Industry news

Chery’s groundbreaking solid-state battery with 1500km of driving range is edging closer to production, according to reports out of China.Solid-state is seen as a game-changing upgrade for electric vehicles, making range anxiety a relic of history. By using a solid material to transfer power, it can store substantially more energy than conventional batteries. The brand recently confirmed its solid-state plans, aiming to deploy the technology this year in limited operational scenarios before broader commercialisation. It is targeting mass-market availability of the battery next year. More details are likely to be revealed about the battery at Chery’s upcoming ‘Battery Night’ in China. This could include confirmation of important information such as battery capacity and charging architecture.It has previously been reported Chery’s solid-state battery has an energy density of 600Wh/kg, which is far greater than conventional batteries. This enables superior driving range, with the battery offering 1500km. It can perform reliably in temperatures as low as minus-30 degrees. This battery will feature on Chery’s high-end sub-brand Exeed with its Liefeng shooting brake model. We also know the car will have super fast charging through its 800-volt platform and can shift from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds, maxing out at 260km/h.Chery has been boasting of its solid-state battery developments for some time now.Exeed was thought to be launching its ES8 with a solid-state battery for the first time later this year, expected to have a driving range of 1000km. The Exeed brand is something that could be on the cards for Australia, with local Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris eager to see it Down Under.“I really like the Exeed product, and I think they make some, you know, really cool, really high end, actual luxury specification vehicles. If I could make a wish tomorrow and it would come true, that would probably be what I would ask for," Harris told CarsGuide this year.Chery’s announcement comes after rival Chinese brand BYD said it would have small-batch production for its solid-state battery ready some time next year, but there are no specification details available yet. Many other brands are also investing into solid-state, with 2027 looking like a breakthrough year for the technology, as CATL, SAIC and Toyota all prepare for production. It is unclear at this stage whether solid-state batteries will be the future of electric vehicles, but this upcoming announcement could provide an insight into its potential.

After a long wait the Skoda Enyaq RS SUV and Coupe have been confirmed to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2026.The brand previously offered the Enyaq RS Coupe in limited volume from December 2024, but this updated model will expand the range with the addition of the SUV bodystyle.“The Enyaq RS and Enyaq Coupé RS distil the best of Skoda: effortless electric performance, long‑range confidence and generous technology, all wrapped in a distinctly RS design,” explained Lucie Kuhn, Brand Director for Skoda Australia.“They’re engineered for Australian life: quick to charge, easy to live with and exceptionally well equipped.”The Enyaq RS SUV will be priced from $75,490 and $76,490 (both prices exclude on-road costs), but Skoda Australia has confirmed that a national drive-away deal will be offered, but announced closer to launch.Full details for this new flagship, high-performance variants have just been confirmed by the Australian arm of the Czech brand, with a 250kW/545Nm, all-wheel drive powertrain headlining its credentials.But despite being capable of sprinting 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds, Skoda also claims the Enyaq RS will be able to drive up to 523km on a single charge, thanks to its 9kWh battery. Maximum DC charging is 185kW, which Skoda claims is enough to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes.Befitting its role as the performance hero of the range, the Enyaq RS will also come equipped with Volkswagen Group’s Dynamic Chassis Control.Unique elements for the RS include 21-inch alloy wheels, glossy black exterior highlights and RS design black leather and leatherette seat trim. There’s also the exclusive Mamba Green hero colour to further set it apart.Further equipment includes a 13‑inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 5.3‑inch digital instrument display, heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a Canton premium sound system.Plus there’s Skoda’s trademark ‘simply clever’ touches, including an umbrella stowed in the front door, hands-free power tailgate and cargo nets and other storage devices in the boot.

Fuel prices in Australia are soaring, meaning fuel efficiency in vehicles is a more important consideration than ever. Hybrid cars offer the potential for superior fuel efficiency compared to internal combustion power without the big price premium if fully electric or plug-in hybrid options. This makes them an increasingly attractive option for buyers given the current global climate. Hybrid sales are already booming in Australia, but will increases in fuel prices accelerate the shift away from pure internal combustion cars? NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said that while hybrid sales are increasing, an even swifter transition is less than clear. “If you’re driving a standard vehicle with a 55-litre tank, compared to what we were paying before the war began to now, it’s a $45 increase on one tank of petrol. That applies regardless of whether it’s hybrid or petrol,” Khoury said. “Historically speaking, looking at what happens after an oil shock, it certainly opens up their consideration. “No doubt that if this crisis continues and these prices hang around for weeks or months, Australians will look at those alternatives more seriously.” Below is a comparison between popular petrol and hybrid choices in each segment to see how they stack up in a changing fuel context. Fuel cost has been calculated using current data from the New South Wales’ government’s average fuel price for unleaded 95 petrol and diesel. Toyota’s Corolla hybrid hatch offers superior fuel efficiency and driving range compared to the Kia K4 petrol model. The Corolla is also cheaper to fill up with fuel thanks to its smaller tank and offers a substantially bigger driving range. The Kia Seltos is a petrol-only variant, but despite its bigger fuel tank, it has less driving range than the Toyota Corolla Cross, courtesy of the hybrid powertrain. The bigger fuel tank means the Seltos is also more expensive to fill up. The mid-size CX-5 has a non-turbo charged petrol engine, which sees it offer an impressive estimated driving range of more than 800km, but once again the Toyota competitor’s fuel efficiency wins out in the RAV4 hybrid. The Toyota Kluger continues the Japanese juggernaut’s fuel efficient theme, with a hybrid set-up offering a driving range of more than 1122km, which is significantly more than the MQ QS, despite both cars costing a similar amount to fill up at the bowser. Utes are some of the worst affected by the fuel price increase as many of them are powered using diesel engines, with diesel fuel rising more than petrol. It has now risen to well beyond the $2.60 mark per litre. The BYD Shark’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses petrol, which makes it an affordable option, given the price of diesel. It should be noted that the Shark 6’s fuel efficiency is significantly reduced when the battery is not charged. It’s a similar story for the GWM Cannon Alpha, which should be noted is no longer on sale, but remains one of limited plug-less hybrid utes in Australia. 

GWM’s much-hyped V8 engine is still not locked in for Australia as the company mulls how it will introduce such an engine when emissions regulations are starting to bite.The Chinese giant announced the existence of a new 4.0-litre V8 engine at last year’s Shanghai motor show, claiming that it has “solved problems overseas companies couldn’t solve” when it comes to higher capacity engines.The announcement was a shock given every other manufacturer is downsizing their internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains or moving to electrification.Speaking with journalists in Melbourne recently, GWM ANZ Chief Operating Officer John Kett said the newly developed V8 was still a chance for Australia, but the company has to determine how that will work with the New Vehicle efficiency Standard (NVES) now in play.“We'd love to turn that V8 story that we spoke about last year into something. We got visibility around certainly V8 ICE. Not sure if we can pay the NVES penalty, but we want to think about that too and how that would work. And we don't have anything more in our plug-in hybrid V8, but it's certainly still there.”Questioned on whether the V8 was guaranteed for Australia, Kett said:“I would say the technology is there. We haven't made a final decision.”He added GWM needs to keep pushing its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and EV models, including Ora, for the V8 to get over the line.Currently there are a number of PHEV models in GWM’s growing portfolio, including the H6 and H6 GT PHEV, the Tank 500 and soon-to-launch Tank 300, as well as the Cannon Alpha ute. A plug-iun version of the smaller Cannon ute has also been confirmed.Ora consists of just one niche hatchback model for now, but GWM confirmed two to three new Ora models to launch in 2026, including the Ora 5 crossover.The V8 could find its way under the bonnet of the Tank 700 SUV or the coming Tank 800 flagship, but that’s yet to be confirmed.Kett said he understands that messaging could get confusing for GWM which claims green credentials while planning a V8, but suggested there could be other ways to bring the big engine to market.“I'm not sure how we explain them in this world, that we're a green company and we have a V8, but I'm sure we'll work our way through that, right?“We certainly see in the upper-large segments what they're getting away with, and the opportunity for us. So if it ends up being a narrow build or a limitation on how many we bring in, but certainly in our portfolio, there's a car we could take. It's just the economics piece.”He said one option could be to introduce the engine in very limited numbers, but he would like it to be broader. Another option was to charge V8 customers for cost of NVES, but that too is far from a certainty.“So maybe it has to pay for it, maybe we just have to say outside of V8 will be neutral and a bit of credit, V8 customer are just going to have to pay for the tax that goes with that right? That economically makes sense. I'm not sure PR wise or corporate wise, whether they would like that. That's the economic side.”GWM ANZ Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver has faith that the company will be able to introduce the V8 in healthy numbers, but it comes down to economic sense.“If we can build a business case and there's demand there, we're not going to limit. We'll sell as many as we can get our hands on. And we're pretty confident we'll get support from the factory for us to do that.“We have to get that hybrid and plug-in hybrid and EV part of the portfolio right. And we think we've got today, a good setup of product technology to take us there. But again, knowing what's coming in the pipeline, we will add a significant number more plug-in hybrids, EVs into that space, and we're confident we'll grow that.“And if we can do that, it really firms up V8 for us. But we're still going to make the business case as we do with any new car coming up.”In other words, watch this space.

This Chinese brand isn’t making as much noise as BYD, Chery and GWM, but it is quietly building a large and competitive range.Leapmotor, which is backed by car giant Stellantis, is preparing to add a new cut-price electric small car to its range, according to filings to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).The new small EV, dubbed A05, will target the growing cohort of electric hatchbacks led by the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and Cupra Born.Power will come from a single front mounted electric motor making either 70kW or 90kW.This will be paired with a Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery of a currently unconfirmed size.The A05 will be 4200mm long, 1800mm wide, 1560mm tall with a wheelbase of 2605mm, which places it between little cars such as the Mazda2 and bigger hatchbacks such as the Mazda3.The pint-sized EV is expected to launch in fellow right-hand drive market, the UK, later this year, which leaves the door open for a future Aussie arrival.Leapmotor is expected to revealed the A05 in the coming months in China.Meanwhile, Leapmotor has been busy fleshing out its range in Australia.The brand initially launched with the C10 mid-size electric SUV, which was later joined by the range extender hybrid version of the C10. The compact B10 SUV was next to land Down Under.Leapmotor has also confirmed the B05 crossover will be the next model to come to Australia, which is expected later this year.The company has also revealed the A10 hatchback overseas, which is a slightly larger hatchback than the B05.If Leapmotor brings those models to market in the next 12 months, it will have an entrant in most the biggest passenger car segments besides the large SUV sector, which itself could potentially be occupied by the recently-revealed D16.

Renault’s forthcoming baby SUV could reportedly be headed to Europe, potentially as a Dacia model.As reported by AutoExpress, Renault is initially targeting the Indian market (which is a right-hand drive market like Australia) with the upcoming Bridger SUV, but the brand is considering exports to other markets.“We are really focused on going out with this car in India, plus left-hand-drive countries, but why not think about extending it to other continents? It’s an open question, and fair to say we are looking at it,” said Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive to AutoExpress.“First of all, currently it’s a Renault for India. But happy to hear that you think it would also be a nice car for Dacia’s line-up. We have not analysed that currently; maybe we evaluate that,” added Dacia CEO Katrin Adt.If the Renault Bridger is rebadged as a Dacia for European markets, this will be the opposite of what the companies currently do.Renault currently badges the Dacia Duster and Bigster SUVs for select markets outside of Europe. The Renault Duster, for example, is offered in Australia.The Renault Bridger has only been revealed as a concept for now, but it’s set to be produced in India from 2027.The company has previously noted there will be a “gradual roll-out to other international markets”. It’s unclear whether Australia is included in these plans, but it’s worth noting that no Indian-built Renault has ever made its way Down Under.Measuring under 4.0-metres long, the Bridger will form as a rival to the likes of the Mahindra XUV3XO, Hyundai Venue and Suzuki Fronx.The Bridger is set to be built on the Renault Group modular platform, or ‘RGMP small’, and will be offered with combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains.It has a boxy silhouette with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, much like the more rugged Suzuki Jimny.We’re yet to see the interior, however, Renault notes there will be 200mm of knee room in the second row, as well as 400L of boot space. These are sizeable figures for a light SUV.

Buyers are abandoning their supposed skepticism of Chinese carmakers, with affordability proving a key factor in buying decision-making. According to The Next Gear - Australia in Motion data from Gumtree Group (owner of CarsGuide), which surveyed more than 4000 prospective car buyers, 57 per cent of respondents said the country of origin for a car is an important factor in the purchasing process.Further, 42 per cent of respondents said they were unlikely to consider buying a vehicle from a brand originating in China. Unlikelihood to consider buying car from brand originating in following countries Sales data tells a different story. For February 2026 sales, China became the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia. Gumtree Group's data also shows 11 Chinese-owned brands appear in Australian consideration sets. Brands BYD, GWM and Chery were all in the top 10 best-selling carmakers for February 2026, combining for nearly 15,000 sales for the month. China overtook Japan, which 71 per cent of respondents said they would likely consider buying a vehicle with that country of origin. China’s dominance in Australia is only going to increase from here, with many manufacturers offering budget EV options in a market where EVs are increasing of interest to buyers. Mainstream car makers are also starting to shift production across to China, either re-badging Chinese cars or manufacturing cars there.This offers brands the potential to build for and import cars to Australia cheaper, enabling more competitive prices. For example, the highly-anticipated Mazda 6e launching soon in Australia, is a re-skinned version of the Deepal L07, while many of Tesla’s popular EVs are built in China. This comparative cheapness is driving buyers to abandon their brand origin preference.Chinese-made cars are among some of the cheapest on the market, especially in the EV space, such as BYD’s Atto 1, Atto 2 and Dolphin, which are three cheapest new EVs in Australia. It is a similar story for internal combustion powered cars, with the MG3 currently available for under $20K as one example.

Chery's ute to get truly local name.

The BYD Atto 3 is now one of the brand’s oldest vehicles it still sells locally but a major upgrade could soon be on the horizon.A filing on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) database, as reported by AutoHome, shows BYD is readying a new version of the Yuan Plus, which is the domestic name for the Atto 3 electric SUV sold in Australia.Featuring revised exterior styling cues like flush door handles, slimmer headlights, a full-width rear tail-light bar, plus different front and rear fascias, this new version of the Atto 3 has also grown in size.The MIIT filing notes it measures in at 4665mm long, 1895mm wide and 1675mm tall with a 2770mm wheelbase. This makes it 210mm longer, 20mm wider and 60mm taller than the current Atto 3 and closer in size to the likes of the mid-sized Kia EV5.Power reportedly comes from a rear-mounted electric motor which will be offered in two different power outputs – 200kW and 240kW.It’s fed by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BYD Blade battery with an unknown capacity. Reports indicate that it could be a second-generation Blade battery, potentially meaning quicker charging, energy density and reduced degradation.Other notable details on the MIIT filing include the availability of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as two-tone exterior paint colour finishes.The current BYD Atto 3, known as the Yuan Plus in China, went on sale in Australia in late 2022 when the brand relaunched locally.It has received one update since its launch which included some visual tweaks, a bigger touchscreen multimedia system, as well as different standard-fit tyres.There are two variants currently offered in Australia – the Essential and Premium. Both are powered by a 150kW front-mounted electric motor which is fed by either a 50kW or 60.4kWh LFP Blade battery.Overseas BYD has already launched the Atto 3 Evo which takes the current model and switches it from front- to rear-wheel drive, plus there’s an available dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain.Additionally there’s a larger 74.8kWh LFP Blade battery that offers up to 510km of CLTC claimed range. It operates on an 800V electrical architecture, allowing for a quicker DC fast-charging rate of up to 220kW.Other notable changes with the Atto 3 Evo includes revised rear suspension, a bigger boot, the addition of a front boot and a repositioned gear selector.Prototype versions of the Atto 3 Evo have previously been spied in Australia, indicating a local launch is on the cards.It’s unclear whether this new-generation version of the Atto 3 will eventually come to Australia, or if it will be a China-only model.

The Mazda CX-30 is one of the Japanese carmaker’s most popular SUV models and it’s likely due to receive a major update or next-generation model in the next few years.Essentially a lifted version of the Mazda3 hatchback and sedan, the CX-30 was revealed back in 2019 and hasn’t received any major facelift or update since it launched.To help paint a picture of what this updated version of the CX-30 looks like, we have new digital renders from Thanos Pappas.Overall, the silhouette remains largely the same, but the biggest difference is the front fascia.Inspired by the likes of the new-generation CX-5, there’s an angrier and more angular front end with thin LED headlights and prominent bonnet bulges.There’s even an alternate version of the front end which is largely blanked out and reminiscent of the Vision X-Compact concept from the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.This latter option indicates what an electric or hybrid version of the CX-30 could look like.Mazda is currently developing its Skyactiv-Z in-house hybrid powertrain and the first vehicle it’ll feature in is the new CX-5 in 2027.It’s expected that versions of this Skyactiv-Z hybrid engine will eventually filter out to the rest of Mazda’s line-up of vehicles. This means the CX-30 will likely eventually end up with some form of hybrid engine.In fact, the CX-30 has previously already been offered with hybrid power, even in Australia, with the Skyactiv-X 24V mild hybrid on sale locally from 2020 to 2023, as well as the Skyactiv-G 12V mild hybrid that was briefly available.Both were discontinued locally due to slow sales and since then the only engine options have been 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engines.Mazda is also increasing its line-up of electric vehicles (EVs) and it wouldn’t be surprising if an update to the CX-30 brings more widespread adoption of electric powertrains.An electric version of the CX-30 was previously offered in China and built by the joint venture company Changan Mazda. It was jacked up much higher than the regular CX-30 and featured a unique front bumper.It was powered by a 160kW front-mounted electric motor which was fed by a 61.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The claimed range was up to 450km, according to NEDC testing.The CX-30 EV has since been succeeded by the larger Mazda EZ-60, which is based on the same platform as the Deepal S07 that is sold in Australia.At this stage it’s unclear what other changes may happen with this eventual CX-30 update, however the new CX-5 may preview some things.Mazda has notably moved away from having a physical rotary dial on the centre console with the new CX-5 and is now focusing on a much larger central touchscreen multimedia system.For now we’ll just have to wait and see what Mazda has in store for the CX-30.