Electric Cars

The brand may be in limbo in Australia but Peugeot has made a big statement at this week’s Paris Motor Show with the unveiling of a new-generation RCZ Vision sports coupe concept. And the big news under the four-seat GT’s svelte exterior is what the French maker states is a 110mm thick solid-state battery sitting within a 1000-volt electric architecture. Developed in collaboration with US energy specialist, Factorial Energy, Peugeot said the car’s solid-state cells have been tailored to deliver high energy density with “outstanding” charging and power capabilities.  Although its configuration isn’t detailed, Peugeot said the concept’s pure-electric powertrain is good for around 375kW with energy consumption of 11.5kWh/100km, while the battery’s state of charge is capable of rising from 10 to 80 per cent in just 10 minutes. Design highlights include the latest interpretation of Peugeot’s ‘Three Claws’ head- and tail-light signature, a ‘double-bubble’ roof echoing the original production RCZ’s (offered globally from 2009-2015) and a ‘future-generation’ version of the i-Cockpit instrument and steering wheel layout, the latter including transparent Micro LED displays. Underpinned by the Stellantis Group’s modular, multi-energy STLA One platform, scheduled to roll out in production form for B, C, and D segment models from 2027, the sleek concept features active aero, 21-inch front and 22-inch rear rims and a mix of top-shelf materials throughout the cabin, including Alcantara, recycled leather, machined aluminium and frosted glass. The dashboard clock, designed by French watchmaker, Serica, is in the form of the brand’s Parade watch, a floating centre console unites multiple functions including driving modes and climate control, while the air vents are mobile and can disappear into the dash when not in use. Unveiling the car, Peugeot CEO Alain Favey said, “With Peugeot RCZ Vision, we are setting out our vision with a car firmly focused on the future, dedicated to delivering the ultimate driving pleasure.   “With emotion at its heart, this manifesto embodies the boldness of Peugeot and shows that design and technology can work together seamlessly to create an experience that is instinctive, refined and intensely desirable,” he said.

Smart has officially revived its small two-seat hatchback, and it may be returning to Australian shores. The Smart #2, pronounced ‘Hashtag Two’, is the spiritual successor to the original Smart ForTwo that similarly debuted at the Paris motor show, but 28 years prior. This new two-seat hatchback is now electric-only and based on a new platform called the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA). It’s powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 60kW and 130Nm. The electric motor is fed by a 35.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a WLTP-claimed range of 289km. AC charging is offered at rates up to 11kW, depending on the trim, while DC fast-charging is available at rates up to 65kW. The latter allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge to occur within 20 minutes. The Smart #2 measures in at 2746mm long, 1760mm wide and 1555mm tall, with a 1875mm wheelbase. This makes it roughly 250mm longer, 250mm wider and 55mm taller than the original Smart ForTwo. The Smart #2 also has a kerb weight of 1140kg, which is 410kg heavier than the three-cylinder-powered original. All four wheels are pushed to the corners of the body and the rear wheels are slightly wider than the front. The exterior styling is reminiscent of previous-generation ForTwo models and it retains the classic split-folding tailgate. There’s 305 litres of boot space as standard, which expands to 527 litres with the underfloor section. The Smart #2 is available in a series of trim levels, including Pure, Premium and the limited-edition Couture Edition. A high-performance Brabus version is also in the works. All versions receive LED headlights, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, bench-style front seat and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability. The Premium receives a panoramic glass sunroof, seven-speaker Sennheiser sound system, a heated driver’s seat, as well as synthetic leather upholstery. The limited-edition Couture Edition has Atelier White matte exterior paint with a Platinum Gold roof, plus 16-inch alloy wheels with gold details. All versions have adaptive cruise control and lane centring, while the Premium and up receive blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Smart #2 is set to launch in the UK in 2027 and a wider European and Chinese launch is in the works. A Smart spokesperson has said there is currently no specific details about a launch in other global markets, including Australia. Despite the uncertainty, Smart did paint a mural of the #2 in Melbourne, among other global locations, back in August. This indicates that an Australian launch is at least on the brand’s radar. The Smart ForTwo was discontinued locally in 2015 following declining sales. This revived electric version, if it comes to Australia, will rival the likes of the Hyundai Inster, BYD Atto 1, Geely EX2 and GAC Aion UT, among others. Since the Smart brand relaunched in 2019 as a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, it returned to Australia in 2024 with the #1 and #3 electric SUVs. The new Smart #5 mid-size electric SUV, which is the brand’s largest vehicle to date, is set to launch in Australia during November.

Chinese electric cars are about to get more expensive, thanks to a cash grab made by the Chinese government. In a move that will help repair its budget, the Chinese government has slashed the export rebate for value added tax (VAT) on electric, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and range-extender hybrids (REEV) from 13 per cent to nine per cent, according to reports. This effectively means Chinese cars will become four per cent more expensive to send to Australia, but the good news is this doesn’t kick in until April 2027. This means Chinese brands might engage in a price war to grab market share before being forced to lift prices. China is the world’s biggest electric and low-emissions vehicle market in the world, and it exported more than 570,000 examples in September alone. Sales of Chinese-made cars have exploded in Australia, with 42,158 examples finding a new home in September. That is about 39 per cent of all new cars sold in Australia. That number smashes conventional powerhouses Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Not all Chinese-made cars are from Chinese brands. Almost every Australian-delivered Teslas is built in China, and an increasing number of carmakers are building their EVs there, such as the Cupra Tavascan, Hyundai Elexio and Kia EV5, among others. Chinese-built electric cars are starting to dominate the top 10 sellers list, with the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 all amongst the top sellers for September. There are also a number of contenders knocking on the top 10, including the Zeekr 7X and Jaecoo J5. Even with a four per cent price rise across the board, Chinese cars will still undercut rivals from conventional carmakers. BYD’s Atto 1 is the cheapest car in the country at $19,990 — at least until its promotional drive-away offer ends in December. BYD isn’t alone in sharpening its pencil, with the Geely EX2, GAC Aion UT, GWM Ora 5 and Leapmotor B03X all lobbing in the past few months with price tags at about or less than $30,000. Tesla slashed $9000 of the price of entry into its Model 3 electric sedan, with a new based Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) variant priced from $45,900, before on-road costs. A price war is forming, but it might be slightly blunted by the incoming changes.

A fix for a huge electric car problem is in the works. The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has announced a $1.43 million investment into a national EV charging roadmap.  The EVC said in its 2026 State of EVs report that Australia still needs "substantial public charging investment”.  It called for better data on demand use, reliability and coverage, with Australia’s charging infrastructure conundrum more complex than merely installing more fast chargers.  The roadmap is expected to be finalised in mid-2027.  The $1.43 million is made up of funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) ($1.06 million) as well as contributions from the EVC and other project partners.  The roadmap will look at charging demand, pressure points and where greater coordination could inform investment decisions through to 2035. It aims to introduce a coordinated charging network for passenger cars and heavy vehicles in metropolitan and regional Australia.  “Other major EV markets have recognised the value of coordinated national planning,” EVC Chief Executive officer Julie Delvecchio said.  “This Roadmap will bring that to Australia, shaped around our distances, our electricity system and the needs of everything from passenger cars to heavy trucks.” Owning a petrol or diesel car is becoming more expensive in Australia, and buyers are making the switch to EV power.  The Tesla Model Y has consistently featured in the top five best-selling cars, and in June 2026, it achieved a recording-breaking 8072 sales.  The BYD Sealion 7 has also recorded a serious increase in sales as it provides tough competition for the Model Y, while Geely’s EX5 has had a bumper 2026.  The federal government is targeting 5 million electric cars on Aussie roads by 2035, which would require the total number of EVs on the road to increase tenfold. Electric cars are now among the cheapest on offer in Australia.  The BYD Atto 1 starts from $19,990, drive-away (until December 15, 2026), while the Geely EX2 is available from $26,490, before on-road costs.  The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is helping to increase EV choices for buyers, with high-emission cars incurring hefty fines under the scheme. 

The new BMW iX3 is the first production model to arrive on BMW’s new Neue Klasse EV architecture. Has BMW actually managed to make its next generation of EVs feel like a proper Bimmer?

Nissan has just confirmed the launch of its first Chinese-sourced, joint-venture model in Australia and more models are in the plans. “We are working on business cases and I think we’ve been pretty open,” said Nissan Australia Managing Director Steve Milette to CarsGuide. “There’s a lot of vehicles that were revealed at the Auto China [motor show this year]. “I mean, we have our hand up for many of those and it’s just a matter of going through the proper business cases, just like we went through on the Navara Pro PHEV, but there definitely is a need for us to continue down the electrification of our portfolio and expanding the line-up and so more to come in the future.” Nissan engineers have conducted over 20,000km of local testing of the new Navara Pro PHEV since 2025 and Milette noted that prototypes of other Chinese Nissan vehicles are already being driven around in Australia. At this stage it’s unclear which Chinese-made models Nissan will bring to Australia next, but at the Auto China motor show earlier in 2026 it revealed the following vehicles: Nissan NX8 electric (EV) and range-extender (REEV) large SUV Nissan Terrano PHEV concept Nissan Urban SUV PHEV concept Nissan has since revealed the NX7 PHEV mid-size SUV, which is based on the Urban SUV PHEV concept. While a production version of the Terrano PHEV concept hasn’t been revealed yet, Nissan notes that it will be revealed before April 2027. A camouflaged, production-specification Nissan Terrano PHEV prototype was spied earlier this year and it’s understood to share many components and its body-on-frame platform with the Navara Pro PHEV dual-cab ute. This means the production-specification Terrano PHEV will likely have either a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol PHEV or 2.0-litre turbo-petrol PHEV, like the Navara Pro PHEV. The latter offers total system outputs of 300kW and 800Nm. It’s unclear whether any other powertrain options will be available in the Terrano. For reference, the Frontier Pro/Navara Pro is also offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. If the Terrano PHEV comes to Australia, it will sit underneath the flagship Patrol. It will be a key rival to the likes of the GWM Tank 500 PHEV, Denza B5 and Denza B8, while also a rival to diesel alternatives like the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado. Beyond the Nissan Terrano PHEV, the Japanese carmaker has a series of other Chinese-made models that have previously been earmarked for a local launch. Examples include the Nissan NX8 electric and REEV large SUV, NX7 PHEV mid-size SUV, as well as the N7 electric sedan. The latter vehicle was most recently confirmed for a launch in the Philippines as the Primera EV earlier this year. Nissan has been ramping up the exports from its Chinese production facility which it operates as part of a joint-venture with Dongfeng.

Volkswagen finally has the firepower to take on China, with its new ID.Tiguan electric SUV. The new ID.Tiguan will replace the current ID.4 and ID.5, which are currently still on sale in Australia. Both have been met with lukewarm success and have been comprehensively outsold by the Tesla Model Y, Zeekr 7X, Geely EX5 and more. The mid-size electric SUV moves to the company’s upgraded electric car platform, dubbed MEB+. This brings a number of updates including faster charging capabilities, better batteries and more efficient electric motors. The new ID.Tiguan brings more road presence than the outgoing ID.4 and ID.5. It looks less like it was designed to impress a wind tunnel and more to look good in a driveway. It has chunkier styling with a more boxy silhouette, with broad haunches and a blocky rear end. Sharp LED lights joined by a light bar that runs the length of the bonnet gives it a modern EV feel. There are just enough body creases to give it some visual appeal, along with various alloy wheel designs. Inside is where the magic really happens. Buttons, glorious buttons, have made a return to a Volkswagen interior. There are physical controls for climate functions underneath the central multimedia display, and the steering wheel has plenty of real buttons, not haptic feedback touch controls of cars past. This doesn’t mean the ID.Tiguan is old-school. The ID.Tiguan can come with three screens, including a 15-inch central multimedia screen, 10-inch driver display and a 12-inch front seat passenger screen. This means the screens run the length of the entire dashboard. It appears the austerity years that ripped out the high-end feel of Volkswagen interiors might be over, with the ID.Tiguan looking plush and comfortable inside. The ID.Tiguan is available in three layouts: two single-motor, rear-wheel drive and one dual-motor all-wheel drive. The base rear-wheel-drive version uses a 140kW motor and 58kWh battery delivering a WLTP range of up to 450km. A beefier 210kW rear-wheel drive version is paired with a 77kWh battery that provides a driving range up to 600km. The range is topped off with a 220kW all-wheel-drive version that uses the same 77kWh battery to push the car up to 560km. The bigger batteries can accept up to 165kW of DC power and the smaller version up to 105kW. All can absorb 11kW from an AC connector. The ID.Tiguan can even tow, with the smaller battery version capable of pulling up to 1800kg and the others can shift 2000kg. Volkswagen Australia has not confirmed if the ID.Tiguan will be sold in Australia, but it is almost certain it will arrive here to replace the ID.4 and ID.5. Pre-sales start in select European countries this month, but Australia is usually a decent chunk behind the continent. Volkswagen has just announced a series of substantial updates for the ID.4 and ID.5 in Australia, which will likely point to it being on sale for another year at least. So, expect it to arrive towards the end of 2027 at the earliest. In Germany it starts at the equivalent of about $68,000.

An unknown brand specialising in hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China will arrive in Australia next year to take on BYD, Chery, GAC, Geely, Haval, MG and others. This may sound like every other Tuesday, nowadays, but the difference here is that the latest nameplate arrival, Nevo, will represent Changan Automobile – the state-owned carmaker that has been making vehicles in China since 1959. And that’s the longest of the lot. According to Changan Australia Head of Brand and Marketing Andrew Haurissa Nevo is now locked in for our market. “The first one (after luxury brand Avatr) will be a Nevo vehicle,” he revealed. “Whether it comes here as Nevo or Changan Nevo, that’s yet to be confirmed.” While only existing since 2023 in its home market as a Qiyuan, Nevo has been a runaway success, and so will be set up as the public-facing mainstream entity, likely in lieu of the Changan brand in Australia, at least for the time being. Which Nevo arrives first is not yet clear. It is believed that the Q05 small SUV hybrid and the Q06 mid-sized SUV EV with range-extender EV option may be at the head of the queue. Taking a page out of the Geely EX5 playbook, these should give Changan Automobile two strong players in the $30,000 to $50,000 price range, capitalising on the booming electrification growth areas in Australia, to put it in the thick of the action. Interestingly, Australians already have been exposed to Changan and Nevo models already. The Mazda 6e and CX-6e EV sedan and SUV are part of a joint-venture project using two respective Deepal models as a base - the L07 and S07 respectively. Plus, there is the E07 Multitruck, the strange SUV/pick-up truck mash-up EV marketed in Australia by Subaru importer Inchcape as a Deepal, alongside the more-conventional S07 mid-sized SUV coupe sibling that isn’t sold as a Nevo in China. Here’s how the strategy should play out in Australia. Nevo will sit at the bottom of the rung under the Changan Automobile parent-company umbrella, coming in after Avatr launches in the first half of next year, as the flagship luxury brand. To that end, the latter will take on BYD’s Denza, Geely’s Zeekr, MG’s IM and GWM’s Wey models, beginning with the Zeekr 7X-chasing 07L large-sized premium SUV EV, followed by the 06T sports wagon/crossover EV due towards the end of 2027. If that seems like a big gap, in China, Deepal is the premium brand positioned in between. Right now, there’s no talk about Changan Australia taking over Deepal distribution from Inchcape, but that may change once the contract ends in the future. “Some products coming from the Nevo stable might seem better than Deepal, but from a brand hierarchy perspective, Deepal sits above Nevo,” Haurissa revealed. “In Australia, we are quite unique in that we will be managing both (Nevo and Avatr together). “However, the brands will sit quite separately. They’re structured separately now, but they are conforming in the back end. “Think of how Volkswagen (and Skoda, Cupra, Audi) and Porsche are. Similarly, we will have a joint back end to support the brands, but will be marketed very differently.”

US President Donald Trump has emerged as the unlikely electric vehicle supporter, helping to drive the global sales boom. Despite a very public dislike of EVs, the US President’s decision to start a war in the Middle East has sent the price of a barrel of oil to record highs, seemingly doing more for EV sales than any ‘green’ incentives. It turns out years of debate over how to incentivise EVs were pointless. All we needed to do the whole time was jack up petrol and diesel prices. I don’t want to get too political here, this is an automotive website, but you simply cannot avoid the direct connection between politics, fuel prices and what we ultimately end up driving. And when you look at political events, both in the US and here in Australia, there is a very clear connection between the price of fuel and the surge in EV sales. According to a Nikkei report, petrol-powered cars made up just 49 per cent of global vehicle sales in the first half of the year, down from 73 per cent just five years ago. Ironically, despite the rising fuel prices causing widespread unhappiness, in September President Trump rolled back fuel economy incentives in the US designed to encourage EV uptake, following his earlier decision to end tax breaks for EVs. So while sales of EVs are on the rise in Australia, Europe and in parts of Asia, they are actually in sharp decline in the US. Closer to home, when the Iran War started in late February the average price of a barrel of oil was $68 and the average price of a litre of unleaded in Australia was $1.66. In September oil was at $102 per barrel and fuel was sitting between $2.04 and $2.08 per litre. That means if you’re filling up your car with, let’s say 50-litres of fuel, that will now cost you $20 more than it did at the start of the year. If you’re filling up once a week, that adds up and can only add the financial pressures Australian consumers are facing. In this context it makes sense that sales of EVs have sky-rocketed since March. Year-to-date (to the end of September) sales of EVs are up 136 per cent, while sales of petrol and diesel cars are down 29 and 20 per cent respectively. In September Australians bought 22,959 purely petrol-powered vehicles, but we bought 26,287 EVs - which was the single biggest segment of the market - and overall that accounts for 18 per cent of total vehicle sales. This is a dramatic change after years of very slow growth and an overall reluctance for Australians to make the switch to EVs. We had years of debate around financial rebates, discounted registrations, free charging, discounted parking and other potential means to motivate buyers to switch. While there is no doubt the rising cost of fuel has been a huge factor in pushing buyers into EVs, it would be too simplistic to say that the only reason for this sales surge. Once again, we must look to the world of politics and the impact of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. While, like Trump, it is a polarising political hot button issue, the simple fact is that the government has motivated the car companies to offer more EVs and do so at a more competitive price. As much as fuel prices have played a part, so too has the increasing number of more-affordable EVs for buyers to choose from. So what can we learn here? Well, once again the consumer has spoken. If you give Australians a choice, they will choose the vehicle that best suits their personal needs. Dictating EVs was never an option, and no serious politician suggested that despite some hysteria around that, but giving car makers a reason to offer more fuel efficient and lower emissions vehicles is a better outcome for all. There are obviously thousands of Australian drivers who are happy to make the switch to an EV, and they continue to do so. But for those not ready, there remain plenty of petrol and diesel-powered choices too.

The Mazda CX-6e Azami tops the electric SUV range in Australia, listing at $56,990. That’s only three grand more than the GT($53,990), but that’s because you don’t get a whole bunch more stuff. Both models get the following as standard: LED lights Panoramic glass roof Black Maztech trim Heated and ventilated front seats A massive 26.45-inch multimedia screen Head-up display Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 21-speaker stereo You do get bigger 21-inch alloys on the Azami, which we like, and digital wing mirrors, which we don’t, so we think the cheaper GT is the better bang-for-bucks purchase here.   There’s a single motor at the rear axle, making 190kW and 290Nm, while its 78kWh LFP battery, producing a WLTP driving range of up to 484kms. The CX-6e is covered by Mazda’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a little underwhelming by today’s standards, though the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000kms.