Electric Cars

Uptake of electric vehicles stepped up again in 2025.

Tesla has been rolling its new, budget-oriented Standard line-up into different markets and the next is firming as China.As reported by Car News China, an image of the Model Y Standard appeared on the Tesla China website on its home charging webpage last week but quickly disappeared again.According to the publication, Weibo user Anting Dafan, who reportedly contacted Tesla said it is gearing up to launch not only the Model Y Standard but also the Model 3 Standard in China. The latter will reportedly launch first.Tesla initially launched the Model 3 and Model Y Standard in the US, but it’s now being offered in a number of European countries with German production.Given Chinese production of the Standard models is reported to commence soon, this means it could be closer to an Australian launch.Virtually every Tesla currently sold in Australia, excluding the German-made Model Y Performance, is made in China.If the Chinese-made Model 3 and Model Y Standard do come to Australia they will likely reduce the asking price for both models by a considerable amount.Car News China reports the Model 3 and Model Y Standard will be priced around 200,000 yuan (~A$42,800). In China the current Model 3 RWD costs 235,500 yuan (~A$50,400) and the Model Y RWD costs 263,500 yuan (~A$56,400) in China, representing potential price cuts of 35,500 yuan (~A$7600) and 63,500 yuan (~A$13,600), respectively.If similar pricing differences carry over to the Australian-specification Model 3 and Model Y Standard, this could see pricing start from around $47,000 and $45,000, respectively. It’s unlikely the Model Y Standard will be more affordable than the Model 3 Standard though.Details of the Chinese-made Model 3 and Model Y Standard are yet to be confirmed.In other markets both the Model 3 and Model Y Standard are slower to 100km/h, likely meaning they come with a less powerful rear-mounted electric motor.The Model 3 Standard can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds (1.0 seconds slower than the Premium RWD) and the Model Y Standard can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.2 seconds (1.6 seconds slower than the Premium RWD).It also appears both have a smaller battery pack than the rest of the line-up. Tesla doesn’t disclose exact battery capacities, though the Model 3 and Model Y Standard can travel up to 534km, according to WLTP testing.There are different 18-inch wheel designs and fewer exterior paint colour selections. The Model Y Standard also ditches the front and rear LED light bars, adaptive high-beam functionality and panoramic glass sunroof, however the Model 3 Standard retains the latter two features.Inside, both models receive fabric and synthetic leather combination upholstery. There’s no interior ambient lighting, the steering column is manually adjusted and the second-row touchscreen is deleted.Additionally, there’s a less-sophisticated sound system with fewer speakers, no ventilated front seats, no heated outboard rear seats and manually adjusted second-row air vents.The Model Y Standard in particular has an open centre console unlike the Model Ys which have storage cubbies with retractable lids.Under the skin both the Model 3 and Model Y Standard have passive shock absorbers unlike the other non-Performance trims which have frequency dependent suspension.All the safety hardware tech for both models is carried over, including the eight exterior cameras which allow for Full Self-Driving (FSD) as an optional extra.The potential introduction of the Model 3 and Model Y Standard in Australia could help spur sales. In 2025 Tesla sold a total of 28,856 new vehicles, which is down 24.8 per cent year-on-year.The Model Y is still the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) in Australia and saw 4.6 per cent year-on-year sales growth, sales of the Model 3 were down over 60 per cent year-on-year.

BMW has finally revealed initial details of its first fully electric M car and it will be a full-on performance sedan with simulated gear shifts and powertrain sound, brutal straight-line performance and decent driving range.Based on the BMW i3 sedan that’s expected to be revealed in the coming months, the new electric M3 will be sold alongside a new-generation version of the internal combustion engine (ICE) M3.The next-gen ICE 3 Series is yet to be unveiled but it is expected to have a closer relationship design wise with the i3 than the new iX3 has with the regular X3.BMW has not yet uttered the name of the electric performance sedan, but expect something along the lines of ‘i3 M’. For now BMW is calling it the M Neue Klasse and it’s will hit showrooms from 2027.Head of Project BMW M Neue Klasse, Philipp Brunn, talked up the significance of the new electric M models.“So in a nutshell, the next generation of fully electric BMW M models will lead the way into the new era for high-performance cars. We will set a new benchmark regarding driving dynamics, performance and overall driving experience,” he said.Based on BMW's multi-billion-dollar Neue Klasse architecture, the new electric M3 benefits from some of the innovations of the iX3 and coming i3, including a reduction in the complexity of the car’s electronic systems, making for “faster data transfer between the control units, leading to clear performance gains”, according to Brunn.The ‘Heart of Joy’ - which is Neue Klasse’s central computing system that integrates the drivetrain and driving dynamics into one, rather than having separate algorithms for accelerating and braking - has been tailored for the specific needs of M customers, said Brunn.“First, our fully electric models will feature four electric motors allowing fully independent and fast wheel control. Every wheel we can do whatever we like at very, very fast speed.“Second, the car's overall output, horsepower, torque, acceleration will reach new heights, and therefore needs to be managed accordingly with such important system. And finally, the overall system management will prioritise sustainable peak performance over efficiency and range, supporting driving excitement and track focus typical for BMW M models.”That means the M version of the i3 will have a slightly lower electric driving range to the regular i3. That figure is yet to be confirmed but expect the regular i3 sedan to have EV range a little beyond the quoted figure for the iX3 50xDrive SUV, which is 805km.“We have a precise control of torque and power of each wheel, so we can fully utilise the performance potential of our tyres. And this can be done on all friction surfaces, so from low friction to high friction, snow, rain and so on," Brunn continued.“We can blend the torque between electro-hydraulic brakes and the e-motors. So we can, again, do whatever is necessary from braking or energy recovery. The energy recovery is possible to the limit of tyre friction, so we can, if we like or not, use recovery, or we can shift between brain and the motors, and the design is very compact, so we have high efficiency and also high power density, which also helps integrating the powerful motors into the car.”Brunn added that M engineers had to “push the limits of the battery” used in the base Neue Klasse (a 108kWh lithium-ion battery pack housed under the floor with cylindrical cells).Additional cooling, a different cell layout and slightly altered cells ensure “higher sustainable power, and faster charging compared to the other Neue Klasse models”, Brunn said.Additional connections from the battery to the vehicle and the suspension system helps stiffen the vehicle in a bid to enhance vehicle dynamics.The new M car will use a number of sustainable and lightweight materials, including a less carbon intensive version of carbon fibre.To help keep the BMW M DNA alive, the M car will feature performance driving modes, synthetic gear shifting and BMW M specific sounds that also relate to the gear shifting.The synthetic driving sound was revealed at the end of a BMW M Electrified Youtube video, from about 7:40.The audio in the video reveals subtle burbling, and what sounds like a cross between a high-powered four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and a jet engine.The significant investment into electric M opens the door to more models, with a full fat iX3 M expected to be the next candidate.BMW is yet to officially announce that but Head of BMW Neue Klasse, Mike Reichelt, previously hinted it was on the cards.“When we go on the M side in such a big step, and we have such a high number of common parts communality, it has a logic to say we have the technology, we have the cars, we combine it. But I can't… confirm it today, but it has a logic way,” he said at the iX3 reveal in September.

The European Union is proposing an alternative to its tariffs targeting Chinese-made electric-powered vehicles, in the form of a minimum price model, according to Bloomberg.Under the model, Chinese exporters can submit price offers, which must be “adequate to eliminate the injurious effects of the subsidies and provide equivalent effect to duties”.Details such as the minimum import price, sales channels, cross compensation and future investments in the EU must be included.Alternatively, brands who do not use this new model will continue to be subject to the tariffs.A 2024 investigation found China’s car exporters gained unfair advantage from Chinese government subsidies, which found they were able to sell cars significantly under the price of Europe-built alternatives.To combat this, Chinese brands were hit with tariffs of up to 35 per cent on imports in addition to a 10 per cent foreign cars tariff.These tariffs are designed to counteract the impact of these subsidies to protect jobs and entice buyers toward European cars.They also are intended to encourage Chinese brands to build cars in Europe.Chinese auto makers have already begun building cars in Europe.For example, Xpeng is using local assembly in Austria, while Leapmotor manufactures cars in Poland.This latest change demonstrates a cooperative approach between the EU and Chinese car makers, described as a “soft landing” in China.Despite tough economic conditions for Chinese car makers in Europe, brands are gaining an increasingly strong hold.Chinese car brands outsold Renault and Audi in Europe during August in 2025. The following month they sold more vehicles than South Korean brands in Western Europe for the first time ever.These defiant sales figures are largely due to Chinese brands shifting focus from EVs to the import of hybrid and internal combustion vehicles.The news comes after reports that the EU is planning to remove its total ban on petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.

Hyundai has confirmed the name of its next electric car, perhaps unsurprisingly following in the Ioniq series it has established.The (likely) 2027 Hyundai Ioniq 3 will be the smallest in the line-up so far, undercutting the Ioniq 5 as the brand’s entry into a new segment for the Ioniq models.Set to debut in April this year, the Ioniq 3 remains completely under wraps with Hyundai not even having teased what the car may look like.The confirmation of its name lines up with a convenient hint, the recent Concept Three, shown off at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich. The concept car is a fastback-style hatch that wears the brand’s Ioniq badging across its tail, and lines up with the design language used by the Ioniq 5 and 6.Likely to be built on a similar version of the shared Hyundai/Kia E-GMP platform as the Kia EV3 and EV4, though if the concept is anything to go by the Ioniq 3 won’t be quite as boxy and SUV-like as the EV3.The incoming Kia EV4 could be a better indication of size, though the Hyundai Ioniq 3 is unlikely to look much like it - the recognisable Ioniq pixel lighting is just one design element that Hyundai appears to have already locked in for the Ioniq 3.While the Ioniq 3 might not look quite as wild as the Concept Three, Hyundai rarely reveals a concept car for no reason. The Ioniq 5 and 6 were both preceded by concepts (The Concept 45 and Prophecy respectively) that showed clear lineage to the eventual production cars.Stay tuned as the reveal in April approaches.

Kia has officially unveiled its EV2 all-electric compact SUV at the Brussels Motor Show. The Oz-bound EV2 will launch in the second quarter of 2026, and could be Kia’s cheapest EV Down Under.It will take on the likes of the BYD Dolphin, starting from $29,900 (before on-road costs) and the GWM Ora, which starts from $35,990 (before on-roads).There has been no official indication on price just yet, but the EV2 should come in cheaper than the EV3 that starts from $47,600 (before on-roads).The brand provided several details at the recent launch to give us an idea of how the EV2 will shape up.The EV2 keeps many of the design elements on the bigger EV3, featuring a petite exterior. Measuring at 4060mm long, it is shorter than the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.It will come with two battery options: standard-range and long-range. The base model standard-range has a 42kWh battery with a driving range of 317km, according to testing done under WLTP cycle conditions. It can DC fast charge from 10-80 per cent in under half-an-hour.The long-range variant has a 61kWh battery, which extends the range 448km (WLTP) and it can fast charge from 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes. This means the EV2 will have a similar driving range to its rivals in the compact SUV market. The car will have a panoramic multimedia display consisting of a 12.3-inch digital driver display, 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a 5.0-inch climate panel.The car can be fitted with sliding and reclining second row seats, which boosts storage capacity to 403L when fully forward, but reduces seating capacity from five to four.Following the standard range launch, Kia said we can expect the long-range and a fully loaded GT line variant to launch throughout the year.An official release date for Australia will be announced closer to the start of sales.

Toyota was late to the game with its first EV, the bZ4X, so let's find out whether this mid-life update has improved the package.

Volvo’s incoming electric car, the new sibling to its popular XC60 mid-size SUV, comes with the cold claim of ‘ending range anxiety’.The 2026 Volvo EX60 is set to be revealed later this month, but the Swedish brand has already confirmed a few of its details, including its claimed 810km electric driving range.Volvo points out that means the mid-size electric SUV could travel from Stockholm to Oslo in its home region, but for us here in Australia a more relatable distance is Melbourne to Adelaide - that’s about 750km.Given EVs aren’t at their most efficient on highways, you’d probably still want a quick top-up of the likely rather large battery. Fear not, Volvo says a 400kW fast-charger can add up to 340km of range in just 10 minutes.Volvo says this means the EX60 will have not only “the longest range of any fully electric Volvo”, but it also charges faster than any previous electric Volvo.“The EX60 is designed to be a gamechanger,” says Anders Bell, Volvo’s Chief Technology Officer. “With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car. The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety.”Volvo, under its China-based parent company, will use ‘mega casting’ in the building process of the EX60, a first for a Volvo. The process means large sections of the car are constructed at once rather than in small body panels or parts of the frame.Built on the brand’s “most advanced” EV architecture so far, dubbed SPA3, the EX60 will make the most of its 800-volt electrical system to run the in-house software developed by Volvo for its cars.The full reveal of the EX60, which has until now only been teased in images, will be on January 21, less than three weeks from this story’s publication.

Further details on the Leapmotor A10 small EV SUV have been confirmed courtesy of application information lodged with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).We already know the city-sized five-door measures just 4.2m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m tall, with a 2605mm wheelbase. But now we know the A10 (B03X for some export markets) is powered by a single 90kW electric motor and features a sophisticated oil-cooled drivetrain.Underpinned by the brand’s ‘global A’ EV-specific platform, the A10 boasts a claimed 500km (CLTC) range delivered by an “ultra-high-density” LFP battery. The MIIT filing also points to a rapid 16-minute 30-80 per cent charge time.According to Leapmotor, “The A10 is designed to break the industry’s three dilemmas: that premium must mean expensive, small cars must be low-tech and compact dimensions must sacrifice space.”The car’s global A architecture enables “flagship-level intelligence” including what the brand calls an ‘AI-powered cockpit’ as well as full over-the-air (OTA) updates throughout the vehicle’s life.At the same time, a prominent bump at the front of the A10’s roof, first seen in teaser images late last year, has now been identified as a Lidar sensor housing indicating availability of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.The A10 follows Leapmotor’s ‘Technological Natural Aesthetics 2.0’ design language, already applied to its mid-size C10 and (soon-to-arrive in Australia) B10 small SUV stablemates. Details include semi-concealed door handles and dark side pillars for a ‘floating roof’ effect. The car will be offered in six colours in China with wheels ranging up to 18-inch alloys on high-spec grades shod with 215/50 tyres.Given domestic pricing is likely to sit around the ¥100,000 (low A$20,000) range, the A10 would be a natural competitor for the recently-arrived pure-electric BYD Atto 1 (from $23,990, before on-road costs), at the same time substantially undercutting the Hyundai Inster, recently reduced to $35,990, drive-away.When contacted for comment on the A10’s potential for the local market a Leapmotor Australia spokesperson said, “We haven’t confirmed yet but will let you know once we’re ready”.With Chinese order books open and domestic deliveries scheduled to begin in the first half of this year it sounds like the A10 will be hitting Aussie Leapmotor showrooms before the end of 2026.

Tesla has finally extended its warranty period in Australia.