Electric Cars

The rise in popularity of Chinese cars has been so rapid it’s left traditional car companies scrambling to keep up in technology and sales.So now it is a case of, if you can’t beat them join them, with the old big carmakers searching for a Chinese partner in a bid for survival.Here’s who some big established brands are teaming up with to weather the electrical storm.The luxury sportscar maker is already part-owned by Chinese behemoth Geely, which has 17 per cent stake in the company, but there appear to be troubling times ahead and a buy out by Geely could be on the cards.Audi lives a completely double life. There’s the brand with the four-ringed badge, which operates in every country except China, and there's the brand with AUDI logo that is only found in China.AUDI models are completely different to the models sold outside China and are developed in a joint venture with MG's owner, SAICIt’s hard not to be envious of AUDI models, which are fully electric and futuristic looking. How much longer will it be before these highly desirable vehicles are exported to the world?BMW and Great Wall Motors (GWM) formed a joint venture in 2019 and the current Mini Aceman and Mini Cooper are one of the results. You knew Mini is owned by BMW right?The current Aceman and Cooper use a platform developed by BMW and GWM and are manufactured in Zhangjiagang and sold to the world.Ford’s global boss Jim Farley talks of the Chinese car brands being an ‘existential threat’, calling brands such as BYD “the best in the business”, and also admits the need to form partnerships. Farley has even suggested Ford forms joint ventures to build Chinese cars within the United States.Ford’s track record of partnerships with Chinese carmakers isn’t terrific. It recently broke up with Jiangling, which had been making versions of the Bronco SUV that were planned to be sold in Australia.Now the hunt is on for a new partner with Ford rumoured to be talking to Geely, BYD and Xiaomi.The embattled off-road brand, Jeep, may be rescued thanks to a partnership between parent company Stellantis and Chinese car maker Dongfeng.The agreement will see two new Jeep models with Dongfeng platforms built in China and exported globally.Land Rover and Chery have been building cars together in China for a decade now, but recently the relationship went to the next level.Land Rover has given Chery permission to revive the Freelander name. The twist is Freelander won’t be a model but a range of models.The extra twist is Chery Freelanders won’t just be built and sold in China, they’ll also be exported globally.How does Land Rover benefit? Well there’s probably a lot of money changing hands, but more valuable than that would be the use of Chery’s plug-in hybrid and EV know-how and hardware in exchange.Mazda has been criticised for its lack of electric vehicles, but its joint venture with Changam appears to be turning that around quickly, with the agreement resulting in the stunning Mazda 6e and CX-6e EVs.Both fully electric, the 6e and CX-6e, are made in China and use Changan engineering and drivetrains. Mazda’s designers were behind the styling.Mercedes-Benz’s joint venture with Geely is a successful one and the Smart brand of EVs is the result of this relationship. Smart sees Geely handle the engineering and production, while Mercedes-Benz looks after design.Mercedes-Benz is also working on a new Phoenix EV platform to underpin its next generation cars.The famous French brand Peugeot will also benefit along with Jeep from its parent company Stellantis's recent agreement with Dongfeng.Two Peugeots will be underpinned by Dongfeng platforms, and the Concept 6 and Concept 7 Peugeots displayed at the Beijing motor show have given us a glimpse of what’s to come.Geely arguably saved Volvo from demise when it bought the Swedish company off Ford in 2010. Now Geely owns about 78 per cent of Volvo, and while that still gives the Chinese parent company control, it allows Volvo to self-rule and operate out of Sweden.Volvo has flourished thanks to the injection of funds and the autonomy, with the vehicles benefitting from Swedish design and Geely advanced EV know-how.Many Volvo models including the EX40 are now made in China and sold to the world.Volkswagen and XPeng signed an agreement in 2023 to produce vehicles in China and in March this year. The first model co-developed by the two companies - the ID. UNYX 08 has entered production.Volkswagen benefits from the XPeng’s EV architecture and is said to be considering exporting co-developed vehicles direct from China in the future.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more popular and mainstream in Australia, however one EV category has seemingly faltered before it even properly started.The utility, or ute for short, is an incredibly popular body type in Australia and examples have been the best-selling vehicle for over a decade now, but there have only been a handful of electric utes on offer to date Down Under.The first was the LDV eT60 which launched in late 2022 and was priced from an obscene $92,990 before on-road costs, which was more than double the amount of the standard, turbo-diesel-powered T60 dual-cab ute at the time.The eT60 also only offered 330km of WLTP-claimed range, was rear-wheel drive and had a braked towing capacity of just 1000kg.For context, the most popular utes in Australia offer all-wheel drive, as well as a braked towing capacity around 3500kg.LDV admitted the eT60 was aimed primarily at government and business fleets, with only a minimal number of early adopters expected to fork out the cash for one.Since then only two other electric utes have launched in Australia.The KGM Musso EV launched locally in 2025 and unlike many utes, including the regular turbo-diesel-powered Musso, that have a body-on-frame architecture, it has a monocoque platform which is related to the Actyon and Torres SUVs.As a result the Musso EV is much more car-like to drive, but it still offers all-wheel drive and up to 420km of WLTP-claimed range.This monocoque platform does limit the braked towing capacity to 1800kg though, however payload is up to 905kg, depending on the variant.The Korean ute is limited in its potential as a towing rig and makes it better suited for lighter-duty or lifestyle applications.The most recent addition to the electric ute stable in Australia is arguably the most important yet.Toyota has now introduced an electric version of its popular HiLux ute, dubbed the HiLux BEV.In Australia there are three versions of the HiLux BEV, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up.Pricing starts at $74,990 before on-road costs and goes up to $82,990 before on-road costs. Each variant is $17,000 more expensive than the turbo-diesel-powered equivalent.While the HiLux BEV has dual electric motors offering all-wheel drive, it only has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg and up to 345km of NEDC-claimed range, depending on the variant.Similar to how LDV positioned the eT60, Toyota has said the HiLux BEV is primarily aimed at government fleets and mining and construction sectors. Only a sliver of projected sales will be from private buyers.For now that’s all the electric ute options in Australia and none offer the same amount of braked towing capacity as its turbo-diesel-powered equivalent. However, that’s soon set to change.China’s MG is launching an electric version of its U9 dual-cab ute in Australia in the second half of 2026.According to approval documents, the MG U9 EV will offer a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.Power will come from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 325kW.The full details haven’t been confirmed yet but overseas it's offered with a 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack with up to 430km of range, according to WLTP testing.LDV had previously confirmed that it would launch the eTerron 9, which is an equivalent to the MG U9 EV, in Australia however this has now seemingly fallen off the radar.Beyond this there are no other electric utes that are locked in for an Australian launch currently.Isuzu previously noted that it plans to introduce the D-Max EV in Australia, but it still hasn’t provided any timeline for when.It’s already offered in other markets, like the UK, and offers a 3500kg braked towing capacity and 1000kg payload, but only 263km of WLTP-claimed range.Additionally it’s unlikely that the full-size American electric pick-ups like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T will ever come to Australia as demand for these kinds of vehicles is declining in the US and they would need to be re-engineered for right-hand drive applications.This may change with Ford’s upcoming mid-size ute that’s based on its new universal EV platform, as well as the forthcoming Slate small electric ute, but neither are confirmed for right-hand drive production.While all the electric ute options in Australia currently are flawed in some way or another, the sales charts show that punters are still keen on reducing their fuel bills and CO2 footprint with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes.The biggest winner thus far is firmly the BYD Shark 6 which is now available in three variants - Dynamic dual-cab chassis, Premium dual-cab pickup and Performance dual-cab pickup.The latter variant offers a benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity, whereas the others offer a 2500kg braked towing capacity.Depending on the trim, the Shark 6 offers up to 100km of NEDC-claimed electric range.Likely a key reason for its sales success is how much it costs. The line-up starts at $55,990 before on-road costs and extends to $62,990 before on-road costs. This puts it roughly at the same price as mid-spec diesel versions of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.We’ll have to wait and see whether Australians embrace electric utes, however they’ll likely remain a niche offering for fleets for the time being.

China’s latest budget electric car is about to hit Aussie showrooms.The Leapmotor B05 is priced from $35,990 (drive-away), placing it in close proximity to the GWM Ora 5 (from $33,990, drive-away) and MG4 (from $39,990, drive-away).There is also a long-range variant of the B05 available, starting from $39,990 (drive-away), making it $4000 more than the base car.All variants have a single electric motor, producing 160kW and 240Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of less than seven seconds.The long-range B05 comes with a 67kWh battery that provides a driving range of 482km, while a 56kWh unit in the base car offers 401km, both according to WLTP standards. These strong range figures for the hatchback are in part due to the car only being offered in a rear-wheel drive set-up. The car has DC charging capabilities at up to 174kW, meaning it can charge from 30-80 per cent in under 20 minutes on both variants. On the inside, there is a 14.6-inch central touchscreen display and an 8.8-inch digital driver display.It is also equipped with a wireless phone charger as standard, accompanied by wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The long-range grade adds a fixed panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade, synthetic leather seats and a premium 12-speaker sound system.It also introduces electrically adjustable seats, with the front ones heated, as well as a heated steering wheel.Leapmotor said the B05 will arrive in Australia in late August 2026.It will join Leapmotor’s growing model line-up in Australia which includes electric and range-extender variants of its B10 and C10 SUVs. The B10 and C10 have been slow sellers in Australia as they target cheaper and more popular petrol-powered alternatives and face tough competition on the price front from Geely and BYD.Leapmotor will continue to bring across more models to Australia over the next 18 months, including the B03X compact SUV and the D19 large SUV.There is also a hot hatch variant of the B05 called the 'Ultra' being developed in China that could be on its way to Australia to top-out the range in the coming years as a new rival to the MG4 XPower.

Mazda has been a slow starter in the electric car race, but the brand is accelerating with the arrival of its all-new 6e sedan. Sourced from its Chinese joint-venture, this new addition offers good value and proven EV technology wrapped up in Mazda's trademark design. But is that enough for it to succeed in the competitive EV market? We drive it to assess its merits on-road and judge its value.

Time’s up! Our three-month long-term test of the Volkswagen ID.5 Pro is over and I have so many thoughts about this electric car. It does some things way better than its rivals but misses the mark slightly in other areas.This is the stuff you learn over a longer period of time as an owner would discover, too.The Volkswagen ID.5 is one of the best mid-sized electric SUVs I’ve driven. The emphasis is on the word "driven", however.Sure Volkswagen might not be the first brand you think of when it comes to EVs, especially given the enormous variety offered by Chinese brands, but the company’s cars are nearly always excellent to drive and the ID.5 is no different.Some EVs are just quick at accelerating but the rest of the driving experience feels half baked, from the ride and handling to the steering and driving position.The ID.5 isn’t all that quick when it comes to accelerating (0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds) compared to some EVs, but all the components that make a superb driving car are there.The steering is accurate and well weighted, the suspension setup offers both a comfortable ride and sporting handling, the seating position makes you feel part of the car, and, being rear-wheel drive, the ID.5 Pro benefits from better traction, good balance and a sporty feel.The next best ID.5 Pro takeaway is the 543km driving range which is equal to many petrol SUVs. For city dwellers like our family who only do between 60 and 150km a week, it was enough to last a couple of weeks between charges.This month, for example, we only travelled 238km. But keep in mind we have two cars in our family - the one we own and the car I’m testing. If we were a one-car family, then you might find the ID.5 needs to be charged weekly.Batteries are very different to petrol tanks and charge can be used up faster, depending on the type of driving. Motorways tend to deplete the charge, whereas lower-speed city driving with lots of braking will conserve the charge. The ID.5 does well on this front. Official energy consumption is 16.3kWh/100km, but we averaged 18.8kWh over three months. Still, many electric SUVs hover above 20kWh and I’m sure with more conservative driving the ID.5 would easily hover around the official consumption figure.And my final best bit of the ID.5 is the design. I wasn’t sold on the styling at first and I still think this car looks inflatable and odd, but it’s such a refreshing change from all the SUVs that seem to look the same. With this unique design the ID.5 oozes premium car quality inside and out. The ID.5’s biggest drawback is the lack of cabin practicality, and not just in terms of outright space. It feels like VW didn't prioritise storage solutions, which isn't great for a medium sized SUV that'll be considered by families.Seriously, I have driven two smaller electric SUVs recently with far more space and cleverer interior packaging than the ID.5. This lack of clever storage is unusual for a Volkswagen which is a brand that prides itself on its utility.Electric cars don’t have drive shafts and transmission tunnels eating into cabin space so there really is no excuse.The boot’s usability is reduced due to the sloping coupe roofline and there’s no front boot here, either. The mechanically identical ID.4 has a more practical boot. With 549 litres on offer, the boot is large enough for shopping, just don't try to fit anything too tall in there.Yes, there are door pockets and cup holders, but that’s about it. A family needs trays, large covered areas, hidey holes and deep wells for all of the bits and pieces that follow them.Add to this a cabin without physical buttons, but with touch-sensitive haptic controls instead for everything from volume to temperature control, and the car loses points for functionality.The ID.5 would suit people without children or those whose children have flown the nest. But for busy parents the ID.5 doesn’t offer the kind of help needed in terms of space and practicality. If only there was a fully electric version of the Volkswagen Tiguan! This would be perfect. That said, the ID.5 really is lovely to drive and for those looking at buying an electric car that is as good to pilot as the best combustion cars, this is it. This electric SUV is also appealing thanks to its unique design that differentiates it from the same-same design of so many modern EVs. Acquired: March 2026Distance travelled this month: 238kmOdometer: 2633kmAverage energy consumption this month: 18.1kWh/100km

GWM’s ‘wagon’ version of the incoming Ora 5 SUV has been spotted testing in China after rumours a longer version would join the ‘hatch’-shaped small SUV.The 2026 GWM Ora 5 is just about to fully launch in Australia, but early in its reveal stages there was word from GWM headquarters that there would be more body styles and drivetrain options.While Australia will only get the fully electric small SUV for now, priced from a very competitive $33,990 drive-away, spy photos of the wagon style from Chinese motoring outlet Autohome show the changes to the Ora for its more ‘wagon’ body style are focused entirely behind the rear doors.It’s unclear what the longer version of the Ora 5 will be powered by, but it would be surprising if it’s anything other than the same 150kW/260Nm electric motor the small SUV gets, which draws from a 58.3kWh battery for a driving range of about 430km.There’s also a hybrid and a petrol version, but for now GWM Australia says Ora will be an EV-only offering.The brand’s local Head of Marketing and Communications says there will be more Ora models down the line.“There will be further expansions that come in the Ora range this year,” GWM Australia’s Steve Maciver said earlier this year.“You’re going to see possibly one and even two additional Ora models to land in Australia this year as well.“(But) at this stage, Ora is focused on EV. There may be hybrid options in there as well… we’re not committing one way or another, but again, we’ve got plenty of options. “We’ve just got to work out what the right one for us is.”One more potential for the brand is the even more wagon-like Ora 7 wagon, which was revealed in concept form at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2025.

Audi has confirmed that it is working on cheaper and faster versions of its recently facelifted 2026 Audi Q4 e-tron, with new additions primed to arrive on sale within 12 months.According to Audi product planner Herman Verbeek, speaking to Carsguide, the upgraded all-electric compact SUV will be continually improved from its introduction in Australia late this year as part of plans to extend the model's lifespan into 2030.Originally, the Q4 e-tron was supposed to have been replaced around 2028 by an all-new model that will sit on the Volkswagen Group's Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which has now been pushed back until early 2030 over software challenges within VW's in-house Cariad division.Verbeek said the first model to arrive is likely to be a more powerful version of the Q4 e-tron that has been designed to sit above the current 250kW quattro performance.The product boss didn't disclose how much power the flagship Q4 would produce, but said that the new model wouldn't be badged either an S Q4 e-tron or RS Q4 e-tron, as neither model would offer the "agility or driving dynamics worthy of an Audi Sport model".The extra power will come from existing hardware, with the newly released APP 350 (up to 170kW) and existing APP 550 motor (210kW) will both be wound up to produce more power, while the front-mounted asynchronous electric motor (ASM) will have total output boosted from 80kW to more than 110kW.More good news for those on the hunt for a more affordable take on the Q4 e-tron, Verbeek said his team were working on two new batteries that would replace the current car's nickel-manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries, with today's entry 59kWh power pack set to be superseded by a new lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery that will be shared with the new inbound A2 e-tron crossover that will be released later this year.The cheaper LFP battery, which is expected to bring a 30 per cent cost saving over NMC cells, was originally destined to arrive earlier in the Q4 but was pushed back as Audi waited for the more energy-dense chemistry being developed by the VW Group's partner. The reason for the delay was that Audi was keen for the entry Q4 e-tron to weigh less than 2000kg, as some European underground car parks have strict weight limits that forbid any cars heavier than two tonnes from entering.The same weight limit is also applied to automated stackers, car lifts, ramps and car turntables.Verbeek did not confirm when the new batteries would arrive, but the senior Audi boss did rule out upgrading the current car's 400-volt electrics to 800-volts over the huge cost."We can't do it, we'd need to change everything, the battery, motors, inverters, control units, even the air conditioner condenser."The Q4 e-tron's MEB platform means current charging rates are limited at between 160-185kW, a long way off the 320kW the latest similarly-sized all-electric Mercedes GLA will be capable of, with the Audi taking around 27 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up, around 5 minutes slower than rivals with the more powerful electrics.

The truth of EV home charging costs has just been revealed.Charging is one of the biggest talking points around electric cars, but it promises to be much cheaper than filling up with petrol or diesel.Charging an electric car adopts a different approach to filling up one powered by fuel. The optimal way to charge an EV up is to top up the battery every night during off-peak hours. This is cheaper, helps maintain battery life — as constant fast-charging can degrade the battery over time — and reduces the time shock when needed to totally recharge.This contrasts brimming the fuel tank.Home charging is becoming an important pillar of EV infrastructure in Australia because of the challenges of public charging.Privately topping up the battery of your EV in off peak time can be a much more affordable and practical way of charging.Most people won’t use the majority of their car’s charge each day, so EV owners can charge their cars up by 20-30 per cent overnight and be ready to go the next day.Compare the Market has collated the costs of home charging for EVs at 20kWh (about 25-35 per cent of the average EV battery) per day using different electricity providers (see table below).  Private charging at 20kWh is substantially cheaper than charging via a public charger during peak times. EV charging plans have also increased in popularity to provide more structure and potentially lower costs. The cheapest EV plan can cost owners as little as 90 cents a day to top up if used correctly. That equals $328 a year. Even the most expensive only cost $6.56 a day, or $1707 a year.That equals the cost of three litres of premium unleaded or less a day.There are many different factors contributing to how much an EV costs to charge up.The time and place you choose to charge, as well as how much you want to recharge, all have a dramatic effect on how much you pay. There is not a single bowser for charging, rather many different charging types available that let electricity flow at differing rates. Public chargers often boast the fastest rates of charging, but are also the most expensive. The same 20kWh refill on a public charger would cost upwards of $9 a day, or $3200-plus a year.These chargers can charge at rates from 50kW up to 350kW, but it is also dependent on the car’s platform as to how fast it can charge. The number of cars taking power from a specific charger also impacts the usefulness of public charging.If there are two cars using a 150kW charge point, then the power will be split 75kW each, slowing down charging times. The availability of public chargers is also an issue with increasing numbers of EVs being spread across a scarce number of charges. Charging infrastructure remains a key challenge to the successful uptake of EVs in Australia.These factors also make it challenging to accurately determine the costs of charging in comparison with a fuel-powered vehicle.  *Source: Compare the Market

It may have only been on sale in Australia for eight months but the BYD Atto 2 is already lining up for a mild facelift in parallel with comprehensive mechanical upgrade that will see  the small, pure-electric SUV switch from front- to rear-wheel drive.An overnight report from CarNewsChina has revealed partially-camouflaged pre-production examples spotted in China, with the biggest external clue to the powertrain change being inclusion of a new rear-mounted charge port.According to the report, Chinese domestic market Atto 2s (badged Yuan UP) will now be powered by 100kW and 120kW motors, down from the 130kW currently produced by Australian versions of the popular crossover. But higher outputs for export are likely, as per other BYD models.Chinese government filings show the car’s wheelbase has grown by 150mm (to 2770mm) with a significant increase in overall length (+355mm to 4665mm) and width (+65mm to 1895mm). Height is unchanged at 1675mm.And while the McPherson strut front suspension set-up remains, the rear switches from semi-independent torsion beam to a full multi-link arrangement.Externally, the car’s front bumper loses its coloured lower lip but a significant addition is a Lidar unit in the lower grille, expected to be offered as an option on the new version.BYD’s ‘DiPilot 300’ system is already available on the Dolphin and Seagull (Atto 1 in Australia) in China.But BYD’s game-changing ‘Flash Charge’ technology appears to be missing in action with Chinese versions of the updated Atto 2 to retain a conventional 400V platform, offering a choice of 42kWh and 52kWh first-generation ‘Blade’ LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery packs for claimed ranges of 410 and 505 km (CLTC), respectively.Aussie Atto 2s currently feature the larger LFP battery with a maximum DC charging rate of 82kW for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 38 minutes. Flash charging enables a recharge at up to 1500kW, taking a compatible battery from zero to 97 per cent capacity in just nine minutes’ although it’s worth noting the most powerful chargers currently in Australia are 400kW. CarsGuide has contacted BYD Australia for comment on the updated Atto 2’s development and potential arrival in the local market.

Suzuki needs you to buy its first EV in Australia, but is it really priced to compete with rivals?