EV News

Mitsubishi has thrown the covers off its next fully electric model, marking the return of the Eclipse name, again.The new model for 2027, now called the Eclipse Sportback, is a re-badged and partially re-styled Nissan Leaf as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.While it shares its overall design with the new-generation Leaf, it features a more dramatic front bumper, a new ‘grille’ design, a tweaked rear bumper, Mitsubishi badgework, and bespoke wheel designs. The interior is yet to be revealed.It will likely share the bulk of its specifications with the new-generation Leaf, including a 160kW/355Nm electric motor, either a 75kWh or 52kWh battery pack, and a driving range that is claimed to exceed up to 600km.The new Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback appears to be a North American market exclusive for now, and the brand says it forms part of its ‘Momentum 2030’ strategy to expand its footprint in the USA with new electrified models.It is not the only model sold under the Eclipse name, with the brand also offering a re-badged version of the Renault Megane E-Tech dubbed the Eclipse Cross exclusively for the European market.The Eclipse nameplate was originally a two-door sports coupe manufactured for the North American market across four generations from the 1990s to the early 2010s, the Eclipse name was re-booted for a small SUV dubbed the Eclipse Cross in 2017 and launched in Australia in 2018.The model ran until 2025 when it was discontinued locally because its ageing chassis and on-board safety tech no longer complied with Australian Design Rules.It is likely Australia will never see the new Eclipse Sportback, as Mitsubishi has had to make more strategic decisions for Australia where it faces tough competition from aggressive Chinese newcomers. The brand has confirmed Australia will instead receive a new yet to be named fully electric model, which Mitsubishi is developing based on a car from Taiwan’s Foxtron brand.The brand recently confirmed it is on-track to see this fully electric crossover model launch in Australia before the end of the year. It will need to be aggressively priced in order to help the brand bring down its potential penalties under Australia’s recently-implemented New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).Nissan has pulled back on its plan to launch the Leaf in Australia, saying it will be more competitive on the hybrid front, rather than trying to compete with aggressive rivals in the price-sensitive and highly competitive electric small SUV space.It is not the only Mitsubishi alliance model unlikely for an Australian launch. The brand also offers the Renault Symbioz-based new-generation Grandis as a mid-size SUV.Mitsubishi's XForce hybrid small SUV and XPander MPV from South East Asia have been ruled out for Australia as they prove uneconomical to upgrade to comply with Australia’s stringent safety requirements.

Nissan's answer to the BYD Shark 6 has just taken a big step towards an Australian launch, with the Navara Pro PHEV taking the first step on its export journey from China.Revealed in China as the Nissan Frontier Pro, the brand's first plug-in hybrid ute has been renamed the Navara Pro and revealed in the Phillipines, part of Nissan's "From China" export strategy that will lean on China, rather than Japan or Thailand, as an export hub.The Navara Pro is otherwise the same as the Frontier Pro, with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-mounted electric motor producing a potent 320kW and 800Nm combined. The EV-only range is around 100kms WLTP.“As a lead market, China plays a dual role for Nissan, both as a strong market in its own right and a critical source of global competitiveness. his unveiling signal the beginning of our ‘From China’ export strategy, and I am pleased to see these vehicles reaching customers beyond China for the first time," says Guillaume Cartier, Nissan’s chief performance officer."The models demonstrate strong product competitiveness and represent an important step in strengthening our global portfolio and responding more quickly to diverse customer needs. We are excited to bring them to customers in the Philippines as we continue to accelerate this momentum across markets.”CarsGuide understands that, in markets where Navara has nameplate recognition, the Frontier Pro will be renamed as it has been in the Phillipines. And that would include Australia, wher the Navara Pro would go head-to-head with the BYD Shark 6.And that could be happening sooner rather than later – and even this year – with reports pointing the project having sign-off in Australia, and moving faster than the original 2027 launch expectation suggested.

It’s the equivalent of Toyota opening its own service station franchise, but BYD Australia has admitted it could open its own public electric vehicle charging network.It’s one of a number of options on the table for the Chinese brand as it introduces its proprietary ‘Flash charging’ system to Australia. The initial rollout will focus on its Denza premium brand dealers in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide before expanding to BYD dealers in the future, but beyond that the options are wide open.“We’re working through that, but we'll have them in public spaces,” explained Stephen Collins, BYD Australia chief operating officer.“Now, whether it's next to a KFC or a shopping centre or a standalone ... the ones in China, for example, are basically standalone, so they're basically like the old petrol station. But it's just electric, a mega charging- electric service station.”Collins said creating standalone charging ‘service stations’ is possible thanks to the Flash charging technology, which can recharge at up to 1500kW and take a compatible battery from zero to 97 per cent capacity in just nine minutes. Currently the most powerful chargers in Australia are 400kW.Because of the speed of charging, Collins said this opens up the possibility of specific charging locations, instead of so-called ‘destination chargers’, such as those at shopping centres and hotels.“ I think that what they've shown in China is… ultimately having a public charging station, like the old petrol station, you literally drive in and in six, seven, eight, nine minutes, bang you're full,” he said.The BYD boss also said that Flash charging should help reduce another factor in buyer hesitation towards electric vehicles.“ I think ‘time to charge’ has been a barrier, and that's what this technology solves,” he explained. “So I think it will be a big factor, next year and into the following years is that time to charge.”The technology is specific to BYD and Denza and requires the company’s latest generation Blade Batteries with 1000V capacity, so cars from other brands will not be able to use the Flash chargers.

BYD's potentially game-changing ute product is ready to launch, with the Mako readying for its international debut in September this year.The focus so far has been entirely in South America, where the Mako will arrive to battle vehicles like the Fiat Toro, with the Mako a car-based unibody utility that would sit below the ladder-frame Shark 6.That would put it on a collision course with everything from the Ford Maverick to the upcoming Corolla Cross-based ute from Toyota, codenamed Project 150D.In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.A European launch also seems likely – though under the name Shark 5 – given patent filings have appeared in the EU. Reports also point to a flagship 1.5-litre PHEV variant producing 200kW of power being developed.Things are less clear in Australia, but the success of the Shark 6 in our market would surely have local executives excited by the prospect of expanding the range.Just this week, BYD's most senior executive promised a new model designed for Australia would launch here this year, telling CarsGuide that a "special model" was on its way."We have another special model, just for Australian customers," Liu Xueliang, Group Vice President of BYD and General Manager of BYD Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Division Liu told CarsGuide.Chief Operating Officer of BYD Australia Stephen Collins was pressed for more information, but would only say that the brand will “have more to say about that later in the year”.

Hyundai has sharpened the price of some of its sought-after electric cars, with both the Kona EV small SUV and Ioniq 5 mid-size SUV having their entry-point slashed by up to $8,000.The new Kona Electric Standard Range variant now kicks off the range, starting from $46,000, which notably undercuts the entry-point to the EV3 (from $47,600) from its sister brand, Kia.It is also more keenly priced than the entry-level Suzuki eVitara ($49,990) and Zeekr X RWD ($48,900).This still places the Hyundai Kona above popular entry-point rivals from China, which include the BYD Atto 3 ($39,990), Leapmotor B10 ($37,888) and Jaecoo J5 EV ($35,990), the latter was the second most popular EV in the country in May.The price cuts to the entry-level Kona Standard Range also come with a reduction in standard equipment, with the entry-level variant now not including a heat pump for more efficient climate management, electrochromatic rear-vision mirror, V2L port in the cabin, or a standard wall plug charging cable.Hyundai has also expanded the Kona Electric range, adding a new mid-grade Elite variant to the line-up. Priced at $53,000, it sits between the Extended Range ($50,000) and Premium ($60,000) grades. The Elite grade maintains the same 150kW electric motor and 64.8kWh battery as the Extended Range variant, but adds synthetic leather interior trim, 19-inch alloy wheels, powered driver and passenger seat adjustment, privacy glass, heated front seats, and an electrochromatic rear vision mirror.Specifications for the rest of the Kona Electric range remain the same.See the full pricing scheme in the table below.Hyundai has also modified its Ioniq 5 pricing structure, with the new entry-point to the range being the RWD version at $68,200, also an $8000 price cut on the outgoing version.It also comes with reduced equipment levels, with the brand removing the standard wall socket charging cable and interior vehicle-to-load port.The price cut places the Ioniq 5 in closer proximity to the mid-grade version of the ever-popular Tesla Model Y (Long Range AWD - $68,900), high-grade versions of the Toyota bZ4X Touring and its Subaru Trailseeker twin (both $69,990), as well as high-trim Volkswagen ID.4 GTX AWD ($69,990) or the Skoda Enyaq Sportline 85 ($68,990).It handily undercuts its sister car, the Kia EV6, which in base Air RWD form is still $72,660.The other three variants of the Ioniq 5 range have had their pricing revised with the same equipment levels as before, with the wall plug charger curiously removed from the flagship Ioniq 5 N, which has not had its price altered as part of this swathe of updates.See range pricing in the table belowIt was quick to the electric space, but sales of Hyundai’s range of EVs has been sluggish as the competition picks up.Both aggressively-priced new brands from China and new offerings from legacy players are squeezing the Korean brand, with Ioniq 5 sales sliding 38.5 per cent year-on-year, racking up just 224 registrations.The brand’s new Elexio mid-size SUV, which shares its platform with the popular Kia EV5 and is also built in China, has already racked up more than double the Ioniq 5’s registrations this year, with 549 units on the board.

China’s Chery and India’s Tata Motors will team up on a new luxury brand that will launch two new models in 2027.This is thanks to a new report from Reuters, which claims Tata has forged a new partnership for its upcoming Avinya premium arm, after a plan to base the models on Jaguar Land Rover platforms fell through.The Indian giant told Reuters it plans to use the same platform, which underpins the upcoming Freelander 8 that is part of Chery’s existing tie-up with the Tata owned Jaguar Land Rover.The new deal with Tata will see the Chery platform components built in China and shipped as a knock-down kit, with final assembly occurring in India. They will cater to right-hand drive, opening up the opportunity for them to be exported to Australia. Chery’s new Freelander division also has designs to launch in Australia.Tata told Reuters, “Avinya is being developed as a global premium brand. Our collaboration with JLR and global partners will be an important pillar.”The vehicles were to be based on Jaguar Land Rover’s upcoming EMA platform, which was announced in 2024.That platform was originally designed to support next-generation electrified mid-size luxury SUVs, and was capable of supporting both hybrid, range extender and fully electric drivetrains.The switch to the Chery platform will shorten development timelines, in yet another example of a foreign brand embracing what has become known in the industry as “China Speed”.While Tata doesn’t currently have an automotive presence in Australia (aside from Jaguar Land Rover), the company’s main rival, Mahindra, offers several products in our market, showing a taste for Indian brands to expand.Tata turning to Chery also offers the Chinese giant a foothold in the Indian subcontinent, which it did not have before. As is the case in other markets, India has several barriers in place to stop Chinese automakers from having free market access in order to protect its domestic brands.It is part of a major global push by Chery, which has for a long time been one of China’s most successful brands in overseas markets. It already had strongholds in South America, and is in the process of establishing links in Europe, which looks to be the next battleground for Chinese brands.Nissan announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding to allocate one of its production lines at its Sunderland UK plant to build Chery vehicles alongside Australian-bound Nissan Qashqais.

Chery sub-brand Omoda Jaecoo has pushed back plans for its Omoda 7 plug-in hybrid SUV in Australia. The Toyota RAV4-sized SUV had previously been earmarked for an arrival in the second half of 2026, but it will now not hit Aussie shores until next year.“We are looking at a 2027 release for the Omoda 7,” Omoda Jaecoo Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz told CarsGuide. “At this stage, we haven’t confirmed but it is likely to be in the first half of 2027.”The Omoda 7 will offer an alternative to other budget-oriented Chinese mid-size SUVs such as the Chery Tiggo 7, MG HS and Jaecoo J7. It will also provide competition for established players: the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4. Munoz confirmed the brand’s focus remained on Jaecoo, with more activity likely to come from the Omoda side in the coming months. It comes at a time when Jaecoo has seen significant growth in Australia through its electric J5 SUV.The only model listed for sale in Australia under the Omoda name is the brand’s flagship Omoda 9 PHEV large SUV, which Munoz said will get a minor update late this year. “We’ll definitely be focusing more on the Omoda brand later this year and into early next year,” Munoz said.  “Right now our focus is on building the Jaecoo brand, building awareness and building confidence in the market with that, but Omoda will be following suit shortly.”Details remain scarce on how the Omoda 7 will shape up in Australia, but overseas examples have a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor set-up, producing 150kW and 365Nm. There is also a petrol version of the car, but it is unclear whether that variant of the car will come Down Under.We can expect more information on the Omoda 7’s future in Australia towards the end of this year. 

We are now living in the age of the Super Hybrids - vehicles that can drive for at least 1000km on a tank of petrol. We’ve picked five of the best long haulers sold in Australia right now.Super Hybrid is the snazzy buzz word given to plug-in hybrids with large batteries, big fuel tanks and clever fuel-energy management systems, which ensure outstanding efficiency. They are better suited to cities and suburbs duties than interstate commutes. Super Hybrids allow for long distances between filling up the petrol tank - as long as you plug it in regularly to charge the battery.Here are the top five super hybrids currently sold in Australia.5. MG HS Super Hybrid - 1000kmThe MG HS mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV has a four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, a large 24.7kWh battery and a 55-litre fuel tank, which offer an electric driving range of up to 135km and 1000km combined range, both calculated via the more lenient NEDC test cycle. Combined fuel economy is 0.7L/100km, but this requires you to never let the batter run low and applies to all the cars listed here.4. GWM H6 GT PHEV - 1183kmGWM’s H6 GT mid-sized SUV is a plug-in hybrid, which uses a four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, a huge 35.4kWh battery and 55-litre fuel tank to deliver a long electric driving range of 183km and a combined range of 1183km (both NEDC). Combined fuel consumption is 0.6L/100km.3. Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid - 1200kmThe Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is a large SUV, which uses a four-cylinder engine and a single motor driving the front wheels, an 18.4kWh battery combined with a 60-litre fuel tank to deliver 95km of electric driving range and up to 1200km (NEDC) of combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 1.3L/100km. The Chery Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 7 Super Hybrids offer similarly long ranges.2. Jaecoo J7 SHS - 1200kmThe Jaecoo J7 SHS mid-sized SUV is a plug-in hybrid cousin to the Chery Tiggo 8, and has a very similar driving range. A four-cylinder petrol engine and a single electric motor drives the front wheels, while an 18.3kWh battery and 60-litre fuel tank offer 90km of electric driving range and 1200km of combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 1.0L/100km. 1. BYD Sealion 6 - 1250km BYD’s Sealion 6 plug-in hyrbid is a mid-sized SUV and its the Dynamic Extended range variant, which uses a four-cylinder engine and a single electric motor, is the real long range hauler.  Its 26.6kWh battery and 60-litre fuel tank offer 140km (NEDC) of electric driving range and 1250km (NEDC) combined driving range. Combined fuel consumption is 0.8L/100km.

The electric vehicle revolution is in full swing after another standout month in Australia. There were 21,303 EVs sold in May 2026, as they continue to take hold at the expense of petrol- and diesel-powered cars. SUVs remain the dominant player in the electric segment, accounting for nine of the 10 best sellers.Tesla’s smashing May performance was headlined by 5605 sales for its Model Y SUV, cementing its position as the leading EV in Australia.The Model Y also claimed the title for the best-selling car in Australia last month.  The Jaecoo J5 EV had its best month on sale since it hit Aussie showrooms at the start of this year, selling 2126 units, up from less than 700 in April. This makes the J5 the best-selling small SUV in the country currently, even outselling its closely related and cheaper petrol sibling, the Chery Tiggo 4. The Geely EX5 also surged up the sales charts, achieving 1814 sales, while the BYD Sealion 7 experienced another bumper month, with 1538 sales. The Zeekr 7X rounds out the top five following a continued solid performance since its introduction late last year. BYD’s budget EV trio the Atto 3, Atto 2 and Atto 1 shifted more than 2000 units between them.The BYD Seal (580) is the only non-SUV on this list.Every car in the top 10 selling EVs for May is primarily built in China, with none coming from legacy brands. Some of the other EVs to miss out on a top 10 spot include the MG4 as well as Kia's EV3 and EV5 duo.Top selling electric cars May 2026

Nissan Australia is ignoring its growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) available in other markets and sticking with just one in Australia, the Ariya mid-size SUV.Earlier this year the Japanese carmaker revealed the latest-generation of its Juke small SUV and confirmed it’s going all-electric.It will launch in Europe during 2027, but Nissan Australia confirmed it will not be coming to Australia.“The all-electric Juke will be built at our Sunderland plant in the UK and has been developed primarily as a Europe-focused EV,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.“At this stage, there are no plans to introduce the model in Australia.”Additionally Nissan has recently launched a new-generation version of the Leaf, which is now also a small SUV. It and the new Juke are based on the same dedicated electric platform.There were initially plans for the new-generation Leaf to come to Australia but these have been put on hold.“With respect to the next-generation Leaf, we have decided to postpone its introduction to Australia following a review of the local business case,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.At this stage it’s unclear when the new Leaf will now launch in Australia.Beyond the new Juke and Leaf EVs, Nissan also offers a number of other small electric models in other markets. These include the Nissan Micra, which is essentially a rebadged Renault 5, as well as the Nissan Sakura electric kei car in Japan.Nissan Australia has provided no plans to bring either small EV to Australia at this stage and it’s unclear whether this will ever change.“Nissan remains committed to electrification in Australia through a range of technologies, including battery-electric vehicles such as Ariya, as well as our e-POWER hybrid technology,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.“We recently launched the updated Qashqai with our latest e-Power hybrid system and will add a 4x2 e-Power X-Trail model to the range in just a few months.”The Nissan Ariya was first revealed in 2019 and launched in certain markets in 2022. It didn’t launch in Australia until 2025.It has received a facelift in other markets, which hasn’t arrived in Australia yet.Although Nissan can’t provide a timeline for when the new Leaf will launch and has ruled out the new Juke EV, the Ariya might not be the only Nissan EV in Australia for long.The Japanese carmaker currently has its eye on importing models made by its Chinese joint-venture company, Dongfeng Nissan.These models include the N7 electric sedan and NX8 electric SUV, as well as the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute.No confirmation of what exact models are coming to Australia and when has been provided yet, however it’s likely that an announcement will come before the end of 2026 or in early 2027.Regardless, Nissan needs to introduce more low-emission vehicles as it already has more than $10 million owing to the federal government for not meeting the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) CO2 emissions target for vehicles imported.Nissan can either pay this fine or risk it doubling if it misses the deadline. Alternatively, it can trade credits with other carmakers that are under the threshold or introduce more low-emissions vehicles and beat the CO2 target the following year.It’s worth noting the CO2 targets get stricter every year and ultimately the only vehicle that currently produces zero grams of tailpipe emissions is an EV.