EV News

Thanks to regulatory filings in China, we have what might be our first look at an updated version of BYD’s Sealion 8 three-row hybrid SUV.Known as the Tang and Tang L in China, the new version of the car filed with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology adopts similar styling to BYD’s flagship Great Tang SUV, which debuted earlier this year.This means a refreshed light profile in the front with a single light bar panel, a smoother profile across the body, tweaked rear light bar designs, more subtle logo work and an overall more premium feel. It also scores either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels in fresh designs, and replaces the electronic pop-out doorhandles, now banned in China, with flush-set handles.For now, the new version of the car has only been filed in fully electric form equipped with a 300kW single electric motor, while the Sealion 8 version we get in Australia is only a plug-in hybrid.At over five meters long, the Tang has grown slightly over the outgoing model. Its interior is yet to be revealed, but is likely to include at least some of the cabin styling and features from the Great Tang flagship luxury SUV.It features a new steering wheel design, passenger-side entertainment screen, plaid leather seat trim, with an evolution of the geometric dash features which the Sealion 8 originally brought to the Australian market.It is likely it could be some time before such upgrades make it to our market, as BYD’s model strategy continues to diverge between its Chinese domestic line-up and its export market models.For example, Australia won’t receive the major updates to the BYD Atto 3 seen in the Chinese market. Instead, we’ll be getting the ‘Evo’ facelifted version, which has already debuted in Europe.Meanwhile the existing Sealion 8 has had a fairly robust year in Australia, having moved nearly five and a half thousand units in the first half of the year. This number was significantly boosted by a ship arrival, which accounted for 1961 units in June alone, but even without this boost the Sealion 8 has racked up more registrations than popular rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe (3089 units), Kia Sorento (2752 units) and the ageing Toyota Kluger (2475 units) so far in 2026.In its current form in Australia, the BYD Sealion 8 is priced from $56,990 before on-roads for the entry level front-wheel drive Dynamic, to $70,990 before on-roads for the AWD Premium.It produces either 205kW/315 in base FWD form, or 359kW/679Nm in AWD form as combined figures generated from its 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and either single or dual electric motor set-ups.BYD has shot to second position in the Australian new-car sales charts in the first half of the year, off the back of a massive model range expansion as well as dedicated ship deliveries to our market.It is already 10,000 units ahead of the previously second-placed Ford, having jumped 124.1 per cent year-on-year. It is second only to Toyota, although it appears to be closing the gap with Toyota down 21.4 per cent thanks to delays in the arrival of the new RAV4.Expect to learn more about the BYD Sealion 8 shortly as the official Chinese reveal nears.

Toyota in Australia has detailed its comparatively sluggish first-half sales results, saying its internal delivery issues, rather than competition from newcomer Chinese brands, is holding it back.Last month saw a staggeringly close – and, over the past 20 years, unheralded –brawl between Toyota and BYD for top spot on Australia's sales ladder, with the Chinese brand finishing just 243 sales short of Toyota's 19,124 deliveries.But Toyota insists it isn't feeling the rush of new Chinese brands is hurting orders, instead saying a strong second half of the year is coming as production frees up."I don't mean that in a disrespectful way," says Toyota's Vice President, National Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas. "We respect all our competitors and what they do."When you've got long lead times, at the end of the day, you need to be able to have a realistic short lead time for your customer. That's what we've been focused on. Because if we can do that, we know our loyalty is very, very high."We respect that with our customers, we never take that for granted, but we've really been focused on trying to reduce that lead time for our customer, together with our TMC colleagues. because we know that competition's fierce."We know that there's all these brands. We know, and we want to make sure that we can keep our customers happy by trying to reduce that lead time."Toyota has managed just 95,141 sales across the first six months of 2026, which if sustained, would see them sink below 200,000 sales for the year. But Pappas says the issue is supply, not demand, and a new pipeline of production will deliver more vehicles to customers in the second half of the year. The brand is targeting around 230,000 sales this year."Our biggest downfall this year has actually been our supply at the start, because we knew last year that we were coming into this year with a Q1 into Q2 shortfall, because we were launching the RAV4 later than we had liked," Pappas says."So the RAV4 is in our top two selling vehicles. We're only doing 40,000 RAV4s (compared to 52,000 in 2025) this year. "We'd like to do more than that because we know that car's good enough and we've got customer demand over a 12-month window to do more than that amount. So therefore, we're only really getting like a nine-month runway on RAV. So we're missing out a whole quarter of new RAV4 sales. "That's our biggest shortfall. And we knew that going into the year. So now the fact that we've been able to secure more production from the global allocation, particularly on hybrids and bZs and other vehicle lines, including Hilux, it's great because that enables us to shorten lead times for customers."

Korea’s new electric performance hero is here. Hyundai high-end sub-brand Genesis has released pricing for its GV60 Magma SUV ahead of its arrival in Aussie showrooms this month.It will start from $130,000, before on-road costs, making it almost $50,000 more than the standard GV60. Genesis is Hyundai’s answer to European giants Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and this is the brand's first attempt at a high-performance car.The GV60 is a small SUV and goes up against the BMW iX2, Volvo XC40 Recharge and Zeekr X, but none of them can go toe-to-toe with the GV60 Magma variant. Its performance pitches it closer to the larger Hyundai Ioniq 5 N ($91,700) and Kia EV6 GT ($99,660).It is smaller than the mechanically similar Ioniq 5 and 6 N performance cars, but packs the same punch.It has two electric motors that drive all four wheels and produce 448kW and 740Nm.It can shift from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds using the boost function that increases power to 478kW and 790NmThe car is equipped with a 84kWh battery, offering a total driving range of 425km, according to WLTP standards. Its interior features a 27.0-inch OLED screen for the instrument cluster and multimedia display, while there is also a head-up display. The GV60 Magma has a virtual gear shift system, which gives the Magma the feel of real gear changes in a petrol car.There is also a drifting mode that can direct power to the rear wheels using an electric limited-slip differential to enable dynamic, track-based driving.  Hyundai confirmed production of the GV60 Magma in mid-2024, when it was revealed as a concept, with it finally now hitting Aussie shores.It will join the updated base GV60 that recently got a serious price cut in Australia, now starting from $88,300, down from more than $100,000. It will only be available with rear-wheel drive, meaning the Magma will be the GV60 with AWD available.

Reports out of the US overnight point to a significant delay in the start of production for the all-new, pure-electric Toyota Highlander large SUV, marking another faltering step in the Japanese giant’s shift towards broader adoption of battery-electric models.According to American automotive marketplace Cars.com, a Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) spokesperson told it the company is making “additional adjustments to the vehicle prior to launch.” Toyota uses the name Highlander in the USA and selected export markets while the Kluger nameplate is well established in Japan and Australia, with local Klugers coming out of Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana plant.The top-spec all-wheel drive 2027 Highlander has two electric motors, producing 252kW/438Nm and there are two battery options - 77kWh for a 462km range and 96kWh for 515km between charges. Initially set to launch in North America before the end of the year, a “minimum eight week delay” to production ramp up means the new-generation battery electric vehicle (BEV) may not hit showrooms there until early 2027.With no confirmation of revised launch timing for the new Highlander, TMNA also advised the current 2026 model will stay in production through to the end of the year.It’s worth noting while the Kluger is hybrid-only in Australia, the current Highlander is offered in pure-combustion and hybrid form in the States and US Highlander sales are currently strong, especially for hybrid variants. In fact, Cars.com has theorised part of Toyota’s motivation for holding back the new model is to “enjoy some extra profits on the fast-selling, top-dollar Highlander hybrids to keep that cash machine ringing while RAV4 production continues to slowly ramp up.”There’s no doubt a production extension for the current car will be welcomed by Toyota Australia, its dealers and Kluger buyers. Local sales for the first half of this year were down 46.3 compared to the same period in 2025, but additional supply could add a much needed boost.The new-gen Highlander EV is currently off the agenda for Australian consumption, with a Toyota Australia spokesperson previously telling CarsGuide there are no current plans to add a Kluger version to the range Down Under.But we’ve heard that line before, so don’t write off the Hyundai Ioniq 9, Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90 competitor for Australia just yet.On side note, the hold up will surely upset launch plans for the Lexus TZ, the Highlander’s premium counterpart and the Subaru Getaway, based on the upcoming model’s platform and basic architecture, both initially planned for 2026 introduction.After single-mindedly sticking to its long-term hybrid-led new energy vehicle (NEV) strategy Toyota has gradually moved towards EVs, introducing the bZ4X and more recently the bZ4X Touring and Electric HiLux locally, with the C-HR+ EV locked in for 2027.The plug-in hybrid RAV4, just-released in Australia, is on the same TNGA-K platform as the 2027 Highlander, which also opens the door to a future EV version.

BYD has confirmed the pricing and specifications for the new Dolphin G DM-i plug-in hybrid (PHEV) hatchback for the UK ahead of first arrivals in September.There are four trim levels available, Active, Boost, Comfort and Sport. Pricing starts at £23,990 (~A$46,350) and extends to £29,490 (~A$56,990).The entry-level Dolphin G DM-i is £6005 (~A$11,600) more affordable than the entry-level Sealion 5 DM-i. For context, the entry-level Sealion 5 in Australia is priced from $33,990 before on-road costs.If the Dolphin G DM-i comes to Australia it could slide under $30,000, making it the new cheapest PHEV. This title currently goes to the aforementioned Sealion 5.At this stage BYD hasn’t confirmed whether the Dolphin G DM-i is due for an Australian launch.The entry-level Dolphin G DM-i Active is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors with a total system output of 129kW.It features a 7.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that allows for up to 39km of electric range, according to WLTP testing. Claimed total range is 1018km.The battery pack can only be AC charged at rates up to 3.3kW.The rest of the line-up is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors with a slightly higher total system output of 155kW.They have a larger 18.3kWh LFP battery that allows for up to 104km of electric range, according to WLTP testing. Claimed total range is 1039km.The battery pack can be AC charged at rates up to 6.6kW, plus it offers DC fast-charging capabilities at rates up to 39kW.As standard the entry-level Dolphin G DM-i Active comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch central touchscreen multimedia system, a four-speaker sound system and fabric upholstery.Stepping up to the Boost gains a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 15W wireless phone charger, eight-speaker sound system, interior ambient lighting, synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, two 18W USB-C ports in the rear, electrically folding side mirrors and privacy glass.The Comfort gets larger 18-inch alloy wheels, Google Built-in multimedia operating system, fabric and synthetic leather upholstery, power adjustable driver’s seat, as well as a surround-view camera.Lastly the Sport gets black 18-inch alloy wheels and synthetic suede upholstery finished in black with either orange or blue accents.BYD hasn’t confirmed whether the Dolphin G DM-i will be coming to Australia, but the related Atto 2 DM-i has been approved for local sale.These types of government approval filings usually come a few months before a new model is confirmed for local sale. However, it isn't always a guarantee.If the BYD Atto 2 DM-i does launch in Australia it will complement the all-electric trims that launched late last year.

Tesla has sold out of a sought-after genuine accessory for its Model 3 electric sedan only days after its launch.The US electric carmaker is offering an air mattress for the Model 3 that fits across the folded rear seats and the boot.It’s made of three-inch high-density foam with a waterproof polyester exterior covering. It can be inflated with the integrated air pump and it comes with a carry bag and repair kit.This kind of air mattress is perfect for those who want to sleep in their vehicle overnight when camping.At this stage Tesla is only offering this air mattress genuine accessory on its US website. It’s priced from US$235 (~A$340).This Tesla-branded air mattress is not offered in Australia yet, although a number of third party accessory companies already offer a similar product. However, many don’t fit the exact contours of the vehicle.Tesla already offers genuine accessory air mattresses in the Model Y, Model Y L in Australia. They’re priced from $375 and $300, respectively.The US electric carmaker also offers a genuine accessory air mattress for the Cybertruck electric pick-up in North America.In Australia, Tesla has been going from strength to strength. In June a total of 8670 vehicles were sold, making it the fourth best-selling brand for the month.A lot of the heavy lifting was done by the Model Y electric SUV. A total of 8072 vehicles were sold in June, making it the best-selling vehicle for the month by far. It’s the first time an EV has ever been the selling-car.So far in 2026, Tesla has sold a total of 23,588 vehicles, which is up 66.7 per cent year-on-year. It’s now the 10 best-selling brand in Australia.

Alfa Romeo’s stylish and refreshed hybrid SUV is here. The brand has announced pricing and specifications for its updated Tonale small SUV in Australia. It will be offered as a petrol mild hybrid, with prices starting from $64,990 9before on-road costs), which is the same as before. Plug-in hybrid power is now an extra $1500, with prices starting from $78,990.The Tonale is similarly priced to the BMW X1 that is available in petrol ($66,700) and PHEV ($79,500) set-ups. It will also tackle the revamped Cupra Formentor that just got a sizeable $7000 price cut in Australia ($53,990). PHEV variants of the Formentor are $4500 cheaper than the comparative Tonale, starting from $74,490. The petrol mild hybrid Tonale is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 128kW and 240Nm, supplemented by a small electric motor and 48-volt battery.The PHEV also has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, but adds a larger electric motor to boost power to 198kW and 270Nm, along with an all-wheel drive system.Its 15.5kWh battery has an all-electric driving range of 59km, according to WLTP standards. The car has received a new sharpened design as part of its refresh, including a re-thought front grille and new 19-inch alloy wheels. It also has several new interior features as standard.Seats are covered in a synthetic leather, and the front ones are electrically adjustable, with heating, ventilation and memory function. The steering wheel and windscreen washer nozzle are also heated. Elsewhere in the cabin, there is a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 10.25-inch central touchscreen, along with a wireless phone charger.It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.There other convenience features like an electrically operated tailgate with hands-free function, and keyless entry and start. Alfa Romeo has introduced special edition variants of its Tonale and Junior SUVs, called the Ibrida Sport Speciale. The Junior is priced from $51,990, while the Tonale starts from $68,990, so they are both more expensive than base versions of their respective models. The Junior is a compact SUV, powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol mild-hybrid system, producing 107kW and 230Nm. It sits under the Tonale in Alfa Romeo’s range. The special edition flair to these models adds synthetic leather and Alcantara seats, as well as a sunroof and a glossy black body kit. 

Australia’s love-affair with electric cars is a passing fling, at least according to one of the country’s biggest brands.Electric vehicle (EV) sales have increased dramatically in 2026, in particular since the start of the conflict between the USA and Iran began in February and sent oil prices soaring. EV sales are up more than 150 per cent year-to-date and Tesla’s Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in June, with more than 8000 finding new homes.EVs have gone from accounting for just 7.6 per cent of the total new car market in June 2025 to more than 23 per cent in June 2026.But despite this, Mazda Australia Managing Director Vinesh Bhindi believes this current sales scenario is a spike rather than sustainable growth in the foreseeable future and believes there are other factors at play.“ From an Australian point-of-view, yes there is disruption in the market with the oil supply issues, that has made some drastic changes,” he said.“But there's also another element, I think back in March, there was also this rumour of the FBT possibly disappearing in the May budget. So that also accelerated those customers who were looking at it.“But when you look at post-crisis, yes, the crisis is still in play, but it's not as severe. There are a lot more signs showing a return to normality, but we all know the crisis is not over yet. So one of the changes coming is the fuel excise step down. Again, it's good that it's a step down rather than an overnight. And then, how far and long that peace agreement holds will determine a few things.“But you take all of that aside, pre-March the market was normal and EV appeal was growing, which is what's expected, but at a normalised rate. Then post , it's come closer to what I call normalised. And then you look at the middle and say, ‘Was there any structural change that you could say is permanent?’ And the answer is no. The idea of this transition growing, accelerating is there, and will happen, but it's not suddenly gonna go from under 10 per cent to I think over whatever it was, 14 per cent at some points.”That opinion is at odds with Tony Weber, Chief Executive of the industry's peak body, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry, who believes the latest EV sales surge has had a major impact. “The Australian automotive market has shifted on its axis during the first months of 2026. This year is likely to represent a significant turning point for the Australian automotive industry,” Weber said in an FCAI statement.Mazda has been one of the slower brands to adapt to the EV shift, Bhindi was speaking to CarsGuide at the release of the new Mazda 6e, only the brand’s second electric model. The brand has only confirmed the addition of the CX-6e SUV as its other EV option, which leaves it exposed as more buyers look for electric alternatives.Mazda sales are down over 17 per cent year-to-date and the brand has slipped behind BYD, which is focused entirely on EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The arrival of the 6e and future addition of the CX-6e clearly come at a good time for the brand, but Bhindi believes that there is no immediate rush as mainstream consumer demand is still growing.“ Oh, I think it'll grow from the 10 per cent, but at what pace is yet to be determined, because over time, consumers are getting comfortable with the idea of an EV and the lifestyle can match,” he said.Bhindi reaffirmed his stance that Mazda will look to cater to customer demand rather than any government legislation, such as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), and believes the 6e is the right car at this moment.“ Now, I'm the first one to say we first look at what the consumer wants before we look at what the legislation is telling us,” he explained.“Because the consumer is the one who makes the final decision. And providing this car, again helps us as a business, but more importantly it is talking to that customer base that probably will be between 10 and 20 per cent in the years ahead that will say, ‘This is what I want.’”

Polestar is prepping a new luxury electric SUV and it has the Porsche Macan in its sights. A new Polestar 4 variant will go on sale in Europe this September with a new SUV body shape. It is expected to launch in Australia before the end of the year. Polestar said this new SUV will provide a more practical alternative to the strong-selling four-door fastback model. It gives Polestar a more direct rival to the Porsche Macan which starts from $129,800 (before on-road costs). There is no news on price, but we can expect it to sit around the $80,000 price point in reasonably close proximity to the existing model. Other potential rivals include the Tesla Model Y Performance ($89,400, before on-road costs) and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N-Line ($83,700).The biggest challenge for the new SUV could be the Zeekr 7X from Polestar's Chinese sister brand under common Geely ownership, priced from just $57,900 before on-roads.It is likely the Polestar 4 SUV will be available in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive forms with the latter producing up to 406kW when it arrives in Australia.It will ride on the same 400-volt architecture as the existing Polestar 4, as opposed to the Polestar 3's 800-volt underpinnings.Driving range has been boosted by 10km to 630km for the rear-wheel drive variant, according to WLTP standards.Polestar has only revealed one teaser image of the car so far, showing the rear quarter.We will learn more about the Polestar 4 SUV in the coming weeks ahead of its September launch date. The four-door coupe variant recently got an update and a price cut in Australia, with that model arriving later this month. Its single-motor variant continues to start from $78,500, before on-road costs, while the dual-motor grade now starts from $86,350, which is $2000 cheaper. It has proved to be the brand’s best-selling model in Australia, and it will continue to be offered alongside the new SUV. Polestar is plotting more models in the coming years, including a Polestar 2 successor in 2027, and a Polestar 7 compact SUV in 2028.

Electric cars are finally having their mainstream moment in Australia, and now make up over 16 per cent of Australia’s new car market.Sales have significantly jumped year-on-year, helped along by a much wider availability of more affordable models, but also an unprecedented fuel crisis, which has made the cost of running a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle front of mind for many.This surge of new options has also seen the list of top-selling electric cars undergo a significant re-shuffle, with new brands featuring heavily.Tesla notably takes the crown for the best selling EV in Australia for the first half of 2026, with its Model Y achieving 20,396 total registrations according to Electric Vehicle Council data. This is due to an eyebrow-raising 8072 unit tally in June thanks to a literal boatload of cars arriving.Next down the charts is BYD with its smash-hit Sealion 7 mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7, which is a key rival to the Model Y, can be had at a more keen $54,990 price-point with similar specs to the Tesla that starts from $58,900 before on-roads.Alongside the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, the Sealion 7 is a major part of BYD’s success story in Australia over the past year.The next two players down compete at the entry-level to their respective segments.Geely’s EX5 clocked up 6756 registrations in the first half of 2026, a quiet achiever in an extremely competitive part of the market. While it goes into battle against a range of rivals in the $40,000 price bracket, it has more than doubled the sales of its closest rival, the previously-popular BYD Atto 3, and it sold 20 times the volume of the similar Leapmotor C10.Below the EX5 is the Jaecoo J5. While this model is now available with petrol power, it is the EV version that has been on sale longer and managed to secure fourth position for the first half of the year, racking up 6113 units.This is no doubt largely thanks to the electric version’s extremely keen $36,990 before on-roads price-tag and generous dimensions for a small SUV, making it the sweet spot for many first time EV adopters. It also undercuts the Atto 3 and Leapmotor B10, and has good visibility in the market thanks to Omoda Jaecoo’s rapidly expanding dealer network.Rounding out the top five electric cars in Australia for the first half of 2026 is the Zeekr 7X. A smash hit for Geely’s premium arm. The 7X stands out for its radical design and strong specs at a generous price point (from $57,900 before on-roads). As a result, the brand tells us that it is attracting not only aspirational buyers, but also buyers who were previously driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.Previous top-sellers, the Model 3 and BYD Atto 3, have now dropped out of the top five, amassing a little over 3000 sales each. Kia’s also-popular EV5 mid-size and EV3 SUVs fell short of the list with less than 3000 sales each.All of the electric cars in the top five for the first half of the year were built in China, with the exception of the Performance grade of the Tesla Model Y (which would account for only a small proportion of its sales), showing the country’s leadership in the electric car space.Mainstream brands are struggling on the EV front, with cars like the Toyota bZ4X mid-size SUV amassing just 1718 sales. Volkswagen is in a similar position, with its similar ID.4 amassing just 1183 sales.Even MG, which was the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has tumbled down the charts. Its MG4 hatch has lost hundreds of sales year-on-year. Its S5 and S6 electric SUVs are struggling to compete with newer players, amassing just 1713 and 647 sales respectively.The share of EV sales in the Australian market will inevitably grow as tough new emissions laws start to shape the line-ups of most brands.