Electric Cars

Tesla has recalled nearly three million cars in China in the country's biggest recall ever.This recall impacts flush door handles on more than four million cars from not just Tesla but Geely, Xiaomi and XPeng, too.Flush door handles became popular in part thanks to Tesla. Some only pop out when required, as opposed to conventional handles, which can always be used.The trend took off in China, and features on many cars built in the country now.They have now been found to be a serious safety concern following several incidents globally, with this recall the latest step to curb risk.This recall has been brought about by two fatal Xiaomi crashes in China, among many other incidents.The two Xiaomi incidents are suspected to have been caused by power failures preventing car doors from being able to be opened.Tesla accepted in a statement that interior door handles are “difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim.”“In extreme situations such as a severe collision causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail, this could hinder occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape and impede rescue efforts by those outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard,” the statement continued.Recalled vehicles will be fitted with a physical warning label on the interior door and receive a software update to automatically lower the windows in a crash.  The Chinese government passed legislation to ban flush door handles earlier this year that will kick in from 1 January 2027. Cars will only be allowed to be sold in China if they have a mechanical release inside and outside. It’s not just China where flush door handles are of concern. The BBC reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States have anecdotes of the door handles not working and leaving children trapped in cars. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is the national regulator of car safety in Australia.ANCAP’s Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg told CarsGuide earlier this year the body would stick with its current review cycle, but still monitor design developments across all markets. The body recently introduced its 2026 protocols with a bigger focus on preventing crashes rather than just impact testing.The banning of flush door handles will be felt around the world, including Australia, where many cars built in China are sold, both from Chinese and international brands.New cars imported from China to Australia will no longer feature flush door handles from 2027.

Suzuki has revealed its tiny electric e-Sky kei car and confirms its arrival in the United Kingdom, opening the door to its possible arrival in Australia to rival the Honda Super- One EV.The Suzuki e-Sky was first shown in concept form at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show and the production version has barely changed apart from the LED lighting across the front of the car.Suzuki hasn’t fully revealed the e-Sky’s specifications yet but Japanese media are reporting it will have a single electric motor and a range of up to 310km.At just 3395mm end to end the four-door e-Sky is Suzuki’s first electric kei car.Japan’s kei cars have a passionate global cult following. Loved for being so little, cute and boxy, kei cars have their diminutive proportion due to Japan’s push for low-cost, space efficient transportation after World War II. Now these tiny vehicles are given tax exemptions in Japan as long as they meet size and power output regulations. The maximum length of a kei can be 3.4m long, and so the Suzuki e-Sky just qualifies. Honda’s Super-One, however, is 3580mm in length and so isn’t technically a kei car, although the brand says it is “kei-car inspired."The Suzuki e-Sky has been confirmed for the UK and will arrive there next year. This is a good sign for Australia because it confirms right-hand drive markets outside of just Japan.However, Australia is not a big consumer of tiny cars and not even as much of a fan of just small cars as the UK is and while there’s a healthy fanbase here in Australia for kei-cars such as the Honda N-Box, most are imported privately.Still CarsGuide has put in a call to Suzuki Australia to see if the e-sky might be considered for local release. Suzuki Australia has yet to respond to our inquiry.As for how much it would cost? Well in the UK the e-Sky is  expected to come in under A$40,000, although most cars sold in both Australia and the UK are more affordable here.In Australia one of the smallest and cheapest electric cars is the BYD Atto 1 which is 3.99m long and lists for $23,990, while the Honda Super-One which is set to arrive in Australia imminently and is more direct competition for the Suzuki is priced from $36,900 drive-away.Suzuki has just one electric car in its Australian range - the e Vitara. The e Vitara is a battery electric version of Suzuki’s popular small SUV and starts from $49,990 drive-away. 

XPeng has confirmed it will not only honour all offers made by previous importer TrueEV, but it will also extend its warranty to every G6 already sold into the Australian market.The factory-backed XPeng entity, which has been involved in a legal stoush with TrueEV for some time, has now made the commitment to existing owners to address ‘uncertainty’ created from its legal proceedings.XPeng says it will review documents surrounding various promotional offers made by True EV prior to the discontinuation of its distribution agreement and subsequent legal proceedings.This includes the much-reported $5000 cashback promotional offer, which many G6 buyers have yet to receive, a confirmation of an extended promotional 10-year warranty offering, complementary scheduled maintenance offers, as well as other “miscellaneous promotional and campaign offers”.The brand encourages any existing XPeng owners to contact it directly. It says cases will be reviewed individually and the company will “work with customers to reach an appropriate outcome”.The company says it has expanded its customer support team to handle enquiries “promptly”.XPeng says it will extend its factory-backed seven-year and unlimited kilometre warranty to all existing G6 vehicles purchased through TrueEV or any of its authorised dealers. The warranty will be as per the new factory-backed operation’s warranty documentation.The seven-year warranty is limited to 160,000km for commercial use, while the high-voltage battery, battery management system and drive motor unit is covered by a separate eight-year and 160,000km warranty.The paint is covered for five years and unlimited kilometres and the anti-corrosion and rust warranty is seven years and unlimited kilometres.XPeng also added it was formalising its participation in the motor vehicle service and repair information sharing scheme, “supporting customer choice in where and how vehicles are serviced”.XPeng is expanding its factory-backed dealer network so that new and existing owners can service their vehicles at genuine workshops. The brand has 25 showrooms but plans to double this network to 50 in six months.During its stoush with its previous importer TrueEV, XPeng has come under criticism for leaving existing G5 owners in the lurch when it comes to parts, servicing, warranty claims, and promotional offers offered under the TrueEV arrangement.The new announcement should come as a relief to existing owners waiting for cashback, parts, or servicing, although the reality of XPeng’s roll-out of these promises remains to be seen.The company is forging ahead with a renewed plan for model launches, announcing it will add the L03 coupe small SUV to the range before the end of the year, alongside plans to launch the L05 mid-sizer as a more affordable alternative to the G6 and the G9L large SUV seemingly in place of previous plans to launch the standard G9 under the previous importer.The company also said it will launch range-extended models in 2027, and its new flagship GX large SUV will arrive at a later date.

Chery has confirmed it's adding another sub-brand to its growing arsenal in Australia.New adventure-focused iCaur brand will join Chery, Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas in the carmaking giant’s local line-up. Chery will also likely launch Freelander and maybe Exceed in the next few years. Its Jetour off-roader brand will arrive later this year via a separate factory-backed entity.iCaur Australia boss Kate Gillis said Australians have a strong desire for vehicles that are practical, capable and good looking.“The V25 has been developed to meet those expectations while bringing a distinctive personality that will appeal to customers looking for something different,” said Gillis.The V25 features tough-looks with light off-roading ability.The company confirmed it will launch early in 2027, with the V25 the first model to join the line-up. It will go head-to-head with the Denza B5 and Subaru Forester in Australia and Toyota LandCruiser FJ in other markets.iCaur Australia hasn’t revealed any details for the V25, but specs have emerged in China.A filing to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last month showed the V25 is an extended range hybrid (EREV).An EREV uses the petrol engine just to charge the sizable battery, with only electric motors driving the wheels. This gives it the driving benefits of an EV but without the range anxiety.It uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 115kW, and a 33.68kWh battery delivers an electric driving range of up to 150km albeit under the more lenient CLTC test cycle.According to the MIIT’s details, the V25 is 4636mm long, 1920mm wide, 1855mm tall, has a 1820mm wheelbase and has a track width of 1635mm at the front, 1642mm at the rear.Overhangs of 736mm at the front and 1080mm at the rear are also quoted, though an approach angle of 28 degrees and a departure angle of 24 degrees have also been reported.In China iCaur has the V23 and V27. The V23 is an electric SUV that uses a single electric motor to make 155kW and 292Nm. It is paired with a circa 82kWh battery that delivers a driving range of up to 430km. It can only charge at a max 104kW via a DC charger.The V27 is a bigger, chunkier tough-looking SUV, which uses an extended range hybrid set-up.A 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine charges the 34.3kWh battery, with power coming from a pair of electric motors driving each axle, which combine for 335kW and 505Nm.

Nowadays, Australia may host more car brands than ever before, but we miss out on some very cool models.That’s because of a uniquely regional Australian Design Rule (ADR) requirement that can cost upwards of $5 million to implement for each series.Known as ADR 34/03, it stipulates that three top tether anchorage points must be fitted across each rear-seat position. But it can also create years of delays and blow out business cases due to the subsequent expenses involved.Probably the most disappointing recent example has been the Renault 5 E-Tech.Wooing buyers and critics alike, this award-winning electric vehicle (EV) hatchback has been a smash hit in Europe, melding desirable retro design with cutting-edge yet affordable tech.However, as CarsGuide outlined earlier this year, Renault importer Ateco Automotive may not even bother releasing the 5 E-Tech into Australia because it cannot afford the extra millions necessary for it to comply with ADR 34/03. The maths just doesn’t add up. Such a pity.The same also applies to the Renault 4 E-Tech, a larger and more crossover-style EV wagon that, though not as racy as its closely related 5 E-Tech sibling, possesses family friendly packaging that might make it a more-practical proposition.But all is not lost.Unlike the 5 E-Tech which, despite its diminutive supermini proportions, is only available as a full-fledged five-seater hatch, the 4 E-Tech can be ordered as a two-seater panel van dubbed the Société Van that ditches the back row.Since this eliminates the need to comply with ADR 34/03, it begs the question: why can’t Ateco simply import the 4 E-Tech Société as a commercial vehicle? Post-sale, owners could then add a rear seat if desired, fitted to specification by a vehicle engineering firm in Australia.This was widely done in the 1980s, notably with smaller Japanese cars like the Suzuki 800 hatch (1980), Daihatsu Handivan (1981) and Honda City (1984). Each one was only officially imported as a two-seater van.However, according to Renault Australia General Manager, Glen Sealey, importing the 4 E-Tech Société is unlikely, given the extreme niche that passenger-car-based vans would occupy, adding that the Kangoo commercial vehicle broadly fills a similar role.“We haven't looked at that as a solution, because for us, we've got the Kangoo,” he told CarsGuide at the Renault Master large van launch in Sydney last month.“And that small panel van passenger car market is negligible (in size) … it would be higher cost, for low reward.”This is in spite of the wider Renault brand portfolio actually already offering a number of car-based panel vans in right-hand-drive (RHD) Ireland.“That RHD European market does utilise a typical passenger vehicle for (small panel van) commercial use,” Sealey said.“They do it in the Duster (small SUV). They do with the Sandero (small car). They do it with Megane E-Tech.”Sealey added that companies, not individuals, are buying electric vans in Australia, and they would not go for passenger-car-derived alternatives, that tend to attract individuals running small businesses.“The tradie is not buying electric,” he said. The corporate market is, and the corporate market is buying a larger van.”

Cadillac is considering abandoning its plans to relaunch in the United Kingdom, according to a report in Auto Car. The General Motors sub-brand was initially planning to rejoin the UK market last year as a fully-electric car brand, but those ambitions now look to be in doubt. The revamped Cadillac brand is designed to take on luxury electric SUVs from Germany’s elite brands, including the Mercedes-Benz EQB and the BMW i3.  It is unclear whether this development could spell trouble for other right-hand drive markets like Australia in the future. Cadillac first announced it would relaunch in the UK in mid-2024, but since then, Auto Car reports there have been external changes impacting the brand’s plans."As the UK market and EV landscape continues to evolve rapidly with new competitors emerging, we are actively reviewing our future Cadillac plans to ensure they remain aligned with market conditions and customer demand, and we will continue to assess future opportunities accordingly,” a spokesperson for the brand told Auto Car. Cadillac is facing pressure from cheaper Chinese competitors BYD and Chery that are targeting luxury electric SUVs at a more affordable price point. Established luxury giants Mercedes-Benz and BMW already have strong appeal, making it challenging for Cadillac to break in on their territory. The brand wound up operations in the UK in 2010, suffering from disappointing sales and difficulties sourcing cars in right-hand drive.Cadillac’s Escalade high-end full-size V8- and electric-powered SUV has received a tepid sales response as the brand’s only model on sale in the UK, shifting just 20 units between July 2025 and March 2026.It's unclear whether a potential U-turn in a right-hand drive market could signal a similar fate in other markets, but the brand will power on Down Under for now. Cadillac only just launched in late 2024, and is actively adding to its Australian line-up, suggesting it sees a long-term future in Australia. It launched its Optiq mid-size and Vistiq three-row SUV earlier this year to complement the Lyriq two-row large SUV already on sale. Cadillac does not report its sales figures.Its models are pitched towards luxury-focused buyers, with the Optiq starting from $80,000, and prices rising up to more than $120,000 on the Lyriq. The brand slashed the pricing on its Lyriq electric SUV by $32,000 in May 2026 in a move to undercut the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron.

BYD is taking aim at the luxury electric sedan market with its latest model.The brand has opened presales for its Da Han, or ‘Great Han’ full-size sedan that has the Mercedes-Benz EQS, BMW i7 and Porsche Taycan in its sights. It measures in at 5256mm long, 1999mm wide, 1510mm high, with a 3130mm wheelbase, so it shapes up similarly to the petrol- and diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz S-Class.With more than 1000km of driving range, it could be a game-changer for buyers in the market for a long-distance cruiser.The car is available in two variants. A rear-wheel drive single motor making 370kW, or an all-wheel drive dual motor set-up boosting power to 570kW. The Da Han’s main attraction is a huge 1008km driving range from a large 102kWh battery, potentially blowing its key competition out of the water.This figure has been calculated using the more lenient CLTC regime, so it's likely to be 20 to 30 per cent lower in the real world, in closer proximity to other electric sedans.The AWD Da Han has a reduced driving range of 880km (CLTC), due its more power hungry dual electric motors and extra traction.DC fast charging from 10 to 97 per cent takes just nine minutes courtesy of the brand's new 1000-volt electrical architecture. BYD’s new sedan will also be available with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up, making up to 400kW. Its 55kWh battery offers as much as 470km of EV-only driving range.There is no official word on the Da Han’s potential Australian future, but it is unlikely to be any time soon as BYD’s global ambitions for the model remain unclear. BYD routinely engineers models for right-hand drive, and if this happens for the Da Han, its chances of an Australian launch increase significantly.BYD's local branch is taking sedans seriously, and has already introduced the Seal and Seal 6, with a larger Seal 7 also approved for sale in Australia.  The Da Han will start in China from 250,000 yuan, which is roughly $52,000, but it would be more expensive in Australia, likely above the $60,000 mark. 

KGM Australia has admitted it falsely marketed the airbag count of its Musso EV ute.As identified by local crash safety authority ANCAP, KGM claimed the Musso EV had a total of eight airbags, but in reality it only has six in Australia.The Australian-specification version of this electric dual-cab ute misses out on a centre airbag and a driver-knee airbag. Both feature in the South Korean-specification version.“KGM Australia has identified an error in published product information relating to the MY26 Musso EV,” said a KGM Australia spokesperson.“Some materials incorrectly described the vehicle as being equipped with eight airbags, including a driver SRS knee airbag and front seat centre airbag.“The correct Australian specification is six airbags. The vehicle has always been manufactured in this six-airbag configuration.”“Once the discrepancy was confirmed, KGM Australia took immediate steps to update affected marketing and specification materials, so they accurately reflect the specification of Australian-delivered vehicles,” said a KGM Australia spokesperson.“The Musso EV remains compliant with Vehicle Type Approval. KGM Australia is finalising a coordinated customer communication and redress approach and will communicate directly with affected customers.“KGM Australia takes the accuracy of information provided to customers seriously and is reviewing the circumstances that led to the error.“Customers with questions or concerns can contact KGM Australia or their authorised KGM dealer.”At this stage it’s unclear whether KGM Australia plans to change the local specification to increase the airbag count of the Musso EV from six to eight.“Nothing has been confirmed at this stage, but we will continue to review opportunities to enhance vehicle specifications and introduce ongoing product improvements,” said a KGM Australia spokesperson.This is far from the first time that ANCAP has identified differences in safety specifications from market to market.Most recently, early versions of the current-generation Suzuki Swift were found to have different front-end reinforcement to the European-specification version. It received a one-star ANCAP safety rating.However, Australian-specification Swift models built from August 2025 onwards have aligned specifications with the European-specification model. This saw the ANCAP safety rating change to three stars.The KGM Musso EV is the South Korean carmaker’s first electric ute. It launched locally in late 2025.Unlike the body-on-frame Musso diesel ute, this electric version is built on a monocoque platform and shares components with the Actyon and Torres SUVs.Single-motor front-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive versions of the Musso EV are offered in Australia. Pricing starts from $60,000 drive-away.There aren’t many electric utes on offer in Australia currently and its main rival is the Toyota HiLux BEV.As it currently stands the Musso EV is unrated by ANCAP.

It ultimately helped end Holden, and the same can happen with an alarmingly high number of other prominent car brands.We’re talking about the over-reliance on one single model in Australia.It is the ‘eggs all in one basket’ that leaves sales and financials vulnerable when the inevitable happens – a popular model starts to run out of steam with consumers.Factors include newer competition, ageing models and external outside forces like spiking oil prices and evolving buyer tastes.Here, then, are some of Australia’s most vulnerable brands due to the over-dependence on one model line.Geely’s ‘Gen-Z geek’ sub-brand has struck a chord with Australians thanks to the strikingly styled 7X, and deservedly so.However, did you know there are two other, older Zeekr models sitting beside it on the showroom floor? A smaller SUV known as the X and a large people mover badged 009.Combined, they make up just 6.4 per cent of Zeekr’s year-to-date (YTD) sales, while the 7X takes the lion’s share at an incredible 93.4 per cent. Let’s hope the latter keeps the momentum up.Tesla’s Model 3 may have opened the floodgates for electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia since arriving in mid 2019, but it has now been subsumed by the larger SUV offshoot, the Model Y.The YTD sales data tells the story, with the 3’s sales tumbling 18.4 per cent to 3326 units, while the Y’s tally – supercharged by the new three-row L version – has now breached the 25,000 mark.That puts the hunchbacked SUV at 88.3 per cent of total Tesla sales, with the sedan taking the remaining 11.7 per cent.But with no S, X or ute to provide support, the Model Y is vulnerable against an unrelenting tide of mid-sized EV SUV alternatives, like the Zeekr 7X.From nowhere, the cheapest Jaecoo from Chery’s Land Rover-aping sub-brand, the J5, is responsible for more than two-thirds of all volume.This leaves three other models, the J7, J8 and Omoda 9, to fight over the crumbs.Isuzu hasn’t developed its own passenger car since the early 1990s, electing to concentrate on utes and trucks instead.The D-Max is responsible for 63 per cent of all Isuzu Ute sales YTD. It sits fourth after the Ranger, HiLux and Shark 6 on the charts.The other 37 per cent belongs to the M-UX SUV version of the ute, and that currently occupies third place amongst large SUVs behind the Ford Everest and Prado.This country sure loves a body-on-frame three-row wagon.But both Isuzus are diesel-only powered, meaning that, with no hybrid or EV in sight for Australia, Isuzu Ute faces steep fines due to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) carbon tax.And that’s just going to increase annually in severity, which will really hurt Isuzu Ute, unless it pulls something out of the hat, and fast.Australia’s top-selling vehicle since 2023, the Ranger is responsible for some 62.3 per cent of Ford’s total volume YTD.Combined with its Everest SUV offshoot, that jumps to a staggering 88.7 per cent. Given there are seven other distinct models squabbling over the remaining 11.3 per cent, that's a worry.The next most popular Ford YTD is the Transit Custom van at just three per cent, followed by the Mustang at 2.8 per cent, F-150 at 2.45 per cent, Transit Cargo at 1.9 per cent, Tourneo people mover at 0.5 per cent and Mustang Mach-E at 0.33 per cent.But storm clouds are in the air for the Blue Oval’s popular ute-based duo, with both Ranger and Everest sales down this year, thanks to fierce competition from new rivals including the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).While a Ranger PHEV does exist, it costs too much and delivers too little by comparison, meaning the vast majority of volume belongs to the diesel versions.That’s a lot of NVES fines Ford is facing, unless the incoming Bronco PHEV SUV and other future EVs grow the brand's share of the total market without cannibalising Ranger and Everest.With demand for the latest Vitara tanking, the Swift hybrid struggling and the Fronx floundering, it’s been the Jimny small 4WD that has kept Suzuki humming along, accounting for 56.6 per cent of all volume YTD.Likewise, the Defender attracts the most business for Land Rover in Australia, taking 54.1 per cent of all orders YTD.The Haval Jolion small SUV has performed the heavy lifting for GWM YTD, at 53.9 per cent of total sales, as has the X-Trail for Nissan, at 53 per cent.Australia’s continuous number one since 2003, Toyota boasts several high-volume models, including the RAV4, Prado, Corolla, HiAce, Camry and Yaris Cross.Yet even the brand’s most popular vehicle – the HiLux – only makes up 23.6 per cent of the company’s total sales YTD.Similarly, BYD’s top performer, the Sealion 7, is at 25 per cent, Kia’s biggest crowd-pleaser, the Sportage, is at 23.1 per cent and this country’s favourite Mazda, the CX-5, is at 26.4 per cent.The smaller the percentage, the higher the chances are your brand will weather any storm. Sadly, the writing was on the wall long before Australia's Own started to see its sales slide.Holden’s downfall is largely down to its over-reliance on one model. It was always the way, right back even before the Kingswood years.Here's the most telling stat. Australia’s best-seller for 15 years in a row from 1996 until 2011, sales of the Commodore crashed to just 50 position in 2019.That was following the disaster that was replacing the rear-drive VF series made in Australia with the smaller, front-wheel drive-based Opel Insignia out of Germany as the ZB series. This happened as a result of Holden’s manufacturing shutdown in 2017.The latter bombed so hard that it was cancelled in December of 2019, with Holden effectively over by the following February.

Japan’s carmakers are finding ways to fight back against the growing might of Chinese auto brands.Outside of Toyota most Japanese carmakers are not big enough, or rich enough, to balloon out to the size of some of the new Chinese powerhouses.Relatively small manufacturers such as Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru don’t have the resources to overhaul their collective ranges and invest in electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid technology all at once.Instead they are borrowing from others. Subaru joined forces with Toyota to build EVs, Mazda with China’s Changan and Mitsubishi with Taiwan's Foxtron, the latter is part of the company that builds iPhones.They now have the tech but predicting demand for electric cars is proving difficult for all manufacturers.Mazda and Subaru have found the solution.Mazda is developing a new way of producing cars that would allow one production line to make internal-combustion engined vehicles, hybrids and electric vehicles depending on demand.Subaru is also working on flexible production lines to help it make the most of its modest production resources, without having to build new factories or re-tool old ones.This would help the pair adjust to lulls in EV demand without having to mothball production lines, which has impacted other major makers such as Ford and Volkswagen.Subaru Managing Executive Officer Ikuo Watanabe told US outlet Autonews it would be able to adapt to changes in tariffs of exchange rate fluctuations to shuffle production between factories around the world.“Demand trends are uncertain and we cannot predict which powertrain, battery-electric, hybrid or internal combustion engine, will sell well and when,” Watanabe said. “Making an investment decision on one specific technology poses the greatest risk.”Mazda has pushed back its own in-house developed electric cars until 2029, with it instead relying on Changan’s production to deliver its reskinned EVs. Hybrid versions of its CX-5 SUV won’t arrive in the US until late 2027 before rolling out to other markets, including Australia.But it already has a plan in place to build all its different powered vehicles on the same line when they are available towards the end of the decade.Former Toyota boss and now head of Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Koji Sato recently called for the country’s carmakers to join forces or risk oblivion, according to Autonews.“Unless things change, we will not survive,” Sato said. He is calling for all brands to have uniform parts to help reduce costs and complexity across the industry.Japan’s automakers believe this will help them tackle China’s scale and speed.