Technology

Tesla is gearing up to fight off a new wave of Chinese electric cars, with big updates to its range. The fully-electric Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV will feature a suite of upgrades and price cuts as they fight off increasingly competitive Chinese rivals Down Under.  The Model Y’s top-spec ‘Performance’ grade now starts from $84,900, down from $89,400 (before on-road costs).  The Model 3 is now cheaper as well, starting from $45,900 instead of $54,900, before on-road costs.  Tesla said both updated cars can be configured on its website.  Tesla's Model Y is the best-selling electric car globally, with Aussie buyers gaining access to improved performance. The Model Y’s long-range all-wheel-drive grade squeezes more performance out of its dual electric motors, and can now sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds, down from 4.8 seconds. This is faster than lower grades of the Zeekr 7X ($57,900) that accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds.  The Model Y L three-row SUV is also now quicker from a standing start. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 4.5 seconds, instead of 5.0 seconds.  The Model Y will be offered with a new Glacier Blue paint colour and a grey interior colour option.  The Model 3’s price cut complements a larger 16.0-inch first-row touchscreen, up from the 15.4-inch unit previously installed, and matching the Model Y. The range-topping Tesla Model 3 Performance has an improved driving range figure of 600km, which is 29km more than before, according to WLTP standards.  The car also receives a dark headliner, and the Zen grey interior option, as well as new 19-inch wheels.  Tesla’s Model 3 has had a slower sales return in 2026 compared to its Model Y SUV sibling, batting for buyer attention with the strong-selling BYD Seal ($52,990).  Both cars are equipped with Tesla’s ‘Power Share’ vehicle-to-load system that allows for owners to power appliances and tools directly from the high-voltage battery.  Tesla cars in Australia previously did not have vehicle-to-load functionality, but this latest update brings them into line with other key mainstream EV rivals.  The brand also confirmed older examples cannot be retrofitted with the Power Share technology.  

Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.   It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs. Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers. Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best. Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars. Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity. The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor. They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars. The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models. Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia. The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency. A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power. This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve. The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in. The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run. Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan. Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models. Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up. PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km. This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night. PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted. Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete. Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors. PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency. Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X. Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally. They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way. The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only. REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km. Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms. Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.

It’s such a sinking feeling. You go through an intersection and for whatever reason it was borderline red just as you crossed. How do you check to see if you were caught? Or maybe you were going a bit too quick and you could swear you saw a flash from the camera. Can you check to find out if you imagined it? Otherwise, you’ll spend the next few weeks wondering if a huge fine and loss of points is heading your way. And that waiting can feel like torture. So is there a way to find out if you've been caught by a red light camera or speed camera sooner? The answer is yes and no, depending which state of Australia you live in. Here’s how you can find out if you’ve been caught by a red light camera or speed camera in your state. New South Wales drivers you are in luck. When it comes to checking red light and speeding fines - the Service NSW app will let you check fines and demerits against your licence or a vehicle registered to you. Users of the app have reported super quick turnarounds with some saying they’d gone through a red light and within 24 hours the offence had appeared in the app, while others said that it was a week before the app updated with their fine. Either way that’s better than waiting weeks for the notice to arrive in the mail - which will still be sent out to you. Sorry Victorians, no fancy fine checking app for you. Nope, you’ll find out if you’ve been caught by a red light camera or speeding camera the old fashioned way - in the post. That can take from seven to 14 days and even up to a month if there’s a backlog. The fine will come from VicRoads. There’s also the Fines Victoria Portal which will allow you to search and pay existing fines but this doesn’t update until the offence is processed, although you might be able to see the infringement before the notice arrives in the mail. Queenslanders are a little better off than Victorians in that red light and speeding camera offences are updated in the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) My Infringements portal. That said, the turnaround isn’t instant, with anecdotes saying a fine appeared four days after the incident occurred. Still that's good news that Queenslanders can find out if they've been caught before the paper version arrives which can take up to three weeks. ACT drivers get a paper copy of the infringement posted to them and this is supposed to take five days.  The ACT does have the Rego-Infringment Lookup portal and you can check to see your fine here, but the catch is you need an infringement number and to get one of these you’ll need the paper version. Still, it looks as though ACT drivers don’t have to wait as long as most states to get their bad news.  Bad news South Australians, you can’t check to see if you've been caught by a red light or speed camera before the paper version is mailed out to you. The South Australian Government says fines are posted to the registered owner. The owner is able to check the offence photos online through South Australia Police but an expiation number recorded on the paper infringement notice is needed. Tasmanian drivers can’t find out if they’ve been caught by a red light camera or speeding any sooner than the infringement notice arriving in the post.  But get this - Tasmania Police says that the notice should arrive within four days of the offence. That sounds pretty fast - are there any Tassie drivers who can confirm this slightly unbelievable government efficiency?   Can Western Australian drivers find out quickly if they’ve been caught by a speed camera or red light camera? The answer is a big nope, you’ll have to wait until the infringement notice arrives. There is no officially published wait time for the notice to arrive.   Can drivers in the Northern Territory find out if they’ve been caught by a speed camera or red light camera? Unfortunately, no. You’ll have to wait for the infringement notice to arrive in the post much like the rest of the country.

Geely is powering up its line-up like nothing ever seen before. The Chinese giant, which owns Polestar, Volvo, Zeekr, its own Geely home-brand and several others, has launched a new charger that can deliver up to 2250kW of juice. The fastest public charger in Australia currently pumps out 400kW, and BYD’s coming Flash Chargers will be able to deliver up to 1000kW or 1.0MW. The new smart chargers have been previewed in China, with no word yet on if they will make it to Australia. There is a chance Geely will follow in BYD's footsteps and bring its hyper fast chargers Down Under. Electric cars, especially from China, are all fairly uniform, with design, tech, battery size, electric motor performance and driving range all pretty similar. So charging speed and charging network is seen as a way to differentiate one electric car that is similarly specified and priced from the competition. Carmakers don’t want to add bigger batteries to increase driving range, as that increases the cost of the vehicle. Game-changing solid-state batteries, which are about three times as energy dense as current batteries and capable of delivering 1000km driving ranges from the same sized battery are still many years away from being mainstream. So faster charging is a better way to entice buyers. Geely has tested the tech on its Lynk & Co and Zeekr vehicles, with both refilling the battery from 10 to 70 per cent in four and a half minutes. They went from 10 to 97 per cent in eight minutes and 40 seconds. Zeekr's current 7X can accept up to 450kW. The last 27 per cent takes twice as long as heat management systems slow the speed of charge in the last 20-25 per cent to maintain battery health and reduce the risk of fire. This ultra fast charging coincides with the brand’s next-generation battery, which allows 12C charging. AC rating determines the battery's charging speed, with 6C now the new benchmark for car batteries. Geely’s new smart chargers use AI to improve the charging experience and improve battery health. Consistent DC fast charging will degrade the battery quicker than using AC charging. The smart charger uses AI algorithms to predict battery temperature up to 30 seconds ahead and adjust charging power, rather than adjusting to the current temperature. The smart chargers will also tailor charging  for an individual vehicle and battery to help it maintain its integrity for longer. A new 'lithium-ion pulse restoration' tech can extend the battery’s life by 20 per cent, according to Geely.

Leapmotor has responded to alleged camera security risks in its cars in Australia.  An ABC Four Corners report revealed Leapmotor vehicles use Dahua cameras, which were removed from Australian federal and defence sites in 2023 and 2025 Cameras are a key component of the tech-focused electric car brands such as Leapmotor. They provide more visibility and greater safety for drivers, including features like a 360-degree view camera and are critical in the push for self-driving cars. Former national cybersecurity advisor Alastair MacGibbon told the ABC electric car microphones and cameras are an ideal surveillance device.  A spokesperson for Stellantis Australia, parent company of Leapmotor, confirmed to CarsGuide Dahua cameras are fitted in Leapmotor vehicles. They said the brand takes cybersecurity, customer privacy and data protection seriously. Dahua cameras fitted in Leapmotor vehicles are used exclusively to support functionality and safety related features. “The system is not designed to record or store footage as part of its normal operation, nor is it designed to upload camera data to the cloud or transmit it to third parties,” a Stellantis Australia spokesperson said. “Any video recording functionality is customer controlled, and storage requires the use of an external USB device.” Leapmotor vehicles undergo independent cybersecurity assessment and certification, according to the brand. In February 2023 an audit found more than 900 surveillance camera units built by Chinese government-linked companies Hikvision and Dahua were being used in government workplaces. The government said it removed these security cameras due to national security concerns because Dahua is partially owned by the Chinese government and has ties to intelligence laws.  The United States and United Kingdom also moved to remove Dahua cameras from its key government infrastructure. 

Two Chinese carmakers have come under fire in Australia for alleged lax cyber security measures and questions over privacy, following investigations from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).  Technology in EVs bring an increased risk of surveillance and privacy breaches and potential hacking, with Four Corners showing how easy it was to allegedly hack a BYD Shark 6. BYD has now responded to the ABC's claims, stating the footage does not conclusively show its vehicles are open to hacking without first gaining physical access to the vehicle. "The footage from the Four Corners report does not provide conclusive evidence that a remote attack vulnerability exists without physical access to the vehicle. Once unrestricted physical access to the vehicle is established the need for passwords diminishes," a spokesperson said. An ABC investigation uncovered that BYD’s privacy policy said data could be collected "in connection with suspected illegal or improper activities" and that this could be done through "surveillance activities". This broad policy gave BYD significant powers to gather data on owners, and how it could disclose information. The carmaker has since removed all references to China and mentions of surveillance. A spokesperson for BYD Australia told CarsGuide privacy policy changes were not made due to the ABC's investigation. "Any inference that the policy was updated in response to the Four Corners investigation is strenuously denied," they said. The company's high-tech credentials mean its vehicles feature lots of camera and other monitoring equipment primarily to improve safety, combined with over-the-air connectivity technology.  BYD cars use a driver monitoring system that includes a camera pointed towards the driver to detect any drowsiness or a lack of attention.  These systems generate substantial amounts of information about those in the car, what they do and the conversations they have.  The Chinese government recently released a raft of new rules to tighten how its carmakers operate in overseas markets. Carmakers are now required to take necessary measures to ensure any data-processing, including collection, use and cross-border transfers must comply with applicable laws.  They must also adhere to personal information protection regulations and safeguard consumer privacy.  This move is designed to improve buyer trust in overseas markets, but there remains concerns about its application.  Australia’s privacy rules allow for data to be transferred to China, so theoretically owner data could be at risk.  BYD’s new policy states in the event of personal data transfers to other countries, it will comply with data protection laws regarding cross-border transfers.  "We haven't and would not transfer any data of Australians to the Chinese authorities," it said.  Companies must still cooperate with authorities when required under national Chinese security rules.  A spokesperson for BYD Australia said the brand cannot be compelled to provide owner information because Australian law governs its operations.  The ABC also published an article on cybersecurity concerns for new EVs.  Cybersecurity expert Dan Hreszczuk was able to remotely access some of a BYD Shark 6’s functions without even needing a password.  Hreszczuk said he unpicked the software programs controlling different functions, and could blast music over the speakers, remotely switch the car’s lights on and off, and operate the wipers, among other things.  “It’s a little bit scary how open … the BYD Shark is to a hacker,” Hreszczuk told the ABC.  A spokesperson for BYD Australia told CarsGuide it was working through its own investigation, and is querying claims made by the ABC. "We are taking full and immediate action in reviewing alleged claims and will respond in detail once we have completed our investigation," they said. They said BYD conducts its own simulated cyberattack testing to assess the effectiveness of protections and identify vulnerabilities. "In current versions of our infotainment system, third-part apps cannot be installed by users, which helps prevent unauthorised software and potential vulnerabilities being installed on the vehicle," they said. It’s not just BYD making headlines over its in-cabin surveillance. Leapmotor cars feature lots of cameras to provide increased vision and safety for owners, in line with many Chinese EVs. The ABC has reported some Leapmotor models use cameras removed from federal government buildings over surveillance concerns. The cameras in question are made by Dahua Technology, and in 2023, many were removed from federal buildings and defence sites. CarsGuide has contacted Leapmotor Australia for comment to find out which models have Dahua cameras installed in them. Leapmotor currently sells its B10 and C10 fully-electric or hybrid range-extender SUVs, and its B05 hatchback in Australia. It will soon introduce the smaller budget-focused B03X designed to rival some of the most affordable EVs on sale in Australia.

A former prime minister is backing Australia’s carmaking industry to make a triumphant return.  Kevin Rudd told the National Press Club on September 10, 2026 new technologies available could return the industry to its former glory.  Australia used to have a thriving car industry, with it being one of the biggest manufacturing hubs globally.  Ford, Holden and Toyota all had major operations in Australia, spanning across decades.  The Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore dominated the sales charts during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.  Even the Tesla Model Y’s more than 8000 sales in a single month in June 2026 couldn’t eclipse the Commodore's single-month record set more than two decades ago. The federal government’s withdrawal of subsidies in 2013 in combination with increasing costs and decreasing profits saw carmakers pull out of Australian manufacturing.  There are now no cars built on a commercial scale in Australia, leaving the country reliant on imports. Rudd said the then federal government’s decision to remove subsidies was the final blow to the industry.  Australia’s 26th prime minister also praised the previous strength of the car industry, describing it as a “sovereign capability we are sorely missing”.  “Of all the short-sighted acts of economic vandalism in recent decades, the closure of our car industry by the Abbott-Hockey government stands apart,” Rudd said.  “Australia under my government had one of the most modest industry subsidies in the auto world.  “But politics triumphed over reason, sacrificing tens of thousands of jobs, tearing the beating heart out of Australia’s engineering and manufacturing base, and rendering us 100% dependent on auto imports.” Rudd said that developing new technologies in the car industry could reignite interest in it.  “Now the 3D printing and EV revolutions mean we can rebuild an Australian auto sector and repair this fatal vulnerability in our national security,” Rudd said.  3D printing is now an essential part of virtually every carmaker’s manufacturing processes. It can develop model prototypes quickly and improve assembly processes, among other things. It is also used for creating complex moulds in gigacasting - a process where die-casting machines shape large single-piece car body parts instead of individual steel welds.  Some popular EVs rely on gigacasting in production, including the best-selling Tesla Model Y.  Australia could become an EV hub of the future by investing in this technology.

LG has made a battery breakthrough that could bring down the costs of electric cars further, as the race to develop more efficient technology heats up. Electrical technology company LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have announced a breakthrough in the development of Lithium Manganese-Rich (LMR) batteries.  The breakthrough ensures better stability of the battery making it recharge more fully, lengthening its life time while also reducing the costs of production. You’ve heard of Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate batteries (LFP) and Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) batteries, well LMR batteries are the next generation of how electric cars will store their power. As the name suggests, LMR batteries contain lithium and manganese metals, but the advantages to them are hard to ignore. LMR batteries are super energy dense, which means they can be used for high performance cars that want colossal grunt, and for long driving ranges for everyday cars. They also don’t contain cobalt.   Currently cobalt is of great ethical concern regarding how it’s mined, the environmental factors of the material and the sheer cost.  OK, we’re going to get a bit technical. So hold on.  A barrier for LMR batteries until now is the recharging issues - they require a tonne of voltage to charge, but this destabilises the cathode and that means oxygen is lost and this causes the crystals to warp.  Basically, the battery loses the ability to hold its charge over time, while capacity also fades.  LG has worked out how to build LMR batteries that don’t need a high voltage to charge and this retains the structural integrity of the crystal structure and so there’s minimal battery fade over time. This is huge, but it’s very early days and the development is still in the research phase. LG is celebrating the breakthrough. “This research addresses one of the key challenges facing LMR batteries,” an LG Energy Solution spokesperson said in a press statement.  “It demonstrates that stable battery life can be secured even in large-format cells by effectively suppressing gas generation, providing an important foundation for growth in the next-generation LMR battery market.”     Currently NMC batteries, which use cobalt are in high-powered or bigger cars that demand lots of grunt. Autobahn cruisers like the Porsche Taycan, big family SUVs, such as the Kia EV9 or long-legged EVs such as the Zeekr 7X need NMC batteries to provide substantial range and power. But NMC batteries are also why these vehicles are so expensive - the high cost of producing them from sourcing materials to making them is passed onto the consumer. LFP batteries don’t use cobalt, which is excellent, but they aren’t as energy dense as NMC batteries and that’s adequate for small cars and suburban family SUVs, but more range and power would be better. LMR batteries could replace LFP and NMC altogether, and this will reduce the price of EVs while ensuring long range and good driving performance, while not losing charging capacity over time. That’s why LG is celebrating this breakthrough and you can bet car companies will be watching the progress very closely. 

I recently changed the battery in my 2019 Mazda BT-50 and, since then, the Alpine media system no longer works, along with the reverse camera. I have tried changing the fuse in the main fuse box, but that makes no difference.

Car makers are constantly coming up with new features they think we need, from big screens to weird door handles. Often these cause more problems than they solve. We get it, since that very first person with a face full of mud 140 years ago said: “Geeze I wish my jalopy had some kind of screen to protect me from the wind”, manufacturers have been trying to wow us with newer and better features in the hope we’ll buy their product.  Who can argue with windscreens and wipers, air-conditioning and airbags, radios and sound systems? And we love proximity unlocking, head-up displays and heated seats.  Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are superb, blind spot warning and parking sensors have saved us from embarrassment and saved lives.  But then there are the other inventions that make you wonder what on Earth were they thinking? Vibrating seats? Door handles that disappear and are hard to use? Giant glass roofs in Aussie summers? Huge screens that have done away with all the real buttons? Safety alerts so distracting they’re possibly even dangerous?      We know what we want so here’s our list of features we’d like to see, and please jump in and tell us what you think cars need and maybe the message will get through to the carmakers. There are few features more disappointing than the voice command function in cars. The promise was a Chat GPT or Siri style helper that could not only carry out vehicle functions easily but also plan our journeys and organise our calendars. Well they couldn’t keep the promise, because the current versions in cars are next to useless.   Is it too much to ask for our real dials, switches and buttons back? Over the past five years we’ve watched them disappear before our eyes into touch screens, making the process of just turning the air-con temperature down an awkward process of finger swipes and stabs. The windscreen was a great idea, and combined with windscreen wipers, meant driving in all weather conditions was now possible. But are we not at the stage where a kind of smart chromatic glass can be used that adjusts to cut glare and brightness when driving into the sun.  Yes, there are sun visors and sun glasses, but there are many reasons why these aren’t perfect. While we’re at it is there a better way to keep windscreens clear in torrential rain? Windscreen wipers are fantastic but can a charged windscreen be developed where water doesn’t hit it in the first place? Just asking…  Full-sized spare wheels are heavy, take up space and are hard to change. But they’re better than space savers spare wheels, run flat tyres and repair kits. For years we’ve seen innovative tyre prototypes that aren’t filled with air and don’t puncture, but here we are a century later still driving around on balloons.  Cars dent and scratch way too easily. The cost of repairing metal panels and respraying is huge, and means the car is off the road for weeks sometimes.  Yes, the ultra high-strength steel and aluminium that’s used today is better than the steel we used to use, but why aren’t we using plant-based fibres and resins to build the bodies of our vehicles?  Steel is so last century. Actually it was last century in 1941 that Henry Ford patented his soybean car, which had a body made from plastics reinforced with hemp and flax fibres. The car was 500kg lighter than a regular steel car and up to 10 times stronger than steel.  So what happened? World War II seemed to derail the push for bioplastics and steel continued to rule the world.