Articles by Stephen Ottley

Electric cars aren’t built for Australia and a country of its size. It is too big and electric vehicles (EVs) simply don’t have enough range to get you across this wide, brown land.Or, at least that’s what we’ve been told by the naysayers for the past decade or so. They decry the limited capacity of batteries and the lack of infrastructure as reasons why EVs will never be successful in Australia.But is that actually true? To put those criticisms to the test I decided to do the only logical thing: drive one of Australia’s most popular long-distance journeys in an EV to see if I could make it. So I drove the new Porsche Macan RWD from Melbourne to Sydney in a single day to test the reality of long-range EV driving. And these are the lessons I learnt.It’s perhaps the most common phrase associated with EVs and their detractors, range anxiety - the idea that you’ll run out of charge and be stranded. The truth is modern EV batteries have reached a state where they can offer enough range to make the drive between Melbourne and Sydney on surprisingly few stops.The official claimed range of the Macan RWD is 653km, but that’s a lab test so not representative of what you’ll get in the real world. Instead, on our drive the Macan was capable of hitting approximately 500km on a single charge.Now the haters will say that’s 153km less than claimed, but that overlooks the fact that very few internal combustion engine vehicles hit their official claimed fuel consumption figures either.It also overlooks the fact that 500km is a significant range, with the distance between Melbourne and Sydney less than 900km via the most direct route. And on the route there is a steady string of EV chargers up and down the highway. The notion that EV charging infrastructure is lacking was one of the biggest misconceptions my trip cleared up. There are chargers in freeway-side service centres and in small towns (more on that later) so you’re never really more than 200km from any charger. Sure, there’s more fuel pumps, but given the percentage of EVs making such large trips the current infrastructure seems more-than-adequate.While we’re on the top of EV range, for my particular drive between our two biggest cities I drove a Macan with a factory-developed roof box, while the camera car that joined me was stock (no roof box). There was an expectation that the roof box would impact the driving range, but it was surprising just how much impact it had.If you’ve wondered why car makers are trying to make pop-out door handles and digital side mirrors common on EVs it’s because it all makes a difference. Despite the factory-designed aerodynamic shape of the roof box it still knocked off around 20-25% driving range compared to the camera car. Obviously that’s a significant drop, but as long as you are aware of what impact adding extras to your EV is you can compensate accordingly.When I say you can ‘compensate accordingly’ I mean that, as mentioned earlier, there’s no shortage of chargers and many of them are located in some of Australia’s most beautiful, but largely forgotten, small towns.For example, we took a detour off the freeway into Beechworth, the small Victorian hamlet that’s home to famous honey and one of Australia’s most renowned bakeries. It’s the perfect place to stop and recharge the car - as well as recharge the driver and passengers.While there are plenty of service centre chargers, I was surprised by the amount of small towns, long since bypassed by the freeway, that have installed chargers. Holbrook and its submarine, the geographical halfway point in Tarcutta and even the Dog on the Tuckerbox at Gundagai all have places to stop and charge.Another regular criticism of electric cars is the time it takes to recharge the batteries. Obviously it takes longer than refuelling a petrol or diesel tank, which is a major turn-off for many. But unless you’re in a really big hurry to get to your destination, it shouldn’t be.Obviously it’s a good idea to ‘stop, revive, survive’ on any long trip and modern EVs are capable of reaching 80 per cent battery capacity in a relatively short period of time. The final 20 per cent takes longer, but even then it’s not exactly a drag.On my road trip the longest stop, which was to get as close to 100 per cent as possible, lasted about 30 minutes. Generally the 80 per cent top-ups took around 20 minutes, which turned out to be a handy amount of time to stretch the legs, use a bathroom and grab something to eat.If you are like me and prefer to enjoy a relaxed road trip, charging actually fits in rather nicely and makes the experience of long-distance EV driving surprisingly easy.Was driving an electric car between Melbourne and Sydney easy? In a word, yes. So much so that I’d have no worries doing such a trip again, the idea of range anxiety and sub-par infrastructure are no longer a concern based on my real-world experience.I still understand that for some, those in a hurry or just aggressively anti-EV, it will still sound unappealing and stressful, but I would encourage any EV owner who has avoided long journeys to take the leap and head out of town for an electric road trip.

Like running with scissors, swimming after eating and sitting too close to the television - using your mobile phone at a petrol station is just one of those things you’ve always been told not to do.But why? What is the scientific reason for it?  What are the petrol station rules and regulations in Australia? And is it really that dangerous or just an urban myth? In this article we’ll answer all those questions so you’ll know what rules to follow and why.The simple reason is the fear of a spark from the phone igniting petrol vapours and creating a fire or explosion. Static electricity, which can be generated from a phone or other sources, can create a spark too and is therefore another concern.However, these are considered incredibly unlikely by most experts. But in an age of workplace safety importance, petrol station operators are unwilling to take any risks - hence the blanket ban.Service station operators are happy for you to use your phone while in your car or in the store, but it is against the rules to use it in the forecourt around the petrol bowsers.Although, be mindful if you sit in your car at a petrol bowser checking emails or social media, you might cause a traffic jam at busy times, so be mindful of other drivers.There are other risks beyond simply starting a fire. Using a phone while filling petrol into your car is simply a distracted state to be in while undertaking a potentially hazardous task. While modern petrol pumps automatically cut off when they detect the tank is full, the risk of a fuel spill remains.There’s also the simple fact that smartphones have made us dumb pedestrians and having your head buried into your phone in an area where cars are moving in and out on a regular basis is not a safe choice. It’s understandable that service stations don’t want potential pedestrian accidents on a regular basis.The concerns over mobile phones starting fires appears to be largely a myth, with very few credible reports of a spark from a phone igniting petrol vapour. The origins of this urban legend appear to go back decades, with famous Australian scientist, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki writing a piece in 2006 revealing the cause.‘Dr Karl’ claims the initial concerns are largely centred on false claims in a hoax email, which just happened to get help from an unlikely source.“This email has been traced back to a hoax email that landed in the inbox of a Shell employee in Jamaica,” Dr Karl wrote in 2006. “He rebroadcast it, but with the Shell Company signature now on the email - and this accidental non-approved signature gave the hoax more credibility.”The TV show Mythbusters tried to recreate the effect of a mobile phone igniting vapours but couldn’t.So, it seems the concerns are largely unfounded in historical events, but service station operators have chosen to take extra precaution just in case.Mobile phone petrol station law across Australia is a grey area. Legally speaking it’s not against the law to use your phone but the majority of petrol stations have rules against it. So, if you want to use the service station, you need to follow the rules of the business, thus using a phone is practically banned across the country.Short answer - don’t. Filling up your car should only take a couple of minutes, so best to leave your phone in your pocket, bag or inside the car while you pump your petrol or diesel.

Audi dropped its R8 supercar for an unlikely new performance hero - the e-tron GT electric sports sedan. Now, the updated model has arrived in Australia and it's packing the biggest punch ever from an Audi production car. We drive the new RS e-tron GT Performance, RS e-tron GT and S e-tron GT to find out if it can take the fight to the Porsche Taycan and others.

Everyone likes a bargain… everyone except the one handing you the deal. For decades there was a simple formula for car companies looking to make a mark in the Australian market — undercut the competition, build market share, become a beloved, mainstream staple. It worked for Holden, then Toyota, then Hyundai and many more.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens never got to see a Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado or Ford F-150, but he perfectly summed up their current state in the Australian market.

Audi appears to have avoided a potential sales disaster, despite a decline in buyers. The German brand has managed to pivot away from plans to push hard into the electric vehicle market, dropping plans to end its internal combustion engine development as soon as next year. This could prove a crucial moment in the brand’s history and allow it to regain lost ground to Japanese rival Lexus.

Oh, how quickly things change. Only a few years ago car companies were excitedly revealing plans to ditch the internal combustion engine and go all-electric as soon as the end of the decade. And one particular technology in particular was derided above all others — plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Audi has left Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche trailing in its dust when it comes to SUV bragging rights. We drive the lap record-setting new RS Q8 Performance to find out how it stacks up as a performance luxury SUV.Boasting the most powerful internal combustion engine ever offered by Audi and a hi-tech chassis, it puts the 'Sports' in Sports Utility Vehicle.

Q: Do more countries drive on the left or right? A: It’s a significant advantage for right-hand-side countries, with approximately 65 per cent of the world driving on that side of the road. This includes some of the biggest countries and those with some of the biggest car industries - namely the USA, China, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Mexico.

First they came for our Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons and we said nothing. Then they came for our Subaru Libertys and Honda Accord Euros and we stayed silent. And then the Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer and we were still quiet.Because, it seems, Australians are done with the passenger car as we have known it. The traditional sedan or hatchback, the type of car that served us for decades, is facing extinction in the coming years as we continue to migrate towards SUVs and utes.In the last decade passenger car sales (city, small, medium and large cars) have declined 63.0 per cent, while we ditched the Falcon for Ranger and Commodore for a LandCruiser.And there appears to be no end in sight, not just in Australia but around the world. Ford recently confirmed it is done with the Focus, several years after it was dropped here. That will leave the Mustang as the only ‘passenger car’ (not a high-riding SUV, ute or van) that the Blue Oval builds. In America, Chevrolet has a single sedan left, the Malibu, a remarkable state of affairs for a brand that has built dozens of famous sedans over the years, from the Bel Air to the Impala.This trend is not reserved to sedans either, the once-beloved hatchback is facing an uncertain future in Australia. Hyundai Australia has lost approximately 10,000 sales annually because it has cut its i30 hatch line-up to just the sporty N and N-Line variants.But when asked if there was a possibility to bring back a larger, more affordable range of hatchbacks, new Hyundai Australia boss, Don Romano, didn’t mince words.“No,” was his response.Romano explained that Australia, despite its declining hatchback sales, remains one of the bigger markets for the cars — a situation that doesn’t create a viable long-term business case.“Well, what's interesting I've done a lot of work for New Zealand prior to this,” said Romano, who previously led Hyundai Canada. “I was on the board of directors for Hyundai New Zealand, which is an independent distributor. And reaching out to them, asked them how many i30 hatches could they take? And they said, zero. It's not a seller in New Zealand. There's no demand for it in North America. There's no demand for it in Canada.“Hatches are just more popular here because I think the conditions are very specific here with small parking places and tight roads where it really makes sense to open that back and put your supermarket groceries in or your luggage or whatever it is. You can easily put it in and out. In Canada we go through the side doors, here you need to go through the back, so SUV or if it's a car with a hatch, it serves the same purpose.”Despite Hyundai only now offering the i20 N, i30 N and i30 N-Line as hatchbacks, Romano said the brand famous for the Accent and Excel would continue to offer the high-trim hatches as long as they are available to this market.“I think we will continue to have a hatch, but at the higher trim levels because we're acquiring them from Europe and now we're dealing with foreign exchange and shipping that is expensive,” he explained. “So it has to be the right hatch to work.. Right now we're selling… a higher end i20 N, it's doing very well. So it shows that if you make a great vehicle and even if it's a higher price than the competition, if you deliver the value on it, it will succeed.”Looking at the sales figures across the decade there is a clear pattern across all four major passenger car categories. Large sedan sales (Commodore, Falcon, etc) have plummeted more than 95 per cent since 2015 as the formerly popular locally-built models disappeared.City cars, light vehicles like the Hyundai Accent and Mitsubishi Mirage, have dropped by more than 72 per cent over the past decade. Small car sales, once home to Australia’s best-selling vehicle, are down more than 60 per cent. Medium car sales have, somewhat surprisingly, had the smallest decline thanks to the emergence of electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal, as well as the continued success of the stalwart Toyota Camry. All these huge sales drops have been connected to — either as a cause, effect or both — by a decline in offerings. In 2015 there were 22 non-luxury light cars to choose from, in 2025 that’s down to just four. In the small car market the 32 choices from a decade ago are down to just nine. While the medium car segment has seen more than 19 choices (including two offerings from both Citroen, Honda and Hyundai) in 2015 down to just five choices, now that the Mazda6 is gone too.There is likely no hope for a resurgence in the near-future, with even electric vehicles - once seen as the last great hope for sedans and small cars - appear to be headed down the SUV/crossover path with more regularity.