Articles by Dom Tripolone

Australia electric car owners are about to realise the full potential of their vehicles.Power giant AGL has announced a new Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) trial to allow EV owners to power their homes and be paid to send power back to the grid.V2G technology allows electric vehicle owners to use the energy stored in their vehicles to power their home or send power back to the grid to earn credits during periods of peak demand.Electric car batteries are typically about five times the size of conventional home batteries, which could deliver huge potential for Australians.When paired with roof-top solar, V2G technology could allow some to effectively live off the grid.AGL Head of Innovation and Strategy Renae Gasmier said: “To unlock the full potential of their electric vehicles, owners need to think about them as more than cars, but rather as home batteries on wheels. The typical electric car battery can store enough energy to power the average home for around three days.”The new technology was green lit last year when Federal Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced Standards Australia has signed off on a new protocol allowing the technology to be approved for use in Australia.This streamlined the process for car and charging device manufacturers to get their vehicles approved for V2G use.“Vehicle to grid charging is now ticked, enabled under the law of the land and will become a reality before Christmas, in the real world,” said Bowen at the time. “Possible today, technically possible today, thanks to these changes, but next couple of months, an opportunity for the companies to get their registrations in and get it happening.”Currently V2G is only being trialled in South Australia, but AGL opens it up nationwide by bringing in all major national electricity market Distribution Network Service Providers.AGL has joined forces with BYD, Hyundai, Kia and Zeekr to make the service available to select vehicles.Owners of a Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9 and the soon to be launched updated Ioniq 6 can take part.Kia’s EV3, EV6 and EV9 can also be part of the trial.Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith said: “Amid cost-of-living pressures, this unlocks the potential for Kia EV owners to transform their cars into mobile energy assets. Bi-directional charging is a game-changer, and we look forward to help introduce V2G to the Australian market on a much larger scale.”Hyundai Australia chief Don Romano said the trial will be able to show Australians its electric cars can do far more than just drive.BYD Atto 3 with some modifications is currently eligible with the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute and Sealion 6 a possibility further down the line.Zeekr currently has three electric vehicles on sale, the X small SUV, 7X mid-size SUV and 009 people mover. It is unclear which Zeekr vehicles can take part in the trial.

Hyundai is already heading back to the design studio for its smash hit Santa Fe large SUV.The South Korean brand has been applauded for the design of its family SUV, which sports a blocky square profile reminiscent of an old Land Rover Discovery.Now the company is prepping some styling tweaks to keep it ahead of the pack.New renders published by Koreancarblog, show a reworked front end with vertical headlights and a light bar that runs the length of the front.A more closed-off grille replaces the big dual grille of the current version. This front end is closer in style to the current Kona small SUV and the soon to be updated Tucson mid-size SUV.The updated Santa Fe is also expected to ditch the current rear tail-lights in favour of vertical LEDs, such as those seen on the new Ioniq 9 electric SUV.A heavily camouflaged version of the updated Santa Fe has been spotted undergoing testing in South Korea, but it isn’t expected to go on sale until 2027.Hyundai is also expected to drop the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission from the current turbocharged petrol variant in favour of a conventional eight-speed gearbox.Sister brand Kia has made a similar move in its Sportage, ditching a dual-clutch for a more city-friendly standard eight-speed auto transmission.The 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol motor makes 206kW and 422Nm and drinks 9.1 litres per 100km of the cheapest unleaded fuel.The Santa Fe will likely keep its hybrid setup and add a plug-in hybrid variant to more markets, as the brand increases its focus on plug-in petrol-electric power.The standard hybrid is already available on the current Santa Fe. It pairs a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to make a combined 172kW and 367Nm. Fuel use drops to 5.6L/100km.A plug-in hybrid is already available in other markets but not Australia yet. Hyundai is working on the next generation of its plug-in tech, which is claimed to boost electric-only driving range to at least 100km.The Hyundai Santa Fe has been a success in Australia, with sales up more than 20 per cent through the first eight months of this year.Some styling tweaks to tone down its design could give it a boost to chase down the segment's top-selling Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet and his Berkshire Hathaway company has sold it last remaining stake in BYD.

One Chinese EV maker is trialling a new safety feature, which has been panned online.A video posted to X shows an iCar 03T (iCar is Chery sub-brand) undergoing a bizarre safety procedure.The video shows the electric 03T explosively ejecting its battery to mitigate any safety risk to the car.X users were quick to slam the idea.One user wrote: "Also, are we trying to kill pedestrians instead of putting vehicle occupants at risk? What an asinine design."Another said: "Absolutely annihilating the kids walking down the sidewalk.""Watching this makes my ankles hurt," wrote another.This tech is believed to mitigate the risk of battery fire, known as thermal runaway, which is extremely hard to extinguish and is at risk of reigniting even after the fire has been initially quenched.The novel idea asks more questions than it answers.Yes, it can help protect the car, but the manner and violence in the way the battery is expunged could lead to damage and injury to nearby vehicles, pedestrians and other road users.There is no evidence this safety feature is in production vehicles yet.The risk of an electric car fire is highly unlikely according to Australian data.EV Fire Safe, which is backed by the federal government, said there have been eight electric car fires since 2021 in Australia and only one is from an unknown cause with the rest the result of an accident, an external fire or arson attack.Electric vehicle fires are rare, but when they start they can have devastating results.US shipping company Matson announced earlier this year it would cease to accept any booking to move electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, according to reports.The announcement follows the sinking of the Morning Midas off the coast of Alaska, which was caused by a fire starting in an electric car.Chery’s iCar vehicles are currently not on sale in Australia but they could land Down Under in coming years.According to Autocar, iCar will launch in the UK in 2026, however it will be marketed as ‘iCaur’ outside of China given Apple owns the rights to ‘iCar’.Chery Australia is remaining quiet on the iCar brand for now, with a company spokesperson telling CarsGuide previously: “We’re certainly interested in the exciting product that was revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show. However, at this early stage there are no confirmed plans.”

China’s new car brand onslaught continues.New brand Lepas has been confirmed to arrive in Australia in 2026.Lepas is part of Chery’s sprawling sub-brand portfolio, and promises to be more edgy than Chery’s existing brands, which include Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda.Chery Australia boss Lucas Harris said, “Australian SUV buyers have had practicality covered for years. What they’ve been missing is personality. Lepas delivers both.”Lepas was launched in China at the Shanghai motor show in May this year.Lepas displayed its first vehicle, the L8, which is earmarked for Australia in 2026.It is built on the same platform as several of Chery’s other SUVs, including the Chery Tiggo 8, Jaecoo J7 and Omoda 7.The L8 is a mid-size five-seat SUV, which measures 4688mm long, 1860mm and 1695mm tall with a 2800mm wheelbase.Lepas also has two smaller SUVs, the L4 and L6, which are the twins of the Chery Tiggo 4 and Tiggo 7.The L8 will have the same mechanical set-up as many of the other Chery vehicles, but will feature different styling and interior fit-out to help it stand out from its stablemates.Chery Australia hasn’t confirmed details yet, but it is in line for petrol and plug-in hybrid power. Full electric power is a strong possibility down the line, too.Chery’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor to make a combined 255kW/525Nm. A circa-18kWh Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) battery delivers a driving range of up to 93km on the more lenient NEDC test cycle.Chery will reveal full details of Lepas closer to the brand’s official launch in 2026.

Hyundai is joining the ute arms race.The South Korean brand has confirmed it will build a ute to rival the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux before 2030.The company confirmed it would be fit for purpose with rugged ladder frame underpinnings, which supports all the other four-wheel drive utes.Hyundai is expected to use the expertise gained from sister brand Kia’s new Tasman dual-cab ute, which launched in Australia this year.Hyundai’s workhorse is likely to forgo the Tasman’s diesel-power and focus on petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid grunt.New Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano told CarsGuide recently, "Australia doesn't need another diesel ute".Instead, petrol, petrol-hybrid or plug-in hybrid options are being explored."I think we have to look at options. And I can't tell you whether that's a PHEV, a HEV or a BEV, but I think those are options that have to be considered. And I think those are the areas that will give us an opportunity for expansion," he said.This will give Hyundai a genuine competitor to the Ford Ranger PHEV and the instant hit BYD Shark 6.BYD’s Shark 6 makes a combined 321kW and 650Nm and can sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in 5.7 seconds.Ford’s new Ranger PHEV makes 207kW and 697Nm from its petrol-electric combo. The Ranger also has a 3500kg towing capacity compared to the Shark 6’s pedestrian 2500kg.Any Hyundai PHEV ute will need to match or better these two market leaders if it wants to stand a chance.A plug-in hybrid or hybrid is more likely to give the Tasman some breathing room, so it doesn’t have to compete with its own corporate cousin.It also points to the Hyundai ute being more focused on North America and other global markets where petrol is preferred over diesel.Strengthening the vehicle’s North American bent is Hyundai has confirmed it will co-develop the ute with General Motors.US Outlet Car and Driver claimed Hyundai’s global boss Jose Munoz said the ute would spawn a rugged off-roader.This would give Hyundai an answer to the popular Toyota Prado and Ford Everest.Kia has also been linked to a tough 4WD based on its Tasman ute.Kia hasn’t confirmed the vehicle but said it is a possibility, but it needed to make sure the Tasman was a success before it spawned any other variants or vehicles.

We are on the cusp of a mini 4WD bonanza.Toyota’s mini LandCruiser FJ has been at the centre of rumours for the past few years, and it could be about to be revealed at the 2025 Tokyo motor show in October.New patent filings to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) by Toyota, which include an image of what appears to be a production version of this revived FJ Cruiser, have only poured fuel on the fire.Not to mention Toyota Australia has trademarked the FJ LandCruiser name in Australia.Reports from Japanese outlet, Best Car, have given us a good indication of what it’ll be like.It really will be compact, measuring about 4500mm long, 1830mm wide and 1850mm tall, which is about the same size as a Toyota Corolla Cross or Hyundai Kona.It will have 210mm of ground clearance and full-time four-wheel drive.Power will come from a choice of either a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine or a 2.7-litre petrol motor, which are both found in entry-level HiLux utes.It will likely be based on the IMV-0 platform that is used for emerging market vehicles such as the HiLux Champ in South-East Asia.Toyota isn’t alone in developing a baby off-roader.Mercedes-Benz will build a mini version of its burly G-Wagen according to reports.Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Kallenius said previously the company was considering a baby G-Wagen this decade, but now the company appears to have confirmed it will be here sooner rather than later.It is expected to be based on the MB.EA platform that lies underneath the recently debuted electric Mercedes-Benz GLC.That model can charge at speeds up to 330kW via a DC pylon and 22kW via an AC charging point.The electric GLC has potent performance with 360kW and a driving range of more than 700km.Those figures could translate well in a compact off-roader.Land Rover is getting in on the act, too.Recent spy shots show a heavily camouflage shrunken Defender testing in Europe.It is believed it will be dubbed the Defender Sport, and is expected to be the little brother to the full-size Defender.Spy shots show the test car wears the same blocky, chunky styling of the full-size Defender.The Defender is available in multiple sizes, but will likely be a similar size to the Defender 90, which measures about 4320mm long.It is expected to be all electric, in a similar vein to the baby G-Wagen, and ride on the brand’s new EMA platform.This will enable 350kW charging via its 800-Volt architecture. Dual motors will give it pace and it will need to be more than capable off-road to wear the Land Rover Defender badge.Land Rover is expected to debut the model next year with production slated for 2027.Chinese brands such as BYD's Denza and Chery's Jetour, could also produce something similar eventually, too.For now the the Suzuki Jimny remains the only option for Australian buyers.

The Deepal E07 Performance AWD is priced from $73,900.The major difference from the RWD version is the addition of the second electric motor delivering all-wheel drive grip.Power jumps to 440kW and 645Nm. This drops the 0-100km/h time to about four seconds.It uses the same circa-90kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery as the RWD, but range drops to 510km.It has a max DC charge rate of 240kW, which Deepal said can replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes. AC charging maxes out at 7.0kW.It matches the RWD with a long list of standard equipment.This includes a 15.4-inch multimedia screen that is compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there is a wireless device charger and USB-A and -C ports front and back.A monster head-up display — which projects information on the windscreen in front of the driver — replaces the driver display, with no instruments in front of the driver.This is joined by power-adjustable front seats that are wrapped in supple Nappa leather. The front seats are heated, ventilated and have a massage function.There is self-levelling air suspension and big 21-inch alloy wheels.Deepal has ticked all the driver aid boxes with autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, rear cross traffic alert with auto braking function, blind-spot detection, speed sign recognition and over speed alert, door open warning, rear passenger alert, safe distance alert and adaptive cruise control.

Hyundai is priming a rival to the Tesla Model Y.

Tesla is redesigning its door handles after it was slammed for potential safety issues.