EV News

You can almost feel the warmth, can’t you? You know, as Australia’s many thousands of EV owners bask in their collective smugness as fuel prices shoot skyward and the world continues its hell-in-a handbasket spiral.Sure, their smiles looked a little strained as the queues for public chargers grew and grew over the Easter break, but that aside, you’d have to declare the EV faithful the winners over the past couple of weeks.I spoke to someone from Tesla the other day who told me demand had been running hot, possibly hotter than ever before, since fuel costs began spiking. One of the Korean brands told me that almost all enquiry is focused on its EV models. And in March, EV sales were 86.2 per cent higher than they were in the same month last year.That staggering result inspired FCAI (the organisation that releases the monthly sales data) Chief Executive, Tony Weber, to ponder if “it is too early to determine whether this represents a structural shift in the market. More consumers are considering EVs due to the disruption to fuel supply caused by conflict in the Middle East, along with the review into the fringe benefits tax concession for EVs.”I can answer that for Mr Weber. It is permanent. And if for some reason it’s not, then Australian consumers need their heads read.My favourite question about EV take up (admittedly not one phrased by me) is to imagine a world where the EV came first, and then, some years later, some bright spark pitched a shift to internal combustion engines.“It will be amazing,” they would say. “We only need to replace the low-maintenance electric motor, with its handful of moving parts, with this engine, which has about 2000. Sure, the servicing needed will be much higher, we will need to fill it with oil, and we’ll need to turn fossils into a very expensive, volatile — and, as it turns out, very price sensitive — fuel source. But you will get a louder, slower, harsher and more annoying vehicle as a result. "And the best part is refuelling them. You know how you currently plug in at home, sometimes using nothing but sunshine? Well now you get to go to a petrol station and pay whatever extortionate number is on the board, and probably be muscled into buying two Kit Kats for a dollar by the person behind the counter."How do you honestly think that conversation would go?Now, I'm not suggesting each and every vehicle in Australia should be an EV. My magic wand would grant an exemption to most supercars, and to a handful of sportcars and hot hatches. Heavy trucking and regional areas would get a pass, too. As would anyone needing to do lots of heavy-duty towing. Some utes get a pass, too. But let's be honest, there are plenty of dual-cab owners who have never carried anything heavier than a bag of groceries.Everyone else? Electric works, believe me. If you drive a beige small car, an SUV of any size, live in a city (which is most of us), and especially if you have access to home charging, an EV is likely the right fit.And it's not just me that thinks so. Look at CarsGuide's Car of The Year awards. Best Small Car Under $50k? Kia EV3. Best Medium SUV Under $60k? Zeekr 7X. Best Medium SUV Under $130k? Hyundai Ioniq 5. Best Ute? The BYD Shark 6. All either electric or partly electric, and all among the very best vehicles in the country.So if you're not on board the EV train by now, the problem is very likely with you.

Geely’s commercial division, Farizon, has revealed pricing and specifications for its upcoming V7E commercial van.Sitting below the already-launched Farizon SuperVan, which is a more premium offering to compete with the likes of the Ford Transit Custom and Volkswagen Transporter, the V7E is in a budget price bracket, offering a smaller load area and payload.Starting from just $49,990 drive-away, the V7E becomes by far the most affordable electric offering in its class, even undercutting the impressive $55,990 price-tag for the new Kia PV5 electric commercial van.Farizon said its new van is purpose-built for trades, couriers, and fleet operators, as opposed to the more multi-purpose edge and diverse bodystyle options of its more expensive SuperVan.The V7E offers up to 1338kg of payload (1208kg in the Extended Range), with a 6.95 cubic metre load area. It also has a 2.86 metre total load length and a low load height of 610mm.It arrives in two variants but just one bodystyle, with the $49,990 leading price for the base Standard Range 50kWh version (240km WLTP range), stepping up to $53,990 for the 66kWh Extended Range variant (329km WLTP range).Both share a 100kW maximum DC charge speed, with the 50kWh version charging from 20 - 80 per cent in just 26 minutes, while the 66kWh version can complete the same charge in 33 minutes, which the brand says reduces downtime for operators.Slow AC charging maxes out at 11kW for a roughly four hour charge on the base car or five hour charge on the Extended Range. The V7E also features a full-size 240-volt household power outlet on board to help use the battery to power external devices.Both versions of the V7E are front-wheel drive, powered by the same 110kW/230Nm electric motor.As for total loading specs, the V7E measures 4995mm long, 1820mm wide, and 1985mm tall with a 3200mm wheelbase. The cargo area measures 2865mm long, 1690mm wide, and 1435mm tall. GVM for both variants is 3150kg. Towing capacity is limited to 750kg unbraked or 1000kg braked.The V7E has a 1100mm sliding side door and 270-degree opening barn doors at the rear.Standard equipment is the same on both cars, featuring 16-inch aero-style wheels, LED headlights, fabric seat trim with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch digital dash cluster and a dual speaker audio system. It also features an array of physical controls to “reduce reliance on touchscreen interaction.”The V7E only features dual frontal airbags, but a full suite of active safety items usually only found on passenger cars.Farizon offers an eight-year 200,000km battery warranty and a five-year 200,000 new vehicle warranty, with a matching five years of roadside assist.Customer deliveries of the V7E are expected to begin in May of 2026.

MG, the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has been on the back foot in the face of new rivals, but the brand isn’t staying still with the reveal of a range of new models for the Australian market shown at the Melbourne Motor Show.The Shanghai-based brand showed off several new modelss, including the much-hyped IM LS9 large hybrid SUV, which will go into battle against the Zeekr 8X and Denza B5 with its range-extender hybrid powertrain.The LS9 was launched under SAIC’s more premium IM brand in China last year, and features a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with no connection to the wheels, acting as a range-extender for a large 65.9kWh battery pack which grants it a 308km electric driving range according to the more lenient CLTC standard.The large SUV also brings unprecedented levels of luxury for an MG-branded product with generous interior claddings, large screens, and three rows of seating (in a six-seat layout for the Chinese market).The brand will introduce a fully electric version of its U9 ute, which launched in 2025. Appearing previously in approval documents, the U9 EV will have a dual-motor powertrain producing 200kW at the front and 125kW at the rear, although torque figures are yet to be confirmed. If the U9 electric follows in the footsteps of the LDV e-Terron 9 available overseas, it will be equipped with a 102kWh battery granting it a 430km driving range.Importantly, it plots a 3500kg towing capacity, which is more than can be said for the EV utes currently available in the market, like the Toyota HiLux BEV and its 2000kg towing ability.The existing combustion U9, powered by a 2.5-litre diesel engine, will also be offered in a new Black Edition trim level.Next, taking aim at the Tesla Model Y and newcomer rivals the Geely EX5 and GAC Aion V, is the S6 EV.It is essentially a scaled-up version of the S5 small SUV already on sale in Australia. The S6 moves into the mid-size SUV category, although maintains many of the same interior features as its smaller sibling,Right-hand drive specs as confirmed by the UK-market version of the car show a 77kWh battery pack with up to 530km of range in both rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive layouts.Also bolstering MG’s range of electric vehicles is an upgraded version of the rear-wheel drive MG4. Not to be confused with the just-launched MG Urban, which is in a lower price bracket in a front-wheel drive layout, the new facelifted MG4 will continue to cater to a slightly more premium and drive oriented audience, starting at $39,990 for the base Essence, and topping out at $47,990 for the returning XPower all-wheel drive version.Stylistically largely the same from the outside aside from new wheel and colour choices, the new MG4 will get a completely overhauled interior featuring a new 12.8-inch multimedia screen with wireless phone mirroring, a 10.25-inch driver display, as well as physical controls from the larger S5 SUV, new seat trims, and a more refined centre console treatment, with improved detailing throughout.Like the UK-market model, the new version dumps the entry-level 51kWh battery, with the base Essence now being a 64kWh proposition with an improved 452km WLTP driving range. It features a 140kW/350Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels, while the XPower features 150kW/250Nm on the front axle, and 170kW/350Nm on the rear axle it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds. With the same 64kWh battery pack, the XPower’s range is reduced to 405km.

Renault has added another new nameplate to the brand’s local line-up with confirmation its Symbioz compact crossover-style SUV will enter the Australian new car market in the second half of this year.Produced in Spain, the Symbioz will offer mild- and full-hybrid power options across multiple grades with details to come closer to the car’s launch. It will be the brand’s first model to offer a full-hybrid powertrain locally.At just over 4.4m long, close to 1.8m wide and a fraction under 1.6m tall with a 2639mm wheelbase the newcomer is marginally bigger than the recently introduced Renault Duster but smaller than the long-serving Koleos.Mild-hybrid versions of the car are powered by a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine sending 104kW/245Nm to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.The full-hybrid features a 80kW/107Nm 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine working in parallel with a 36kW/205Nm electric motor, the latter powered by a 1.4kWh Lithium-ion battery.It uses a specific multi-mode transmission featuring four gears for the petrol engine and two for the electric motor, again sending drive to the front wheels only.According to Renault, the full-hybrid Symbioz uses the electric motor exclusively for initial acceleration, the engine kicking in at speeds above 60km/h.This is claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 per cent in stop-start city driving and deliver an overall driving range of up to 1000km (WLTP). The system also harvests energy when the vehicle is braking, coasting or decelerating. Although final specification is yet to be finalised several inclusions have been flagged, including a panoramic ‘Solarbay’ sunroof which uses embedded liquid crystal filaments that can be dimmed on demand, premium Harman Kardon audio, Google Built-In, a 10.4-inch multimedia screen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels and a sliding rear seat to optimise boot space.The Symbioz arrives as part of Renault Australia’s plan to renew or refresh six models over the next 18 months and the company’s General Manager Glen Sealey has previously told CarsGuide the business is open to production sourcing opportunities from Renault facilities around the globe including Spain as well Brazil, India, Morocco, Romania, South Korea, Turkey and of course France.In announcing the Symbioz for local sale, Sealey said, “We know not everyone wants to drive a ‘same-same’ SUV and we know this car will earn its place in this market.“We have worked very hard with the factory to ensure the new Renault Symbioz is well equipped, delivers excellent real-world fuel economy and will be available at an attainable price point,” he said.

A new electric car price war is forming.Chinese brand Zeekr is the latest carmaker to slash the price of one of its EVs.In the past week BMW has taken $8000 off the price of its iX1 and iX2 electric SUVs, and Volvo has also stripped out big dollars from its EX30 and EX40 compact electric SUVs.Now the Zeekr X small SUV starts at $48,900, drive-away, for the single motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) versions and $57,900 drive-away for the dual motor all-wheel drive (AWD) grade, and is due to land in showrooms at the end of next month.It is now cheaper than rivals such as the Lexus UXe, Mercedes-Benz EQ and Volvo EX30.That represents a massive saving from the previous $49,990 and $62,990 price tags, both before on-road costs.Zeekr hasn’t taken items out or reduced features to cut the price, quite the opposite, instead the X SUV has received a range of upgrades.Headlining the changes are updates to the base version’s ‘Golden Brick’ battery, which now allows a max DC charging rate of 230kW. This reduces the 10 to 80 per cent charging time to just 18 minutes.The all-wheel drive version maintains the same battery, which can only max charge at 150kW.Both cars also score a 50kW boost to their electric motors with what is claimed to be best-in-class acceleration figures of 5.6 seconds for the rear-drive version, or 3.7 seconds for the all-wheel drive version.The RWD version gets new heated first and second row seats, refreshed steering wheel controls and a 13-speaker Yamaha surround sound system.There is also upgraded safety tech across the range.

The Japanese sports car revival is almost complete.Honda has confirmed the price of its new Prelude ahead of its arrival in Australia in the coming months where it will take on the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, Nissan Z and Mazda MX-5 in a suddenly jam-packed affordable sports car category.Available in a single grade, the Prelude is priced at $65,000, drive-away, which is cheaper than Nissan’s twin-turbo V6 Z but more expensive than the other trio.The Prelude is based on the current Honda Civic and gets the same hybrid set-up as its more family-friendly sibling.Honda Australia boss Robert Thorp said the Prelude stays true to the original.“The 2026 Prelude is a bold reinterpretation of an iconic driver’s car for the hybrid era, developed from the same dreams with the same spirit and ambition as the first Prelude back in 1978,” said Thorp.The Prelude is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 104kW/182Nm, paired with an electric motor that is good for 135kW and 315N and helps drive the front wheels. Combined power is a claimed 149kW, which is more grunt than the Civic’s identical set-up pumps out.One of the new Prelude's headline features is the 'S+ Shift', which simulates the sound and feel of an eight speed transmission via a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).Honda claims the tech delivers the power kick during real gear changes and can mimic engine braking.There are also features borrowed from the red hot Civic Type R such as dual-axis strut front suspension, and it has Brembo brakes and a wider track for increased stability.Honda backs its vehicles with a five year/unlimited km warranty and five years' roadside assistance. A capped price servicing plan costs just $199 per visit for the first five intervals.Full Australian details will be revealed soon.

The new-generation Lexus ES sedan has been approved for sale in Australia ahead of its launch later this year.According to the Australian Government filing, only electric versions of the new 2026 Lexus ES have been approved for local sale thus far.Lexus has previously noted that the ES will initially launch in Australia with the ES500e flagship electric variant. It's powered by a dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 252kW.However, the Japanese carmaker has confirmed both electric and hybrid powertrains will eventually be offered in Australia.The only other ES variant that has been approved for local sale thus far is the ES350e which is powered by a single front-mounted electric motor with 170kW of power.Hybrid versions of the ES will likely be approved for local sale at a later point, indicating that they may launch after the electric versions.Globally there are two hybrid versions of the ES, the ES300h and ES350h. They are powered by either a 2.0-litre hybrid or 2.5-litre hybrid powertrain, respectively. Both are offered with either front- or all-wheel drive.Little other information about the ES is confirmed in the local approval filing.It measures in at 5145mm long, 1920mm wide and 1560mm tall, with a 2950mm wheelbase. This makes it around 170mm longer than the outgoing model and slightly larger than a BMW 5 Series.The tare mass is 2180kg in the single-motor version and 2280kg for the dual-motor version. Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 2635kg or 2735kg, respectively.Either 19- or 21-inch alloy wheels will be offered. At this stage no other specification details have been confirmed, but there is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen.This eighth generation of the Lexus ES was previewed by the 2023 LF-ZC concept and features an angular design with a fastback silhouette.

GWM Australia has officially confirmed a larger version of its Ora will land in Australia this year, with a first showing at the Melbourne Motor Show this weekend.The 2026 GWM Ora 5, an SUV version of the electric car that hasn’t quite set the sales charts alight, is what the brand refers to as the “next phase” of its electrification in Australia.It went on sale in Thailand, also a right-hand drive market, last month, with prices starting at the equivalent of about $31,000. This puts it head-to-head with the BYD Atto 2.The Ora 5 is also available as a hybrid overseas.While the car on display and earmarked for Australia is being referred to as an “all-electric small SUV” by GWM Australia at the moment, it’s not clear if there are plans to bring its hybrid version here.“HEV represents a new addition to the ORA range expanding beyond its existing BEV offering,” a GWM spokesperson said. “At this stage, the only information we can share is that all options remain under investigation for the ANZ region.”Features like a panoramic glass roof, power tailgate, 18-inch alloys and LED headlights are standard for the Ora 5, while a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is the unit helping power the hybrid version.Claimed range for the EV is “up to” 430km tested under WLTP methods, which means it could be a realistic 400km+ EV range.The GWM Ora 5’s reveal at the Melbourne Motor Show will feature alongside displays of the plug-in hybrid versions of the Tank 500, new Tank 300, Cannon Alpha, Haval H6 and the Haval H6GT.

BYD has confirmed two new versions of the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute for Australia that will be available to order soon.The new, flagship BYD Shark 6 Performance is priced from $62,900 before on-road costs, which is $5000 more than the existing Premium trim.There’s also a new, entry-level Shark 6 Dynamic cab-chassis trim which is priced from $55,900 before on-road costs.It’s worth noting that this does not include a tray. BYD has been working with Ironman 4x4 to develop a heavy-duty alloy tray as an option, but pricing for this hasn’t been confirmed yet.A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.The main change with the new Shark 6 Performance is it receives a larger and more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.With the dual electric motors, one on each axle, it produces total system outputs of 350kW and 700Nm, which is 29kW and 50Nm more than the 1.5-litre turbo Shark 6 variants.BYD claims the Shark 6 Performance can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.5 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the Shark 6 Premium.It also has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, which is 1000kg more than the Shark 6 Dynamic cab-chassis and Premium.Payload capacities for the Shark 6 Dynamic cab-chassis and Performance haven’t been confirmed yet, however, the existing Premium offers 790kg.A new ‘Crawl’ drive mode debuts in the Shark 6 Performance, which the company claims to improve the off-road capability over the existing “Mountain” drive mode. Essentially a low-speed cruise control, it operates at up to 20km/h and continuously adjusts torque to keep the wheels moving without slipping.While the ‘Crawl’ drive mode will initially be offered in the Performance trim, it’ll come to the Premium and Dynamic cab-chassis vehicles via an over-the-air software update later this year.It’s worth noting that no Shark 6 variant offers any form of locking differential. To date this has been reserved for the more premium, yet related Denza B5 and B8 SUVs.Full specifications haven’t been confirmed just yet but the Dynamic cab-chassis receives a smaller 12.8-inch central touchscreen multimedia system. The Premium and Performance have a 15.6-inch touchscreen instead.At this stage BYD has only released imagery of the new Shark 6 Dynamic cab-chassis. It’s unclear if the Performance will have any visual changes.

Built in China in partnership with Changan, the CX-6e joins the 6e sedan as part of a renewed EV push for Mazda Australia, which needs to get its emissions footprint down to comply with tougher regulations.The brand is giving the CX-6e its best shot at success with keen starting prices. The base GT grade starts at $53,990 (before on-road costs), making it one of the most affordable new electric mid-size SUVs from a mainstream brand.It is more affordable than the Kia EV5, Nissan Ariya and Tesla Model Y, but remains pricier than the Leapmotor C10, Geely EX5 and GAC Aion V.Deliveries for this new Mazda SUV will start in September.2026 Mazda CX-6e priceMazda’s new CX-6e from launch will only be separated by two different trim levels sharing the same battery and powertrain.2026 Mazda CX-6e powertrain and efficiencyLike its Mazda 6e sedan sibling, which has already launched in Australia, both launch variants use the same motor and battery combination.The CX-6e is rear-wheel drive only for now, equipped with a 190kW/290Nm electric motor.It is powered by a 78kWh LFP battery pack, which grants it a WLTP-rated driving range of 484km. Efficiency is yet to be revealed, but expect it to be marginally more than the lower-riding 6e sedan’s 15.9kWh/100km.Charging is completed in around 24 minutes (from 10 - 80 per cent) thanks to a peak 194kW charging speed, while the slower AC charging peaks at 11kW for a 0 - 100 per cent charge in eight hours.2026 Mazda CX-6e standard featuresSee the array of standard features below, with only a few luxury items separating the top-spec Azami from the base GT at the time of launch. Interestingly, the CX-6e gets a different interior treatment from the 6e, with an enormous multimedia screen spanning both front seats, and a large holographic head-up display replacing a standard digital instrument cluster.2026 Mazda CX-6e optional featuresThere are no significant optional features in the CX-6e range, with only the ‘Warm Beige’ alternate interior trim being offered as a $1000 option available on both the GT and Azami.2026 Mazda CX-6e coloursThere are seven colour options available for the CX-6e, including the brand’s signature Soul Red and an all-new colour not available on the related 6e sedan, Nightfall Violet Mica.Otherwise the standard colour palette includes machine grey metallic, aero grey metallic, airstream blue metallic, crystal white pearl mica, and jet black mica.In the case of the 6e, only the back, white, aero grey and crystal blue shades are no-cost, with the rest of the colour options able to be chosen at $595. Crystal blue is not available on the CX-6e.2026 Mazda CX-6e safetyThe entire array of active safety equipment is standard on the CX-6e range, including auto emergency braking with vulnerable road user detection and intersection braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver monitoring and radar cruise control.These join front and rear parking sensors, as well as the 360-degree parking suite.The CX-6e is yet to be rated by ANCAP.2026 Mazda CX-6e warranty and servicingExpect the CX-6e to be covered by Mazda’s standard five year and unlimited kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist.The CX-6e can now be ordered, with the brand also replicating its strategy of offering pre-order customers a free spec upgrade to the Azami level at the price of the GT.This scheme has been expanded from 300 units for the 6e (which sold-out in two weeks) to 1000 units for the CX-6e.