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With the first quarter of this century already over, we take a look back at the biggest mistakes made by car makers in Australia over the past 25 years.

The newest automotive engineering facility in the country is Walkinshaw’s huge south-east Melbourne ‘super site’, which has just been completed, according to the company.The facility will house production lines set to continue the company's work converting full-size American pick-ups like the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra to Australian-spec right-hand drive.“Our new Walkinshaw Automotive Group super site is finally finished and we have begun slowly moving in!” said Ryan Walkinshaw in a post on Facebook.Ryan Walkinshaw, whose father Tom Walkinshaw was a key architect in creating fast Holdens wearing his own name and the HSV badge, has continued leading what is now Walkinshaw Group in the automotive engineering and development space.Walkinshaw says the 100,000 square metre facility will “house up to 1500 employees”, and be “capable of manufacturing 20,000+ vehicles a year for Australia”. “It’s one of the top-five largest manufacturing facilities in all of Australia, home to the most advanced engineering centre in the country, six-plus production lines and our Supercars championship racing team Walkinshaw Andretti United.“Proud to be investing and committing our business to a long future here in Melbourne.”This morning, Ram Trucks Australia confirmed it is moving into its new home, securing “the jobs of more than 270 factory workers, warehouse staff, quality inspectors and engineers”.Production is due to kick off in November for the Ram 1500 at the new site, though neither Walkinshaw nor Ram confirmed how many production lines will be set for the American brand.Toyota and Chevrolet are yet to confirm the move into the new Walkinshaw facility at time of publication.

Tesla may soon lose its best-selling EV crown to BYD.

At its latest Capital Markets Day, Ferrari revealed the production-ready chassis of its first electric vehicle (EV) along with many key details.Dubbed the Ferrari Elettrica for now, which is Italian for electric, this EV is set to be revealed in March-June 2026. Customer deliveries will commence in late 2026.Power will come from dual electric motors with a total system output of more than 736kW. Ferrari claims it will be able to do the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.5 seconds and have a top speed of 310km/h.These electric motors are fed by a massive in-house-developed 122kWh battery pack, which allows for a claimed range of more than 530km, according to an undisclosed testing protocol.This battery pack operates on an 880V electric architecture which allows for a peak DC charging rate of 350kW.It’s also integrated into the floorplan, allowing for the centre of gravity to be lowered 80mm over an equivalent internal-combustion model.We’re still yet to see what this Ferrari EV will actually look like yet with its bodywork.Overall vehicle weight is claimed to be around 2300kg with a weight distribution of 47 per cent front and 53 per cent rear.Not all the exterior dimensions have been confirmed yet but it has a 2960mm wheelbase with an “extremely short” wheelbase. It’s claimed this is inspired by mid-/rear-engine berlinetta models.There’s a separate rear subframe, which is a first for Ferrari. It’s claimed to reduce noise and vibration in the cabin, while maintaining stiffness and driving dynamics.This EV is set to have a 48V active suspension set-up which it shares with the Purosangue and F80. It automatically controls the car’s pitch and roll when accelerating, braking and cornering.There will be three different tyre choices which all have low rolling resistance but no sacrifice to handling. One for dry use, one for winter driving and one with run-flat technology.This Ferrari EV will be able to make a noise inside the cabin but it won’t replicate the brand’s internal combustion engine sounds. In fact, it won’t be digitally generated at all.Instead, the noise will come from a high-precision sensor on the rear axle which picks up vibrations through the metal and then amplifies and projects it into the surroundings. It’s claimed to work in a similar way to an electric guitar.Ferrari is also including a noise cancellation system which is claimed to selectively cancel out “undesirable current harmonics” like high-pitched whines from the electric motor.At this stage it’s unclear what this Ferrari EV will look like with its complete bodywork for now, but previous spied prototypes have indicated it could look similar to the Purosangue as a somewhat lifted 2+2 grand tourer.Ferrari has confirmed it will unveil the interior in early 2026 and ahead of its full reveal in March-April.

This year is not even over and yet one of 2026’s most-improved SUVs is already looming in sight for Australia. Due by the middle of next year, the GWM Haval Jolion will undergo a significant transformation to improve and update a number of shortfalls to bring it up to class standards against the best-selling Hyundai Kona, MG S5 and Chery Tiggo 4.

Safety chimes are slowly but surely becoming the norm, but few carmakers are looking to address them head on.Farizon is an electric commercial vehicle sub-brand from Chinese giant Geely, which also owns brands like Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, among others.It arrived in Australia earlier this year with the H9E electric light truck, as well as the SuperVan electric commercial van.As we noted in our review of the latter, there are a large number of chimes and sounds that play for a variety of different safety systems. These include the driver attention monitor and speed limit assist, among others.There’s even a chime for selecting drive and for changing what content is displayed in the digital instrument cluster.While we did note there are a lot of chimes, it was the noise and intensity that grated the most.However, Farizon is well aware of this and is set to roll out a software update “in the coming months” that addresses this concern.A spokesperson for Farizon’s local distributor, Jameel Motors, told CarsGuide the company is set to reduce the sound of all the safety chimes “by around 20db”.Additionally the company is working on some tweaks to the lane centring function and the reversing camera. It’s unclear whether this will be included as part of this latest software update.This software update isn’t available over-the-air as the SuperVan doesn’t have connected services. However, it will be applied to new vehicles as part of the pre-delivery inspection or existing examples at the next service.At this stage Farizon is still building up its presence in Australia. It currently only sells vehicles in Queensland via its website.The company is working on setting up a dealer network within the coming months, with a Jameel Motors spokesperson claiming the eastern seaboard will be prioritised.There are currently three variants in the local Farizon SuperVan line-up – the SWB Low Roof, LWB Low Roof and LWB High Roof.All variants are powered by a front-mounted electric motor capable of producing 170kW and 336Nm of torque. This is fed by an 83kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery sourced from CATL.Claimed range depends on the body configuration, but it’s up to 376km in the SWB Low Roof according to WLTP testing.Cargo volume depends on the variant, but the SWB Low Roof has 6.95 cubic meters, the LWB Loof Roof has 8.25 cubic meters, and the LWB High Roof has 11.22 cubic meters.Payload also depends on the configuration from 1170kg in the LWB High Roof to 1300kg in the SWB Low Roof.Braked towing capacity across the range is 2000kg and unbraked towing capacity is 750kg.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, Sport and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting 15,352 BMWs across multiple models sold new in Australia from 2016 to 2020.It confirms that in examples of the 320d, 320i, 330i, 420i, 430i, 520d, 520i, 530i, 620d, 630i, X3, X4 and Z4, “Due to a manufacturing defect, inadequate sealing of the starter motor may allow moisture to enter into the unit. If this occurs, corrosion may result in the engine not starting.”The department said, “In rare cases, it could also cause a short circuit leading to overheating of the starter motor and in the worst case, to a vehicle fire while parked or driving.“A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users, bystanders and/or damage to property,” it said.Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by BMW requesting they schedule an appointment immediately with their preferred authorised BMW dealer to replace the starter motor free of charge.Alternatively, BMW Australia can be contacted on a dedicated Recall Hotline (1800 243 675), via email (info@bmw.com.au) or through a recall-specific website (https://www.recall.bmw.com.au).

Hybrid technology is having its time in the sun as electric vehicle (EV) demand tapers off in certain markets.As reported by Automotive News, Nissan is in discussions with a number of carmakers to manufacture and supply a version of the X-Trail, known as the Rogue, for the North America market.These rebadged Nissan X-Trail’s will be powered by the company’s e-Power hybrid system which uses an electric motor to drive the wheels and a petrol engine as a generator to charge a small high-voltage battery.Ford and Stellantis are reportedly looking at partnering with Nissan for this rebadged X-Trail e-Power. With the latter company it’s expected to be for the Chrysler or Dodge brands.Nissan will reportedly manufacture these rebadged vehicles alongside the Rogue at its production facility in Smyrna, Tennessee.Nissan Vice President, Communications, US & Canada Brian Brockman told Automotive News its “exploring options” to localise vehicle and powertrain production to meet the growing hybrid demand in the US.“ remains open to dialogue that delivers strategic, complementary market opportunities to our core model development efforts,” said Brockman.“At this time, we have no agreements in place regarding production at our U.S. plants.”Neither Ford or Stellantis commented on the topic when asked by Automotive News.It’s reported the collaboration between these carmakers could also result in joint electric vehicle (EV) development.“It’s not a quid pro quo,” said a person to Automotive News, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, adding that a deal could happen even without an EV partnership.Ford could reportedly be looking to plug gaps in its line-up as it has delayed or canceled several EVs over the last year or so.The Bronco Sport and Maverick hybrid models made in Mexico are subject to tariffs in the US.With Stellantis, Jeep has the 4xe plug-in hybrid line-up, while Dodge and Chrysler don’t have many products as they’ve shifted focus to EVs.Nissan currently doesn’t offer any e-Power model in the US, however, it’ll introduce the third-generation version of the powertrain technology in the Rogue in late 2026.The third-generation e-Power hybrid technology is set to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2026 in the Qashqai small SUV. At this point the entire Qashqai line-up will become hybrid-only.Beyond Ford and Stellantis, Mitsubishi is reportedly also looking at introducing e-Power hybrid power to the related Outlander.Conversely, Nissan is also reportedly looking at adding a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Rogue, which is expected to borrow its powertrain from the related Outlander PHEV.

US manufacturers have poured cold water on a promising battery technology.Chinese researchers recently revealed that solid-state batteries could revolutionise the electric vehicle game.However, US manufacturers are yet to be caught up in the excitement of the innovative system, citing its underdevelopment.General Motors Vice President - Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability Kurt Kelty told Detroit's Automotive News that GM has no plans to adopt solid-state batteries.“Solid state is still years away,” Kelty said.“But we are definitely looking at solid state because we can’t ignore it.“If the technology does show promise, then we are going to invest in getting those in our vehicles quickly,” he said.Solid-state batteries use a different mechanical separator and ion conductor between the anode and cathode. This contrasts many conventional batteries that contain a liquid or gel electrolyte.Better energy density stores more electricity to provide significantly longer range for vehicles. Solid-state could also be safer by reducing the risk of cell-failure induced fires for batteries and offer a longer lifespan than conventional lithium ion packs.GM has taken a different three-pronged battery approach to account for its diverse range of EVs. GM’s EVs range from the small hatchback Chevrolet Bolt to the powerful GMC Hummer ute.Its battery line-up includes lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries, but the majority of GM’s fleet will utilise a lithium manganese rich (LMR) battery.GM has just launched its electric range of Cadillacs in Australia.According to Kelty, LMR batteries currently provide better chemistry and performance, while being more cost-effective.Ford has taken a similarly cautious approach to solid-state batteries, not committing to using the technology just yet.“It’s a possible future technology,” Ford Battery Research Manager Alvaro Masias told Automotive News.Other car companies have been investigating solid-state batteries. German powerhouses BMW and Mercedes-Benz have fitted prototypes, while Honda, Nissan and Toyota are also working on solid-state options. But the technology remains in its infancy.With solid-state batteries still several years away from serious consideration for manufacturers, GM has been looking into silicon alternatives.Silicon graphite blend batteries can store more lithium ions to achieve greater battery density.“Silicon, to me, is the closer technology that’s going to be commercialised,” Kelty said.“Combinations of silicon graphite blend will achieve similar results to solid state technology but at lower cost and using existing manufacturing equipment,” he said.

Solid-state batteries might actually be closer than we think.New research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and published in international academic journal Advanced Materials, shows a huge leap forward in the game-changing technology.Solid-state batteries are often touted as the silver bullet to mass electric car adoption and essential for battery powered utes, 4WDs and sports cars to become a reality.They are more energy dense, which means you can use smaller battery packs to deliver longer driving ranges, which helps reduce weight and boost efficiency. Solid state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid or gel found in current electric car batteries. This allows for rapid transfer of power between the cathode and anode.Solid-state cells are also less prone to fire, making them safer than conventional batteries.The Chinese researchers have managed to develop a new material that greatly improves the energy flow and stability of the batteries.The research said the new material improved the energy density by 86 per cent compared to conventional batteries.The paper does state that this new construction is still in the development stage and hasn’t been shown to work in mass production yet.Some of the carmakers working on solid-state batteries include: BMW, Chery, GWM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Nissan, Toyota and VW.BMW and Mercedes-Benz have fitted the batteries to prototype vehicles, the others have not publicly confirmed any tests.Battery manufacturers and carmakers have had trouble developing the futuristic batteries at scale due to their complex nature.Hyundai Group's head of global product planning, Spencer Cho, told US publication Automotive News that the technology is more complex than many realise.“I don’t think we can commercialise these batteries before 2030,” said Cho.“There is a lot of uncertainty about the progress of solid-state batteries,” he said.It echoes similar comments made to CarsGuide last year by one of Audi’s senior drivetrain engineers, who said the technology wasn’t likely to be feasible for ‘everyday’ cars in the foreseeable future due to the minuscule manufacturing margins of error required.Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima also cast doubt on the tech earlier this year, too.“...development is always unpredictable. Frankly, there’s no telling if it will work out or not,” said Nakajima."I always take encouragement from Chairman Toyoda’s reminder that, ‘It’s okay to fail’.”Many carmakers claimed solid-state batteries would be in cars by 2025 or there abouts. It appears the science is harder than many thought, but the breakthrough cells are inching closer to a reality.