Electric Cars

Geely has revealed several concepts at the Beijing motor show, as well as crucial details on its upcoming Toyota Prado-rivalling hybrid off-road SUV.The brand’s major reveals were for two prototypes previewing the company’s future direction for passenger cars and tech.The Galaxy Light concept, a large luxury sedan, was shown with key design elements (dubbed “ripple aesthetics”) which Geely says will roll out across its range in the future.While the sedan format may be waning in popularity across the globe, elements of this flagship concept, including its imposing “waterfall” grille, high beltline, “blade” style headlight fittings, and completely new interior design direction will inform future Geely production cars.Importantly, the interior also features an array of physical buttons to go with its somewhat toned-down screens, in what Geely says is a move to be more “human-centric.”Geely says a significant part of the Galaxy Light concept was inspired by the Hangzhou West Lake, an iconic destination in its home province of Zhejiang, leaning into an unapologetically “Eastern aesthetic".The brand also said that the key elements of its new design language are specifically to “make no distinction between ICE, hybrid, or EVs,” suggesting that Geely products will unify in design in the future regardless of powertrain.Geely has also teased an upcoming boxy off-roader in much the same vein as the Denza B5. Teased in concept form at last year’s Shanghai Motor Show, the upcoming Geely Battleship 700 as it’s known in China wasn’t shown in production form at Beijing.Instead, the brand showed off its new off-road platform which will underpin this, as well as other off-road vehicles into the future.The new platform has several key elements. Firstly it places a large battery pack between the front and rear axles and frame rails, leaving no room for a mechanical propshaft connection. This means the platform will work more like the Denza B5 or BYD Shark 6 than GWM’s Tank 500 or Cannon Alpha.Geely says this design also helps strike a balance between off-road capability and urban comfort, thanks to this layout maximising cabin and cargo space, as well as having crash safety benefits.In addition, the platform is equipped with a combustion engine mated to a hybrid transmission driving the front axle, with dual electric motors driving the rear axle. Geely says this system can support up to 1000 horsepower (745kW) and features “AI-driven” torque distribution. Off-road pundits disappointed with the Shark 6’s off-road systems will be pleased to know the concept was also equipped with a rear differential lock.Finally, the brand also revealed its EVA Cab, a purpose-built fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle. Taking the form-factor of a people mover, Geely says this concept is an “industry first purpose-built robotaxi prototype.”To support a theoretical fleet of EVA Cabs, Geely said it would continue to invest in a technological ecosystem, which includes a Geely-owned and operated satellite constellation, a “world-first full-stack AI model for the automotive industry” and a new onboard AI assistant, which will also debut on Zeekr’s range of passenger cars in the near future.Other curious from Geely’s stand included its new i-HEV plugless hybrid system, which will debut on the updated Preface sedan and Monjaro mid-size SUV.This system, claimed to be one of the most efficient engines in the world with a 48.4 per cent thermal efficiency, can be paired with either a 1.5- or 2.0-litre engine with or without turbocharging. The hybrid transmission these engines are paired with use new-generation electric motors which can provide up to 230kW of power and up to 80 per cent electric drive.The brand says it has certified fuel consumption as low as 2.22L/100km in test conditions, but will use less than 4L/100km in the Preface sedan, and less than 5L/100km in the Monjaro SUV.Expect to learn more about Geely’s roll-out plans in Australia for these technologies, with the brand gearing up for an expansive model roll-out for the rest of 2026 and throughout 2027.

MG has already updated the new MG4 Urban in China only a month after it launched in the Australian market.A highlight of this updated 2026 MG4 Urban, which is just called the MG4 in China, is the availability of a new 53.9kWh semi-solid-state battery to complement the existing 42.8kWh and 53.9kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery options.It’s the first time MG has fitted a battery of this type to a production vehicle available for purchase.MG claims its semi-solid-state batteries are safer and can charge at faster rates than LFP batteries.However, this new MG4 Urban with the 53.9kWh semi-solid-state battery offers an identical 30 to 80 per cent DC fast-charge time of 21 minutes as the 53.9kWh LFP unit.It also has an identical claimed range of 530km, according to lenient CLTC testing, as the equivalent LFP-equipped variant.It’s unclear if MG plans to ramp up the semi-solid-state battery’s charging and range potential in due course or if this is an error in the official spec sheet.All variants are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 120kW and 250Nm. The current model is available with either 110kW/250Nm or 118kW/250Nm, depending on the battery pack size.The other main changes with this updated MG4 Urban are either stylistic or technological.On the outside there are new alloy wheel options, an illuminated MG front badge, plus the availability of a black two-tone black roof.Inside, there’s a two-spoke steering replacing the current three-spoke unit, a larger 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system available on certain trims, as well as a more powerful 50W wireless charger and fewer buttons on the central stack.The current Australian-specification MG4 Urban has physical buttons and knobs to change the climate control and media volume, whereas it appears in the updated Chinese-specification version this is now done exclusively through the touchscreen.At this stage it’s unclear whether MG will eventually bring this updated version of the MG4 Urban to Australia, especially given it only just launched the outgoing version.This front-wheel-drive version of the MG4 is being sold alongside the previous, rear-wheel-drive version, which recently received a major update.Beyond this, the Chinese carmaker also used this year’s Beijing motor show to tease an SUV version of the MG4 Urban, dubbed the MG4X.MG claims it will officially reveal the MG4X in May.

More than a quarter of a century since the Land Rover Freelander was pensioned off, the SUV nameplate has returned with the Freelander 8, a rugged SUV developed by both Chery and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).The first of six SUVs to be launched in the next five years as part of the Anglo-Sino partnership, the new Freelander 8 has already been confirmed for right-hand-drive markets, opening the door to Australian sales.Sold under the new Freelander sub-brand, Freelander 8 sales will initially begin in China as soon as late this year, before export sales kick off later.Created to be an all-electric mid-to-large six-seat SUV rival for the Toyota Kluger, the Freelander 8 comes with powerful 800-volt electrics for ultra-fast DC charging.Later on, the Freelander 8 will adopt both a range-extender hybrid (REEV), as well as the plug-in hybrids more commonly found in Europe.Freelander has confirmed that the REEV will bag CATL's latest Freevoy battery, which is capable of 6C charging, that translates into rapid DC peak charging speeds of 360kW.Ensuring it is as capable as any other Land Rover, the Freelander 8 features an electronic limited-slip differential, which is combined with a virtual central locking differential, plus a height-adjustable dual-chamber air suspension.Following on from the well-received Freelander Concept 97, the 8 borrows plenty visual cues from both the old Freelander and current Defender.While the Freelander 8 was styled by the British 4x4 brand, plenty of its advanced new tech has been sourced from its Chinese partner, including its curved screen that stretches from pillar-to-pillar.A large central floating infotainment is present, as well as a limited number of physical switches and a large rotary dial.Coming with a 2+2+2 seating configuration, the second row gets a pair of zero-gravity seats for a limo-like level of comfort.Fresh tech includes extra-bright 8000-pixel projection headlamps, and Huawei's latest-gen 896-LiDAR that helps the Freelander SUV support the tech giant's new Qiankun ADS 4.1 driver assistance system, which provides Level 2+ driverless tech.The same advanced autonomous driving aids are also thought to help boost the Freelander 8's capability off-road, offering up to nine terrain modes.When it lands in Europe, the Freelander 8 has been engineered to achieve the full five stars for protection in EuroNCAP crash tests, which bodes well for a decent showing in future evaluations by ANCAP.Built at a Chery-Land Rover plant in Changshu, close to Shanghai, the Freelander does without both Chery or Land Rover badging and will operate as an independent brand that is completely separate from Chery, Exeed, Omoda, Jaecoo, Lepas, Luxeed or the iCaur (iCar).It's not yet known, when launched in markets like Europe or Australia, if the Freelander will be rebadged and sold through Land Rover dealers.

BYD has officially revealed the next-generation version of the Atto 3 electric SUV – which it calls the Yuan Plus in the domestic market – at this year’s Beijing motor show.This new Atto 3 is considerably larger than the model it replaces. It measures in at 4665mm long, 1895mm wide and 1675mm tall with a 2770mm wheelbase.This is roughly 200mm longer than the current model and brings it more in line with the mid-size Geely EX5.Another major highlight is BYD’s new, second-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery comes as standard, allowing flash charging from 10 to 70 per cent in five minutes.There’s either a 57.54kWh or 68.55kWh LFP battery pack, which is up from the current 50kWh and 60kWh units. The latter allows this new Atto 3 to travel up to 630km of range, according to lenient CLTC testing.Power comes from a single, rear-mounted electric motor producing either 200kW or 240kW, depending on the trim level.In terms of exterior design, the Atto 3 receives thinner LED headlights that are connected by a silver section, as well as a rear LED light bar. Other notable highlights include flush door handles, plus the availability of a LiDAR sensor that allows for semi-autonomous driving functionality.Inside, there’s a more minimal look including a new two-spoke steering wheel, larger non-rotating touchscreen multimedia system, as well as a new digital instrument cluster.At this stage it’s unclear if or when this new-generation Atto 3 will be coming to Australia.What is likely to arrive sooner is the updated, Evo version of the current Atto 3 which is already on sale in China and Europe. It’s already approved for sale in Australia.It takes the current, front-wheel-drive Atto 3 and gives it rear-wheel drive. There’s also an all-wheel-drive flagship with 330kW available.The electric motor(s) are fed by a larger 74.8kWh LFP battery and allow for up to 510km of WLTP claimed range, depending on the trim.The Atto 3 Evo operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing for DC charging at rates up to 220kW. This is a large improvement over the current car’s 88kW maximum DC fast-charging rate.

BYD’s 7217 Australian new car sales in March 2026 may not sound like a huge total when the brand is shifting around 400,000 units per month globally.But those vehicles sold locally last month were enough to give BYD its first top-three finish Down Under, making it the clear leader when it comes to Chinese car brands in the market.By most counts BYD is also the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer (overtaking Tesla in 2025) and sixth in sales overall.A Fortune Global 500 company, BYD claims to have a presence in over 400 cities, in more than 70 countries across six continents with annual revenue exceeding ¥602 billion (~$123B).So, why does the brand’s growing success in Australia matter in the broader context of BYD’s ambition of global automotive domination?  First, as it was for Japanese brands getting serious about exports in the late 1950s into the ‘60s, Australia is a unique test market with a car culture incorporating a multitude of diverse elements.A historical leaning towards large, powerful vehicles, often covering substantial distances. An appetite for innovation with a ready stream of early adopters lining up for whatever’s new and different. A broad population mix, an often challenging driving environment… and a million and one other things.But the biggest factor is that impressive, steady growth since BYD entered the Australian market with the groundbreaking Atto 3 SUV in 2022.And that’s in the context of the tidal wave of more than a dozen new brands from China arriving since, turning an already cut-throat car market into a white-hot cauldron of competition. When the car-retailing cage fight kicks off the first and often easiest lever to pull is price. But so far BYD Australia has relied on new product to top the opposition, with 2026 Q1 sales up a neat 100 per cent over the same period in 2025 (17,541 units vs 8767).At the same time, the Chinese giant is widely perceived as the instigator of an intense price war in its domestic new car market, designed to apply pressure to newer, more vulnerable players among the 100-plus brands currently active in China.But the aggressive strategy has impacted its own results with year-on-year sales down 7.8 per cent (to ‘only’ 3.55 million vehicles).Net profit and net profit margin have suffered and with high tariffs effectively putting the US market off limits for now, Australia becomes a centre of opportunity as well as a rare template for export strategy development.As they say in the car business, "You never go broke making a profit", and it will be interesting to see how far BYD can climb the local sales leaderboard from its current sixth position YTD (17,541 units), with fifth-placed Hyundai (19,101), Ford in fourth 20,172) and Kia in third (20,630) already within striking distance.  

Kia's evolution from affordable outsider to mainstream brand is complete, but can it now become a genuine premium offering? The new EV9 GT pushes the brand in terms of performance, luxury and price. We drive this new, opulent, six-seat SUV to find out how it stacks up as both an electric vehicle and a luxury brand alternative.

Mitsubishi currently doesn’t have any electric vehicles (EVs) on sale in Australia but this will change before the end of 2026.The Japanese carmaker is set to produce an EV in partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxtron — which is a joint venture between iPhone maker Foxconn and car manufacturer Yulong — and sell it in Australia and New Zealand.Mitsubishi Australia General Manager Product Strategy and Product Public Relations Bruce Hampel told CarsGuide, “We’re on track for having our BEV in market by the end of the year.”“We’ve got through the final evaluation, sign-off testing of that vehicle and we’re in the early stages now of getting ready with our go-to-market communications plan.“So you’ll hear more from us on that in the coming months. It’s a big year,” he said.At this stage Mitsubishi hasn’t detailed which Foxtron it will be using as a basis for its new EV.A likely candidate is the Foxtron Bria, which is a small electric SUV roughly the same size as the Renault Captur-based ASX. It was previously referred to as the Foxtron Model B.Two versions of the Bria are offered both featuring a 57.7kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, allowing up to 516km of NEDC claimed range.One is powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 171kW, whereas the other has a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 299kW. The latter can do the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 3.9 seconds.No other details about this forthcoming Foxtron co-developed Mitsubishi EV have been announced yet.Mitsubishi was one of the first in the world to offer a mass-market EV in the form of the i-MiEV which debuted in 2009. Based on the Mitsubishi 'i' kei car, it was on sale locally until 2012 and offered up to 150km of range, according to NEDC testing.There was no successor to the i-MiEV until the eK X EV launched in Japan in 2022.Additionally, Mitsubishi recently launched the Eclipse Cross EV in Europe in 2025. It’s a rebadged version of the Renault Scenic E-Tech.It’s unclear whether the Mitsubishi eK X EV or Eclipse Cross EV will ever launch in Australia.Regardless of this, Mitsubishi may soon need to introduce more EVs in order to outweigh potential fines from the Australian government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).As it stands the Japanese carmaker has credits but this could change in the following years as the CO2 emissions targets become stricter.As noted above, Mitsubishi currently doesn’t have an EV and it offers two plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), the Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross PHEV, though there’s only dealer stock of the latter remaining.

In early 2026 Geely did something it really needed to. It updated the EX5 electric mid-sized SUV with a bigger battery offering more driving range.That’s the car we're tested here, the EX5 Extended Range in top-of-the-range Inspire guise.Traditionally, model updates bring cosmetic changes like a different wheel design, restyled front bumper, a larger touchscreen inside, but Geely has addressed the biggest issue with the previous EX5 - the limited driving range.The previous EX5 had a smallish 60.22kWh battery which offered 410km of WLTP driving range for the Inspire, according to Geely.That’s pretty low compared to rivals such as the Leapmotor C10 which offers up to 510km. The updated EX5’s 68.39kWh battery has a range of up to 475km in the entry grade Complete and 450km in the Inspire.I asked Geely Australia why the difference in range and was told it comes down to the Inspire’s heavier weight (it has a big glass roof) and its larger wheels.The bigger battery is really the only change made to the model in this update and a cargo cover for the boot has been added plus a mode 2 charging cable.The Inspire lists for $45,990 before on-road costs, which is $4000 more than the Complete. Those prices are up by about $1000 compared to the previous model.Standard features are identical to the pre-update model and while the Inspire gets more, it doesn’t get much more. I think the Complete is the better buy for less money and more range with almost the same equipment.Both grades have LED headlights, proximity unlocking, 15.4-inch touchscreen and 10.2-inch instrument cluster, climate control, sat nav, wireless phone charging, power and heated front seats, vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-vehicle capability and selectable drive modes.The Inspire adds 19-inch alloy wheels (the Complete has 18s) 16-speaker Flyme stereo, power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, 256-colour ambient lighting, ventilated front seats with massaging function and front parking sensors.There’s nothing on the Inspire’s extra features list that seems essential to me. If anything the panoramic sunroof makes the cabin too hot in Aussie summer, power tailgates are too slow, and yes the stereo is good but the six-speaker unit in the entry grade is fine.Our car wears the new 'Jungle Green' paint which looks stunning when the sun catches and the interior was the 'Cloud White' which is a tone only available on the Inspire.The other standard interior colour for the Inspire is 'Midnight Black' and that’s the only colour offered on the Complete grade, too. The darker upholstery is probably the smarter choice if you have kids like me or wear fake tan like me, too.It’s a lovely cabin with comfortable and plush seats, and clean and uncluttered surfaces with a modern minimalist styling throughout. The big screen houses almost all controls and that is frustrating when it comes to changing the temperature or fan speed. Even the headlights are controlled through the screen.Fortunately speed displayed in the driver instrument cluster and in the clear head-up display, which is great for navigation.Cabin storage is excellent with an area under the floating centre console to store a handbag or small backpack. There are deep door pockets front and rear along with four cupholders. A large centre console bin is also good for stowing items away and under cover.The boot is sectioned into two layers with a total capacity of 410 litres which falls short of other electric mid-sized SUVs such as the Leapmotor C10 EV (581L).The EX5 is 4615mm long, making it about the same length as a Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Forester.The smooth exterior styling gives off a prestigious vibe, and while its not hugely different to other SUVs, I think it looks stylish and modern. Both EX5 grades are front-wheel drive with an electric motor which makes 160kW and 320Nm. While that’s not a huge power figure, acceleration in the Inspire is still decent with 0-100km/h coming in 7.6 seconds. That makes leaping out into traffic easy, while overtaking can be done with confidence.Most of the driving was done in the city and suburbs, along with my review test loop. After 301km of driving, the ride is impressively comfortable, but possibly overly cushioned. The dynamics are affected by body roll when pushing the vehicle harder into corners.A car like this won't often be driven that way though. The reason I do this is to see how stable it will be in an emergency situation that requires a quick lane change. It’s just not super agile and sporty, which isn’t on its to-do list, anyway.The EX5 is quiet, smooth, comfortable and easy to drive. I love the gear shifter mounted on the steering column stalk, which makes it easy to change from drive to reverse and back again.Visibility is excellent, the pedal feels good and the steering, while a little light and artificial feeling, is accurate. During my time with the EX5, my average energy consumption according to the tripmetre was 15.5kWh/100km. That's less than the 16.9kWh/100km Geely says you should see. I’m impressed with that. I normally exceed consumption claims.The maximum DC charging rate is 100kW which is fine but not particularly quick these days. This will allow the battery to be charged from 30-80 per cent in 20 minutes. The charging flap is next to the right front wheel guard.  

“If we keep waiting for perfection, we will never start.”I read that quote somewhere years ago – apologies to whoever said it – and the moment I heard it I thought about electric cars.There’s been a lot of talk about electric cars for a long time, but for obvious reasons interest has been higher in recent months.The ongoing global oil crisis has driven petrol and diesel prices higher, and as a knock-on effect electric vehicle (EV) sales surged to nearly 15 per cent of the total Australia new-car market in March. That was an almost five per cent improvement on where the local EV sales share had seemingly settled for well over a year. And yet the majority of the market remains powered by some form of internal-combustion engine and there remains a number of vocal critics of EVs.The oil crisis has highlighted previous government decisions to gradually reduce our energy independence with fossil fuels and focus instead on renewable energy.This is another area where critics love to bash EVs and question their long-term suitability.But it makes me wonder if there were people so vehemently anti-automobile over 100 years ago?There were almost certainly people questioning the commonsense of switching to a horseless carriage that is powered, effectively, by a series of small explosions, and fuelled by a highly flammable liquid that would need to be dug out of the ground, refined and then transported and sold across national networks.Why not just stick with a horse that can eat grass?Or why replace the telegram with a telephone.How on earth would you create an interconnected network of telephone lines across nations, with each house having their own handset?Surely that would have been considered a greedy play by the newly formed telephone industry back in the day.Obviously I’m being a bit facetious, although I’m sure there was pushback on cars and telephones, like there is with so many things in life.Part of what pushes us forward as a species in challenging ourselves and others to always do better.Take the, very reasonable, claim from the anti-EV crowd that many of the rare earth materials used in batteries are damaging for the environment in both who it is produced and used.Cobalt is a prime example and is a troubling material, with serious question marks over how it is mined. Which is why more and more battery manufacturers are switching to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, as they contain no cobalt. It’s just one of a number of evolutionary changes manufacturers are making to improve EVs.And make no mistake, EVs will only get better and better. Less harmful production methods, smaller, more efficient batteries, more range and even better public charging infrastructure.The recent NASA Artemis II mission to go back to the room is another reminder of humankind’s ability to evolve technology at a rapid rate.Looking back at the computers used in the Apollo missions had a tiny fraction of the computing power that your mobile phone has.I’m old enough to have used five-inch floppy disks with computers that could only store 360kB of data, and now my children have access to tiny USB flash drives capable of holding 2TB of data.Electric cars have only become a mainstream alternative in the last 15 years. Think about how fast smartphone technology has moved in that time.Electric vehicles are not perfect now, and anyone who claims they are a faultless solution is kidding themselves, but there is no reason why they will simply not get better and better over time.To be clear, I am not saying everyone needs to drive an EV as soon as possible. Or even that EVs are the one-size-fits-all solution.To borrow a line from Toyota, I genuinely believe the future is a ‘mutli-pathway solution’ that mixes technologies including EVs, carbon neutral fuels and hybrids.But we must use this current crisis as a moment to make a definitive and long-lasting change.If you’ve been sitting on the fence about an EV, now is the time to reassess your decision. Because if you’re waiting for the perfect time, we will never get there.

Australia's cheapest-ever EV is here, in the striking shape of the perfectly-timed BYD Atto 1 Essential from $24,000. And even the up-spec Premium, as tested here, from $28,000 promises price parity with petrol equivalents. But, behind the breakthrough is a talented and refined yet ultimately flawed supermini from China. So, while the Atto 1 is inexpensive, does it represent great value?