Electric

Chinese behemoth Chery is at the forefront of futuristic, game-changing solid state batteries, and Australia could be inline to get the tech sooner rather than later.When asked whether solid state batteries would come to Australia, the answer was simple.“Why not”, said Peter Matkin, Chery's Director of Engineering.Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris backed this up by stating, “Chery is the brand where you never say never.”Matkin said Chery covers all bandwidth with all the possible options, but the demand has to be there. Time will tell if Australia has that demand.Chery has claimed it will fit the futuristic cells — which are more energy dense and less prone to fire than conventional batteries — to some of its Exeed vehicles in China.Exeed is Chery’s tech and luxury focused sub-brand, which, if Harris gets his way, will land in Australia in the future.“I really like the Exeed product, and I think they make some, you know, really cool, really high end, actual luxury specification vehicles. If I could make a wish tomorrow and it would come true, that would probably be what I would ask for.”The first Exeed vehicle to score the new battery is the Liefend shooting brake, which is claimed to have an electric driving range of up to 1500km.This is due to the energy dense solid state batteries, which are claimed to store 600Wh per kg. That is about triple what an average electric vehicle can store now in its battery.The Exeed ES8 shooting brake is also in line for solid state power, with it claimed to have a driving range of more than 1000km.A timeline on when that technology could reach Australia in a Chery vehicle, or one of its sub brands, is hard to tell.Matkin said the technology is moving so fast and the Exeed brand is selling extremely well in China and other markets, which could push back the timeline, but he was confident it would come.“The technology will definitely pick up. They're already working on the solid state. So technology will come,” he said.

Kia has revealed pricing for what is the Korean brand’s most expensive model yet.The EV9 GT will land in Australia imminently to take its place as the flagship of the EV9 range and Kia’s model line-up generally.Pricing for the big performance-honed electric SUV is set at $129,250, before on-road costs. Kia has not increased the pricing for any of the other model year 2026 EV9 grades.The EV9 range continues to kick off from $97,000 for the single-motor rear-wheel drive Air, rising to $106,500 for the dual-motor all-wheel drive Earth and $121,000 for the dual-motor AWD GT-Line.The new spicy GT grade costs $8250 more than the GT-Line. It is also nearly $10K more than the mechanically related Hyundai Ioniq 9 SUV ($119,750), although it gets more power and torque than that model.The EV9 pumps out a significant 374kW of power and 740Nm of torque, driving all four wheels. Top speed is set at 220km/h and the hulking SUV can sprint from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. An impressive feat for a 2600kg-plus vehicle.It is fitted with the same 99.8kWh battery in the other long-range EV9 grades and Kia says that makes for a driving range of 510km. It can accept a max charge rate of 350kW via a rapid DC fast charger.The EV9 comes standard with Electronic Controlled Suspension and Kia says the electric family hauler has benefited from a localised ride and handling tune to ensure it copes better with Australia’s average road conditions.Kia’s not confirmed spec just yet but some standard gear highlights include unique gloss black 21-inch alloy wheels, a digital LED grille featuring Kia’s ‘Star Map’ lighting, and a bespoke interior with second-row relaxation seats.There are still very few seven-seat fully-electric SUVs this size available in Australia, aside from the single-grade Hyundai Ioniq 9 or the Volvo EX90 (from $124,990). A number of Chinese brands are planning large electric or plug-in hybrid SUVs so expect this segment to grow.Kia is yet to detail what, if any changes there are for the other EV9 grades as part of the model year update.2026 Kia EV9 pricing before on-road costs 

I drive a lot of electric cars, but I’ve had somewhat of an epiphany in my time with the Nissan Ariya Evolve e-4orce these past few months.Dual-motor EVs are mostly unnecessary.This issue has been gnawing at me for awhile, and it isn’t just the Ariya that is affected, but all EVs.There are a few reasons.One, is it adds extra weight to an already heavy car, which then affects how the suspension performs. Most dual-motor EVs have a bouncy rode and struggle to keep their hefty weight in checkTwo, is that extra weight, combined with the extra energy consumed by the second motor, means driving range is reduced considerably.The Ariya’s claimed driving range is is only 17km less than the single motor version at 487km. It has been verified via the Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which is the benchmark measurement for EV ranges.During our time behind the wheel we have seen the Ariya Evolve e-4orce deliver less than 400km per charge. CarsGuide’s previous experience with the Ariya single motor variant has seen it deliver more than 500km per charge.Another reason to not go the dual motor route for your EV is your wallet. Ditching the second motor will save you big time, or about $8000 if you are shopping for an Ariya. This does include a few specification differences, but nothing life changing.The extra motor also requires more space, and as nearly every automotive engineer has told me over the past few decades, saving weight and space are the two biggest challenges they face.In the Ariya's case the extra motor eats into the boot space, dropping it from 466 litres in single-motor guise to 406 litres in the dual-motor version. There is no spare tyre either, with owners making do with a fiddly tyre repair kit that doesn't pass the pub test.This packaging issue affects all dual motor EVs, and all-wheel drive petrol and diesel cars, so it is not an isolated issue.Having all-wheel drive does add some benefits.The Ariya Evolve e-4orce is exceptionally composed and poised in the wet, with it handling Sydney summer storm downpours with ease, where front- or rear-wheel drive vehicles can slip and struggle to put the power down in greasy wet conditions.Lets not forget the second motor brings plenty of extra grunt, too.The Ariya Evolve e-4orce pumps up the outputs to a beefy 320kW and 600Nm, which is good enough to drop the zero to 100km sprint time to 5.6 seconds.You might not want your family electric SUV to go that fast, but there are plenty out there who do.I think the sweet spot for most electric car ranges, including the Ariya, is the single-motor version that delivers a real-world driving range of more than 500km.That 500km range appears to be the marker that removes most of the range anxiety.Moving along from the all-wheel drive/dual-motor conundrum I’ve been dealing with the past six weeks, the Ariya has shown off some of its quality.Without a doubt the Ariya’s cabin is its standout feature. It is a warm, comfortable and inviting space for my family of four.Child seats — front and rear facing — fit in the back pew with ease, and the supple Nappa leather-trimmed seat upholstery is easy to wipe down if needed.The Ariya’s egg-shape gives it a lofty feeling inside, with the high roof — along with the full length panoramic sunroof — giving it an airy feel that few can match.A head-up display — which projects vital information such as your travelling speed, prevailing speed limit and safety warnings onto the windscreen in front of the driver — should be standard on every car.It reduces distraction and means you are unlikely to ever creep over the speed limit. Speed bracket creep is a real thing in EVs, where there are often no audible cues to you accelerating as there is with petrol or diesel vehicles.The cabin materials are excellent, with plush and high-end elements throughout.Many passengers were impressed by the haptic button integrated in the faux wood dash trim and centre console. You can control some climate functions and switch the drive modes and engage the single pedal driving functions with these buttons.There are still some functions, such as more advanced climate and comfort controls, buried in the touchscreen.Nissan’s multimedia software falls behind tech-leading alternatives from newer brands.The centre console is bulky but lacks any proper storage options.As mentioned earlier, the boot is on the small side. It isn’t horrendously small, but squeezing everything in for a family of four is a struggle I often lose. A slow leak in the tyre meant a running repair needed to be done by the dealer, but the lack of a space saver or full size spare meant negotiating with the tyre repair kit. And I don’t negotiate with terrorists. It was easier and quicker to drive to the nearest petrol station to top up then it was to charge the inflator via the car’s 12-volt plug and then hook it up to the tyre.Next instalment we’ll give our final verdict on the Ariya Evolve e-4orce.2026 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD Acquired: December 2025Distance travelled this month: 528kmOdometer: 6742kmAverage energy consumption this month: 20.7kWh/100km

Honda has become the latest brand to be affected by the underperformance of its electric vehicles, according to reports.The brand’s EV write-offs and expenses for developing its EVs increased to nearly $2.5 billion in the nine months up to the end of 2025.Honda also saw its global EV sales halve in the past quarter, falling to 15,000.Its auto making business suffered a more than $1.5 billion operating loss for the first three quarters of this financial year.It is the fourth-straight quarter the brand has recorded an operating loss in its auto making department, with losses expected to blow out to more than $6 billion for the full year.Honda was targeting up to 2 million electric vehicle sales in 2030, but it is now expected it will only get to about 750,000.The brand has been forced to comprehensively shake-up its EV plan, which was foreshadowed by CEO Toshihiro Mibe in May 2025.“We intend to significantly revise our future EV strategy,” he said.There will be more details on Honda’s new EV strategy at the start of the upcoming financial year, which gets underway in April.The news comes after Ford reported heavy losses in the fourth quarter of this financial year, headlined by EV asset value decreases.It is unclear what this news could mean for Honda in Australia, with the brand having no EV units on sale yet.Honda Australia Director of Automotive Robert Thorp told CarsGuide in August 2025 that net zero emissions by 2050 is one of the company's objectives, with hybrid set-ups central to its approach.All five of Honda’s models sold in Australia have hybrid choices as well as petrol, but it is not known yet, whether that will be enough to satisfy the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).The brand has confirmed its Super-One city car will launch Down Under in the second half of 2026 as the first fully-electric model in its Aussie lineup.Honda sales grew more than nine per cent in Australia in 2025, with its CR-V and HR-V SUVs leading the way.

With local arrival on track for June this year, Suzuki Australia has confirmed details of the brand’s first-ever pure electric vehicle, the e Vitara.Underpinned by Suzuki’s ‘Heartect-e’ EV-specific platform, the compact SUV will be powered by a single electric motor producing 106kW/193Nm in the two-wheel-drive Motion grade, while the dual-motor set-up in the top-spec, all-wheel-drive Ultra produces 135kW/307Nm.A 49kWh LFP battery in the Motion delivers a claimed range of 344km, while the Ultra’s 61kWh pack extends that distance to 395km.Outright charging capacities are yet to be confirmed but Suzuki said charging times under initial development for both models have been targeted at 45 minutes for a 10-80 per cent DC top up, 5.5 hours for 10-100 on 11kW AC three-phase power and nine hours from 10-100 per cent on a 7.0kW AC single-phase outlet. An integrated heat pump battery thermal management system, aimed at optimising battery performance, driving range and charging efficiency, is standard. Pricing will be released closer to the car’s launch but the e Vitara will be lining up against competitors like the BYD Atto 2 (from $31,990, before on-road costs), Chery E5 (from $38,990, drive-away), Leapmotor B10 (from $38,990 drive-away) and MG S5 EV (from $40,490, drive-away).Local specification has been set with standard feature highlights for the entry-grade Motion including 18-inch alloys, LED headlights (with auto high-beam), multiple drive modes, rain-sensing wipers, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, 10.1-inch centre multimedia display (with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity), a leather-trimmed steering wheel, climate-control air, 12-colour interior ambient lighting, fabric seats and four-speaker audio.As well as additional power and AWD capability, the Ultra adds adaptive high beam, front (LED) fog lights, a glass roof (with shade), Infinity audio (with subwoofer), wireless charging, fabric and synthetic leather seat trim, heated front seats and electric seat adjustment for the driver.ADAS crash-avoidance tech is extensive, including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assist and lane departure prevention, forward collision warning, ‘High Beam Assist’, blind spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera view plus front and rear parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert.If all that isn’t enough to avoid a sheet metal interface there are seven airbags onboard and multi-collision brake is fitted to minimise the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash.In announcing the e Vitara details, Suzuki Australia General Manager - Automobile Michael Pachota said, “Ahead of its Australian introduction, the e Vitara has already received strong interest and positive reception across global markets, reinforcing confidence in Suzuki’s electric vehicle strategy.”

BYD, Chery and GWM might seem like the new-car boogeymen to legacy carmakers, but a quiet giant is muscling up in China.Xiaomi, which is best known for making smartphones, has branched out into electric cars and put the car world on notice. It has a seriously big hit on its hands with the YU7 mid-size SUV.The Tesla Model Y rival was the best-selling passenger car in China during the first month of this year.It reportedly sold almost 38,000 units in January, which was more than double the Tesla Model Y.Xiaomi also smashed big name Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely to take the top spot.This could all be the tip of the iceberg as the brand received more than 400,000 orders just a month after it launched in 2025.The Chinese brand isn’t just content with dominating its home market, but has big plans for global domination.Europe appears to be first up, with Bloomberg reporting it would launch in the continent by 2027.Xiaomi is winning fans around the world, including Ford’s boss Jim Farley.The Blue Oval’s head honcho has gone on the record about how much he loves the Xiaomi SU7 - the sedan version of the YU7.Last year he told the Everything Electric Show: “I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive a Xiaomi. We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up.”Ferrari has been seen benchmarking the high-performance SU7 at its Maranello headquarters ahead of the Prancing Horse’ coming first electric car. A fact no one would have believed a few short years ago.It is easy to see on paper why the YU7 is such a smash hit.In China the YU7 range kicks off with the Standard grade, featuring a single motor powering the rear wheels and producing 235W and 528Nm.The mid-tier Pro brings all-wheel drive and two motors with a combined output of 365kW and 690Nm.Both use a 96.3kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.   Range-topping Max is all-wheel drive and its dual motors up the ante with 508kW and 866Nm. That's enough grunt to throw this SUV from 0 to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. At its core is a 101kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery.

Tesla has announced its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology in Australia will move to a subscription-only service from April 2026. Buyers were previously able to purchase the technology for a one-off price of $10,100 or pay $149 per month. It is a Level 2 advanced driver assist system, which can navigate its way to the chosen destination. It is available on Tesla Model 3 or Model Y examples equipped with a Hardware 3 or 4 camera.The brand has confirmed the monthly subscription cost will remain the same for the time being. As with most subscriptions services, such as Netflix, there is a strong possibility for incremental increases on a regular basis.The initial pricing of the Model 3 and the Model Y has not changed despite the shift to a subscription model. The Model 3 starts in Australia from $54,900, before on-road costs, while the Model Y has a starting price of $58,900. Both cars were among Australia’s best-selling electric cars, with the Model Y topping the charts at more than 22,000 sales. Buyers will not be able to outright purchase the technology from the 31st of March 2026, so vehicles will have to be ordered by that date to be eligible for it. Existing owners of eligible vehicles will be able to outright purchase the technology via the Tesla app until the 31st of March as an upgrade post purchase. Tesla’s transfer promotions on the system will also no longer be offered from April of this year. This promotion allowed for owners of existing Tesla's with the FSD or Enhanced Auto Pilot to transfer it onto a new model without additional cost. The announcement confirms Australia will follow Tesla in the US, which ceased the outright purchase of the technology in mid-February of this year. The technology made headlines when it was released in Australia towards the end of last year as the first right-hand drive market to receive it.The move to a subscription-only service for FSD (supervised) is one of several big moves the car maker has made in recent times. Tesla announced in late January that it was cutting production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV in the middle of this year. This is to make way for production of Optimus robots in the same factory. 

Ford has reported heavy losses.The brand has reported a $11.1 billion net loss in the fourth quarter of this financial year — its worst financial performance since the GFC in 2008, or the Great Recession. Headlining the losses for the company is a five per cent decline in fourth-quarter revenue to $45 billion, with adjusted gross earnings more than halving to $1 billion.This is despite record full-year revenue for the company increasing to $187.3 billion.This reflects a difficult overall year for the Blue Oval, with gross losses of $8.2 billion, due to electric vehicle asset value decreases, and $2 billion worth of tariffs. Electric vehicle sale underperformance has forced Ford to axe production of its F-150 Lightning full-size pick-up, with it failing to stimulate sufficient demand after a turbulent four-plus years on sale. As part of these EV adjustments, Ford's in-progress BlueOval City manufacturing facility in Tennessee will build internal combustion F-150s instead of the Lightning variant.Ford has not given up on its EV ambitions, with the brand planning five new budget models, which will launch by 2030 in the US. This includes an all-electric ute in 2027 called the Ranchero, which will look to capitalise on the raging success of the petrol-powered Maverick. Ford’s diesels have been the foundation of its sales success in Australia, with the Ranger ute and Everest SUV some of best sellers in the country. It is unclear at this stage whether Ford will bring across some of these emerging electric models to offset potential New Vehicle Efficiency Standard impacts.Ford is not an exception to impacts from tariffs and EV, with others cutting projects before they get off the ground to avoid losses. Late last year, it was reported Kia had canned plans for an electric full-size pick-up, which would have been a competitor to the F-150 Lightning. Toyota is also holding off on its plans for a small affordable ute for similar reasons. 

Chery is going to shake up stale and uninteresting competitors in Australia.Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris has revealed some of the cars on his wish list for Down Under, and the fast-rising Chinese brand has some of the biggest names in the business in its sights.“I think having a very small and then a small hatchback would be a game changer,” said Harris.“I think there’s a huge amount of potential in those segments, and at the moment I think those segments are a little bit stale and not that interesting.“So if we could bring something like the QQ, I think it’d be a huge amount of opportunity,” he said.That opens the door to two new cheap small cars from Chery’s city-focused QQ range.The very small hatch could refer to the QQ Domi, which was revealed last year.It is a pint-sized electric hatchback measuring just 3.7m long and 1.7m wide, which is just bigger than a Kia Picanto but smaller than a Suzuki Swift.It’s nearest EV competitor would be the larger BYD Atto 1, which is called Seagull in other markets.In China it launched at the equivalent of about $13,000. Chinese cars are usually 20 per cent more expensive here than the home market, which would mean it could lob in at about $16,000. That would make it not only Australia’s cheapest electric car, but the cheapest car overall.It has modest numbers to match its low price tag, with a single electric motor making 40kW and 110Nm sent to the front wheels. A little 28.5kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is about the same size as found in plug-in hybrids, delivers a claimed driving range of up to 305km, according to the very generous China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC).Next up would likely be the bigger QQ3, which just opened for preorders in China.It measures 4195mm long ,1811mm wide and 1573mm tall, which puts it in the same ballpark as the Geely EX2 and slightly smaller than the BYD Dolphin.Power comes from a single rear-mounted electric motor making either 58kW or 90kW, which drives the rear wheels.At its core is a LFP battery that provides a driving range between 280km and 401km, depending on the grade. That is calculated via the lenient CLTC testing regime, so expect much less in the real world.It would likely be priced sub-$30,000 if it arrives Down Under.Chery also has one of the biggest names in the business in its flights, with the Toyota Camry officially put on notice.“And we also have some really great medium and large sedans in other markets — left-hand drive — which I think that sort of size in between medium and large sedans is a real opportunity in Australia as well,” said Harris.“There’s only really one serious competitor, and they don’t have much competition. They kind of own the whole market. So I think there is certainly a lot of opportunity there as well.”Chery will need to play in a lot more segments over the next few years if it wants to crack the top 10 and future top five sellers list in Australia.

Pricing for the incoming BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis ute has been revealed on the website RedBook.It will start from $55,900, before on-road costs, which is $2000 cheaper than the pick-up version of the popular ute already in Australia. BYD Australia when contacted for comment said that the company was not in a position to share an official launch date for the new variant. The cab-chassis Shark 6 does not have a direct rival in Australia with the Ford Ranger PHEV being a pick-up-exclusive variant. GWM is preparing a budget PHEV ute in China, which has good prospects for an Australian launch some time this year, but it looks like that will be a pick-up-only variant as well. BYD’s newest ute Down Under was first revealed in late November when it appeared in Department of Infrastructure filings confirming sale approval. These latest details reveal the car will miss out on some of the Shark 6 pick-up’s gear, such as a head-up display along with heated and ventilated front seats.It will still have a digital driver display and central touchscreen display, but the leather-wrapped steering wheel has been replaced by a synthetic one. It can also now be confirmed that the ute will have the same power set-up as found on the pick-up variant. A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, producing 321kW and 650Nm. The ute has a 29.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, with an electric-only driving range of 100km, according to generous NEDC testing.The cab-chassis increases the payload to 900kg, but capacity will decrease with any tub or trailer installed. braked towing capacity remains at 2500kg.This news comes as BYD prepares to update the pick-up variant of the ute later in 2026. It is expected to be fitted with front and rear differential locks and a two-speed transfer-case, which would likely come with a price bump.