examples YTD, down 67.7 per cent).