Tesla News

Electric cars have come a long way in a short time, and China’s EV market has shown us just how far they’ve come.China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market — and the source of the majority of Australia’s EVs — and the latest data shows a remarkable stat.According to the China Passenger Car Association, the average driving range of an electric car on sale in China is 528km.That’s an increase of about 25 per cent in half a decade, according to the data.Those driving ranges are calculated via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC), rather than the benchmark WLTP used in Europe and Australia.The data still shows that electric car driving range has improved by about a quarter in a short time.In Australia the default range for a new EV is generally around 500km, dispelling the range anxiety myth.New EVs from China and sold in Australia, such as the Zeekr 7X have a driving range from between 480km and 615km, and Tesla has just launched a new Chinese-built Model 3 RWD Long Range with up to 750km of range.Deepal’s new E07 ute-SUV mash-up has a driving range of up to 550km and Kia’s China-sourced EV5 can be driven up to 555km, depending on the variant.There are even more on the way if China is a guide, with the data showing more than 30 EVs on sale there with a driving range of more than 600km and 26 more with a range of more than 500km.500km is the new expectation for buyers in Australia and manufacturers have responded with a wave of new models at or exceeding the range, with Chinese brands or China-sourced vehicles leading the charge.The massive jump in electric driving range isn’t reserved to EVs. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs).EREVs use a petrol engine purely as a generator to charge the battery, with the wheels driven only by electric motors. PHEVs use a combination of a petrol engine and electric motors fed by a battery to drive the wheels.In China a PHEV with 100km of driving range is the new expectation with the majority boasting an EV-only driving limit of more than the century mark.EREVs are even more, with the vast majority claiming an electric-only driving range of more than 150km.This kind of performance hasn’t been fully realised in Australia where PHEVs and to a lesser extent EREVs are starting to gain traction.Several new options from Chinese brands, such as BYD, Chery and MG are pushing the boundaries of the new tech.Chery’s new Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid has a driving range of up to 170km in Australia.What is even more astounding is China is doing it at a lower cost than rival makers, which is helping to boost the technology Down Under.

Australian new-car sales had another bumper month, with about 106,000 vehicles landing in driveways in September.

Tesla has announced a battery upgrade for its flagship Model 3 Performance as well as a new Long Range rear-wheel-drive variant of the long-serving pure-electric sedan.Available to order from today (03/10/25), the Model 3 Performance now features a higher capacity Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery increasing (WLTP) range from 528km to 571km, with pricing unchanged at $80,900, before on-road costs.With dual motors delivering 343kW/741Nm, the Model 3 Performance accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 3.1 seconds before storming on to a maximum velocity of 261km/h.At the same time, the local Model 3 line-up has been massaged with the addition of a new Long-Range RWD variant, replacing the existing Long-Range AWD model.With a (WLTP) range of “up to 750km”, a whopping 230km more than the standard RWD model, Tesla is claiming it as “the longest-range EV in Australia”.All Model 3s have also been tweaked cosmetically with black Tesla badging, and the brand has confirmed its ‘Supercharger’ charging network has grown to 163 sites across Australia which equates to 1003 plugs. Tesla lays claim to “the largest global, fast charging network in the world” and says its superchargers can add up to 282km of range in 15 minutes. Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive and Long-Range RWD models are powered by a single 190kW/375Nm electric motor with claimed ranges of 520km and 750km, respectively. The top-spec Performance puts out 343kW/741Nm and now has a range of 528km. Alloy wheels15.4-inch centre touchscreen8.0-inch second row displayNine-speaker audio (RWD)17-speaker audio (Performance)Wireless phone chargingGlass roofNavigation (with real-time traffic updates)Acoustic glassAmbient lightingVentilated front seatsFull Self-Driving (Supervised) - $10,100Home charger - $800Mobile charger - $55019-inch alloy rims - $1800Exterior - Pearl White Multi-Coat (no cost)Diamond BlackDeep Blue MetallicStealth GreyQuicksilverUltra RedInterior -BlackBlack and White (optional)The Tesla Model 3 received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2025. Its Adult Occupant Protection score was 90 per cent, Child Occupant Protection was 95 per cent, Vulnerable Road User Protection was ranked at 89 per cent and Safety Assist came in at 88 per cent.Features -AEB (car-to-car junction, crossing and head-on)Lane keeping assistBlind-spot monitoringDriver fatigue monitoringForward collision warningIn-cabin child presence detectionActive cruise controlRear cross-traffic alertAuto emergency callNine airbagsActive bonnetFortified battery packMulti-collision brakeTesla’s standard warranty in Australia is four years/80,000km (including roadside assistance for the duration) with the drive battery covered for eight years/160,000km. Servicing is computer determined so the car will tell you when it's time to visit the workshop. However, Tesla recommends the following maintenance items and intervals:Brake fluid health check every four yearsCabin air filter replacement every two yearsWiper blade replacements every yearClean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 20,000kmRotate tyres every 10,000kmTesla also offers a mobile customer tyre repair service covering puncture repair, tyre replacement and wheel loan.The Tesla Model 3 is 4720mm long, 1848mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1442mm tall with a 2875mm wheelbase. Boot space is 594 litres with 88L in the ‘frunk’.

The Tesla Model Y has a monster month in September 2025.

It’s one of those under the table automotive dark arts everyone knows is an industry norm but is rarely spoken about publicly.But Xiaomi Founder and CEO Lei Jun hasn’t held back in describing his company’s detailed analysis of the Tesla Model Y during development of the brand’s YU7 EV SUV.This week, while delivering his annual speech at the Beijing National Convention Centre, Mr Jun confirmed the Xiaomi engineering team had acquired not one but three Tesla Model Ys for the express purpose of disassembly and forensic analysis of every component. And it’s a safe bet the Model 3 underwent a similar breakdown process as part of the Xiaomi SU7 sedan’s production program.Showing multiple side-by-side comparison slides of the YU7 and Model Y Mr Jun said, “We bought three Model Ys at the start of this year, disassembling the parts one by one, and studied every component, one at a time.”And in the face of massive supply shortages resulting from a huge order backlog for the recently released YU7, Mr Lei was effusive in his praise for Tesla's top-selling model and encouraged prospective Xiaomi buyers to consider it. “If you don’t choose YU7, you can consider Model Y. I’m not criticizing the Model Y. The Model Y is a very, very outstanding car,” he said.Within 18 hours of the YU7’s mid-year launch, Xiaomi said it had received around 240,000 orders, with the waiting list quickly pushing out to as much as 12 months. On social media Jun has also recommended the Xpeng G7 and Li Auto i8 as worthwhile YU7 alternatives. Already established as a large-scale global consumer electronics maker and software developer (it’s currently the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer), Xiaomi unveiled the single- and dual-motor SU7 EV sedan in 2024, with the YU7 SUV following this year.The tri-motor SU7 Ultra, currently the fastest EV around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.0 seconds, was recently spotted exiting Ferrari’s Maranello HQ, sparking speculation it’s being benchmarked in the development of the Prancing Horse’s upcoming pure-electric model.And a similarly focused version of the YU7, likely to be called YU7 GT, is expected soon, with a heavily camouflaged version of the car already spotted circulating on the famous German road circuit.   

How this Japanese company is innovating on current battery technology to bring more range to EVs sooner.

There is bad news on the horizon for electric utes.

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.

The rise of smart electric cars could see us fall into a future where we have to pay for nearly every function – even turning the vehicle on.Computers have been an integral part of vehicles since the 1980s, when engine management systems and electronics became more sophisticated, but it was always a car first and mainly mechanical with software added. In the past 10 years, however, we’ve seen computers become the architecture around which the car is built and aptly referred to as software defined vehicles (SDVs).Sure, that seems a natural part of the evolution of vehicles which have always been on a path of continual advancement from performance, efficiency and safety to comfort, convenience and entertainment. What could go wrong?The problem is that with cars essentially becoming just large electronic devices with many functions provided with software that’s updated over the air, the carmakers may choose to charge you for the use of them, or switch those functions off remotely if you don't pay up.It’s no different from your phone or TV and because you’re fine with paying for your Netflix and Spotify subscription, it stands to reason you’ll be okay with paying a subscription fee for car functions. Things such as heated seats, a head-up display, proximity unlocking, even the amount of power the motor makes. A most extreme scenario is failure to pay a bill resulting in the car itself not being able to be started. The safety implications of this are obvious and concerning at the very least.That last one seems unlikely but don’t underestimate the potential carmakers see in monetising vehicle functions. Electric vehicles have much fewer moving parts that need replacing, or fixing or maintaining than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and manufacturers stand to lose billions of dollars they’ve made in the past servicing ICE cars. Subscription fees will be one of the ways they’ll keep that cash flow going.Some car companies are already charging for features through subscriptions. Tesla currently offers extra features such as live traffic updates, dash cam and music streaming through its subscription model. BMW offers heated seats among other features through subscription, and Toyota has made its remote start function available this way on some models. Mercedes-Benz provides traffic and sat-nav updates using subscription, and Volkswagen will increase the power output of its ID.3 electric hatch from 150kW to 170kW for a monthly or annual fee. Chinese carmakers haven’t embraced the subscription model yet in Australia, despite many of the brands such as BYD, Geely and Zeekr having increasingly software-defined these vehicles.This could be because the competitiveness of the Australian market is forcing the new carmakers into a price war where the value for money of Chinese EVs is all important in attracting buyers to what are still unfamiliar brands. But given enough time the brands will establish themselves locally and be in a position to almost certainly charge subscriptions for what they used to offer for the price of the car.As vehicles become even more software-orientated, we could see brands compete on the basis of technology in the form of entertainment and comfort features to performance and handling, even the physical features of the car which could change the colour or shades of the car through intelligent body panels, as we’ve seen in concepts such as the BMW iX Flow at motor shows over the past few years.New Chinese brand Nio has just confirmed its coming to Australia and overseas it offers subscription services to vehicle functions including the EV battery itself. Buyers can purchase the Nio electric vehicle without the battery and then pay a regular fee that allows them to swap to a larger battery for a greater range if they want, but it’ll cost them a bit more.Nio scored particularly well in a recent report from research company Gartner, which ranked car manufacturers based on the value added to their vehicles through software. Nine categories ranging from electrification, vehicle architecture and autonomy to connectivity, the user experience, and even how tech-savvy the executive team of the company are were rated.The big winners this year were Tesla, Nio and Xiaomi, with all three being headed by technology leaders who focused on monetising and adding value to their products. Mazda, Nissan and Toyota came in at the bottom of the rankings. These three established companies who helped define the modern motoring would be being left behind by carmakers whose software defines their vehicles. Will consumers actually pay for features that were once part of the costs of the vehicle? Would you? Well, if you could see the number of silly apps I subscribe to on my phone, the answer is probably yes. But maybe subscriptions could lead to cars that are even more affordable - a blank slate that allows a really low entry price with no pressure to add any features unless you wanted to. Oh wait, that’s exactly how the carmakers will sell it to us…