Kia News

Big, burly dual-cab utes are the flavour of the month, but this new generation of rugged workhorses could spawn a 4WD battle royale.The Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X have largeky had the ute-based SUV market to themselves since Toyota axed the Fortuner late in 2025, but that could soon change.BYD's Denza has just launched its Shark 6-based B5 off-roader Down Under, which is ready to shake-up the Japanese establishment.It likely won't be the only Chinese brand to enter the fray.Chinese maker Chery is one of the latest makers to confirm a dual-cab ute, with its currently unnamed workhorse due to arrive later this year.For now codenamed — KP31 — the ute uses a revolutionary diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, which consists of  a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine paired with an electric motor or two and a sizeable battery.There is a chance it could spawn an SUV version down the line, according to Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris.“It would be amazing if we could get an SUV on that platform,” said Harris.“It’s not something that’s been spoken about or in the plans now, but at the rate things change and develop, you never say never.”For now Chery’s focus is on making sure the ute is a success before they forge ahead with any spin-offs.“I believe Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly capable ute,” said Harris.“And so to do that, it needs towing capability, payload capability, all-terrain capability. Particularly all-terrain capability, you know, you get people towing caravans on the beach. You really do need the torque and power delivery that a diesel gives you down low to be able to do those things.”“I think we need to prove, and I am very confident that Chery can prove with KP31, that we’ve got some credibility in that space and can deliver a competent and capable vehicle,” Harris said.Chery's Korean rival Kia is also believed to be working on an SUV version of its Tasman ute.It is unlikely the SUV will appear before the vehicle’s facelift, which is believed to be 2028-2029.Kia Australia’s GM of Product Planning Roland Rivero previously told CarsGuide the focus for now was on the ute."Globally, we've got to make Tasman a success first and foremost," Rivero says."Once it is, and we're confident it will be, then we can look at growing variants and look at the ability to turn around an SUV."As you might have heard at the launch from our engineers, it's not difficult because the platform is already there. We're not starting from the ground up but we've got to get it right for the ute first and foremost."

Will the current war in Iran mean a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles? My view is no, it won’t directly cause a ban on combustion cars. But the ban is still coming and the Middle East conflict will fastrack it. For starters a date has already been set for ban on petrol and diesel cars in the United Kingdom, where from 2030 sales of new vehicles with combustion engines will cease. The European Union has a 2035 ban but previous to the Iran war this was watered down.China, which in February was our main source of vehicles, is also focused on building and developing electric cars.As for Australia, only the ACT has set a goal of phasing out the sale of new combustion powered cars by 2035.That could all change now and by this I mean be fastracked.Until now the reasons for switching to electric vehicles were mainly ethical and environmental, with emissions and cleaner air being the carrot. The problem is nobody really  wants to eat a carrot, even if it’s good for us. But faced with the prospect of not eating at all because the weekly fuel bill for two cars is now $300 and the price of groceries is going up because of the soaring cost of transport, that really changes things.Interest in electric vehicles has never been this strong. We can see it in real time by the traffic coming to carsguide.com.au and we know our competitors are witnessing the sharpening of this focus on EVs, too.Towards the start of 2025 there had been a slow down in global interest in EVs and a renewed take up of hybrids. The price premiums attached to electric cars, the limited driving range and lengthy charging times were to blame, but all things early adopters, and even slightly later ones, were willing to endure. The rest of the car buyers were too put off by the downsides of EVs and stuck with the convenience and familiarity of petrol or perhaps bought a hybrid. But now the price of convenience appears to be reaching a point where suddenly an EV sounds like a good idea. At the time of writing 95 RON premium unleaded was $2.70 per litre. An increase of about $1 per litre or 60 per cent in the space of a month. The prohibitive cost now of petrol combined with the looming threat of Australia running out of it in less than three weeks, plus reports of servicing stations already running dry now make an electric car suddenly seem like not such a bad idea after all, even to the most hardcore fans of fossil fuels.The problem is bigger than just consumers not being able to afford petrol, it’s the soaring cost of goods, which are distributed through Australia’s enormous freight network that relies on diesel.The Australian government is responsible for setting such low minimum fuel reserves all in the name of a free market. The current situation could see it either mandate that the industry maintain a higher level or reduce the risk entirely of being held hostage like this again and ban petrol and diesel car sales in favour of electric ones, which can be powered by a fuel we can produce ourselves.The second option wouldn’t be the choice of the $6 trillion-a-year global oil and gas industry. And an industry that’s worth that much has enormous sway.But then the collapse of entire economies wouldn’t be the choice of most governments.Decoupling from oil and gas is impossible in less than 50 or even 100 years. Whether we like it or not the industry pervades every part of our lives. Killing the industry would also see the collapse of entire economies.Plenty of car companies are ready for electric vehicles, especially new Chinese brands, but for many vehicle manufacturers EVs are a side hustle.This scenario play into the hands of new electric brands such as Zeekr with the 7X mid-szied SUV, BYD with the Sealion 7 SUV and even the established Koreans such as Kia with the EV3 small SUV.Does it mean the end of diesel SUVs such as the LandCruiser? Possibly, unless Toyota has an electric version up its sleeve ready to be pulled out in the next 10 years.So what you'll probably see is the EU and UK setting new firm deadlines for the discontinuation of sales for new cars with combustion engines at about 2035 or sooner. Australia will likely follow suit.Industry, freight and agriculture will be exempt until hydrogen infrastructure is in place and that will take much longer.What we may see in the short term is a temporary ban on the use of petrol and diesel passenger cars in order to preserve fuel stock for industry, freight and vital services such as emergency vehicles. That’s a real possibility if the war moves into an uncontrolled phase.So while the permanent ban of new petrol and diesel cars won’t be directly caused by the Iran war, it will be a catalyst for the ban. In the meantime, it’s probably wise anyway to purchase an EV anyway and provide a bit of security and future proofing for your own household, not to mention saving thousands in fuel bills each year.

Diesel utes have been the dominant forces in Australia for the past decade, but that could be about to change.The Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux have been the top two sellers in the past 10 years, and they combined for more than 100,000 sales in 2025.The pair have carried on this popularity into 2026, sitting at the top for January and February this year. Other diesel ute rivals such as the Isuzu Ute D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton are selling well. That could be all be about to change sooner than we thought. It could be the case that a perfect storm of external factors will wipe out the diesel in ute in Australia.There is a new factor is emerging that could accelerate the diesel ute’s seemingly inevitable decline. The price of diesel fuel has increased substantially more than petrol, approaching the $3 mark per litre.I went to fill up my diesel car the other day.As I pulled into the service station, a man had just finished filling up his V8 diesel LandCruiser 200 Series. $287 for 99L - he had not even brimmed the tank. You’d get a better rate when topping up your light aircraft with aviation fuel. He asked if I wanted to swap. I politely declined.No doubt big fleet buyers will be watching closely as the costs of purchasing and running these diesel utes shoots up, along with the potential increase in costs as NVES pressures creep in. Fleet sales are crucial to the success of the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux, with them also contributing heavily to other ute brands.Fuel prices will also be an increasingly big head turner for private buyers. Alternatives such as the petrol plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 offer superior fuel efficiency when charged as well as being cheaper to fill up.Toyota announced its all-electric HiLux ute recently, which has been met with a mixed reception due to concerns over driving range and towing capacity, but it at least shows brands are already looking away from diesel. Chery’s incoming KP31 ute will debut in Australia this year with a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, which is expected to have the 3500kg towing capacity. Something the Shark 6 currently lacks.The popularity of diesel hybrid set-ups will be an indication of the survival chances for the diesel ute in Australia. It could be argued the longer diesel prices continue to rise, the shorter the diesel ute's lifespan will be.Compounding this is new emissions laws.The Federal Government's National Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) delivered a rude awakening for some. The NVES sets emissions targets based on CO2 gram-per-kilometre limits. Vehicles sold that fall over the limit subsequently incur liabilities, which will attract hefty fines in the future for brands. Brands incur fines on vehicles sold, which have an interim emissions value of more than zero. Mazda, which sells its BT-50 ute in Australia among an internal combustion heavy lineup, accumulated a whopping more than 500,000 liabilities. Subsequently many brands, including Honda and Mazda have introduced priced increases across key internal combustion models this year.There appears to be two routes for brands. Either pass on the extra costs, or ditch diesel. Diesel utes could be about to skyrocket in price and brands scramble to account for fines on sales.In a more extreme example, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently threatened to axe the brand’s local engineering program responsible for the best-selling Ford Ranger.“Something your government, or any government, has to be very sensitive to around the CO2 glide path. We want to reduce our CO2 footprint, but there’s a level that the customer can’t afford, and not all duty cycles can be electrified,” Farley told CarsGuide.“It’s a completely open market and also pushing CO2 , arguably way beyond the customer requirements.“ needs to decide if they want to help us equalise the cost differential … because this is among the most expensive places to have engineers on the planet.”We have already seen somewhat of a winding back of Ford’s Ranger line-up Down Under, with the brand discontinuing sale of its bi-turbo diesel engine, in favour of a cleaner single turbo variant.

The recently-launched Kia K4 hatchback has just been recalled in Australia due to a seat belt fault, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.It concerns 4817 units in the 2025 and 2026 model years. “The rear centre seat belt anchor buckle may have been incorrectly assembled,” the notice reads."As a result, the seat belt may not properly latch or operate as intended.“In the event of an accident, if the seat belt does not properly latch or operate as intended, it will increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants.”A spokesperson for Kia Australia said there have been no reported incidents of the fault occurring in Australia yet. Owners of affected K4 models will be contacted by the brand and asked to make an appointment with a Kia dealer to have the rear middle set belt anchor buckle inspected, and replaced if needed, free of charge. The K4 was launched in Australia late last year and is available in hatch or sedan body shapes as a petrol-only model.It has made a solid impression in the market in its first few months and outsold the Hyundai i30 and Mazda 3 so far in 2026

Hyundai’s Kona, now Australia’s best-selling small SUV, is set for a deeper upgrade than first expected, if a test mule spotted in its South Korean home market is anything to go by.Spotted by South Korean YouTubers, ShortsCar a camouflaged version of the the incoming new Kona has significant design changes more in line with a next-generation offering than the facelift it was expected to be.Among the changes highlighted by the channel, there’s a completely new light signature at the front, an even boxier profile, as well as a completely new roofline and door shapes.The Korean YouTubers point out that the test mule under scrutiny must be a Kona as it has markers on its wheels indicating it is a test model for the European market, where other models (like the smaller Creta or Venue) are not sold.The wheels also carry the expected code-name of the upcoming next-gen offering, SX3.As ShortsCar points out, this Kona test mule has many of the design signatures of the Crater concept car Hyundai displayed in 2025. This is indicated by the boxy bonnet features, new light profile, bulges over the rear wheel arches which appear to include the rear light clusters, and a pronounced spoiler piece over the tailgate.Interestingly the spotted car also features active aero pieces, and very short overhangs. There are also sporty blacked-out 18-inch wheels and sunken aerodynamic door handles.Korean media is also speculating the Kona will launch Hyundai’s upcoming Pleos Connect operating system from the Korean giant’s recently-established dedicated software brand, designed to lean into the ‘software defined vehicle’ concept.The Pleos Connect suite was shown in 2025 on what now appears to be a concept version of what could be the Kona’s new interior. The brand earmarked a quarter two, 2026 launch for the suite, and expects it to be available on “20 million vehicles by 2030".Based on Android Automotive, Pleos Connect is designed to completely overhaul the in-car software and will feature a refreshed interface, deeper over-the-air features (with the ability to tweak drivetrain features with a software update), new developer and fleet management tools, and the ability to collect mass amounts of data to train Hyundai’s future self-driving tech.Expect to learn more about the next-generation Kona imminently if it expects to meet its international launch window of mid-2026.Such a revolutionary change so soon after the launch of the existing Kona is also a risk for Hyundai. The small SUV was the top-selling small SUV in Australia last year, no doubt helped by a diverse powertrain offering and price points.It's priced from just $33,700 before on-road costs with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), while the fuel-efficient hybrid is $36,950. It is available in fully electric form, starting from $54,000, with the range topping out with the Electric N-Line Premium at a whopping $71,000.Hyundai has emerged as a hybrid hero, taking second position last year for hybrid sales in Australia, tallying 28,819 units. This is double the previous year, and a positive sign for the Korean brand as its major models are nearly all more than 50 per cent hybrid by sales.However, its lack of solid EV sales (only two per cent of Hyundais sold in 2025 were EVs) thanks to its relatively expensive electric models meant the brand still managed to attract a penalty under Australia’s tough New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which tightens the vice on high emitters every year from now until 2030.

It’s been a minute since the only cars we would regularly see wearing a strip of blue and white Sillitoe tartan down the side were the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and sometimes Toyota Camry.The world of police cars and vehicles has broadened — Ford Rangers, Hyundai Santa Fes, Volkswagen Passats, the list goes on. All must be practical, of course, and for different purposes.But there are new things to consider now, like hybrids and EVs, new ute options and of course which cars will be the PR show cars, the ones that don’t really have to work too hard. Here are five suggestions from across the spectrum.BYD Shark 6Something about a ute in white with police decals and a bullbar on the front just works. Our digital artist Thanos Pappas has rendered the Shark 6 as a police car both in the red dirt of rural Australia, and in the Sydney CBD.Australia and its vastly different environments could be the perfect place to see if the innovative BYD Shark 6 has what it takes to ‘keep the streets safe’ as it were.While its electric ability would make it ideal for city and suburban patrols, its petrol power means range anxiety on longer routes isn’t a concern.The big question surrounds its ability to off-road - CarsGuide’s off-road guru Marcus Craft deemed it suitable for “light to moderate off-roading” only, though we’re not sure how many police chases end up requiring rock-crawls and hill-climbs.Still, it looks good in the livery, and isn’t that the most important thing about policing? Right? Isn’t it?Kia TasmanPerhaps a little closer to reality is the idea of a Kia Tasman police car. Not only is there already a strong relationship between Kia (and Hyundai) and many police services around the country but there’s even a mock-up Tasman cop car already.During 2025 there was even a period that around Australia “multiple jurisdictions considering and are interested” in using the Tasman for policing.Whether that comes to fruition is yet to be seen - a lot of testing has to be done before a car is deemed suitable for police work, perhaps one reason a couple of other cars on this list may fall short in certain areas.Ford MustangThe Mustang is one such car that might have a couple of downsides - the inability to to detain someone safely being one - but police have often had high-powered highway patrol cars or community engagement vehicles that aren’t really built for your everyday patrols.It wouldn’t be the first time this has come up - about ten years ago the NSW Police Force was considering a Mustang GT for highway patrol, but the previous generation car was struggling with some overheating issues under hard testing.The Ford Mustang seems like a good choice given it’s an easy design to admire, it’s actually a very capable sports car, and it’s got a link to the former FPV patrol cars in the form of its Coyote 5.0-litre engine, on which FPV’s Miami V8 was based.Toyota RAV4This might seem like a boring, obvious answer, but the incoming Toyota RAV4 would make a really sensible car for Australian police.The hybrid of it all, not to mention Toyota’s long history of supplying police cars and its reputation for reliability.That and if the current RAV4 is anything to go by, the new one should be a fairly capable and easy-to-use thing.Genesis G70Victoria Police announced in 2017 it would add dozens of BMW 5 Series highway patrol cars to its fleet, so why not a similar rear-drive sports sedan from the sibling brand to Hyundai, models from which police have been using for some time now.A 3.3-litre twin-turbo engine with 274kW and 510Nm, plus some decent handling and dynamics alongside a design I reckon would suit the blue and white (and yellow in highway patrol form).

Kia HQ in Korea is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure the major update coming to the Tasman is the success in Australia they expected the current model to be, deploying experts from the USA and Korea to our market as well as surveying current Tasman owners on what they like, and what they'd like to see improved.These are steps understood to have never before been taken by Kia in our market – such is the importance of the Tasman – and are being spearheaded by Kia in Korea where work is building on a new-look update.The survey has been sent directly from Korea to Tasman owners across Australia, and is being shared widely across ownership Facebook groups here. The research is being conducted by TrendLab506 in Seoul, which describes itself as a "trend consulting agency based in Seoul, Korea, currently conducting the interviews with Tasman owners in Australia".Following the survey, select owners are then invited to a two-hour focus group online, as well as asked to complete an ownership diary.Incredibly, those who opt to complete the diary will be observed in real time by Kia researchers in Australia as they go about their daily driving lives. "Our research team will accompany participants during activities in which they use their Tasman to observe real-life usage and ask relevant questions," the study application reads. For completing the survey, owners are paid $30. For the focus group, the compensation is $300, while completing the owner's diary is rewarded with $600.Alongside the research study work have been trips by Kia's own R&D staff to Australia, both from Namyang in Korea and from the Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. (HATCI) in Michigan to review the Tasman here, along with the rest of Australia's dual-cab market.All of which points to a facelifted Tasman arriving sooner rather than later, with the current ute so far underperforming in Australia – by far the Tasman's most important market."We've been quite vocal, and we always have been with this car in particular," a Kia spokesperson recently told CarsGuide."We're very vocal with our superiors, and up front. We're definitely being very deliberate in what we think might be hampering its sales performance."If we want to be a third of the total production volume, they've got to be receptive.As to when we could expect a new-look Tasman, the brand cited the costs associated with a "major redesign".All of this is accompanied by what appeared to be a rear-drive version of the company's 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid powertrain spied testing in Europe – seemingly a perfect powertrain choice for a new Tasman.The powertrain in question, the 'TMED-II', is a powerful 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol-hybrid, producing a diesel-dominating 245kW and 460Nm of torque which is sent to all four wheels via a new six-speed automatic transmission.The powertrain has been flagged by Kia in Australia as the one "that would make sense" for the Tasman, with the brand's product chief, Roland Rivero, having told CarsGuide that hybrid would be the priority powertrain in the era of Australia's recently-implemented New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES), which place increasingly tough penalties on high-emitting cars and utes.“With NVES currently in play, the priority would probably be more of an electrified hybrid, for example, to try and see us through to the longer term,” Mr Rivero previously told CarsGuide.With research work now well underway, a new Tasman looks increasingly likely to touchdown next year.

What a month! The war in the Middle East has created serious panic for commuters stung by soaring fuel prices.A way out of that spiral is getting into an electric vehicle (EV), and there are still several models available at heavily-discounted prices to make the transition from internal combustion engines easier.Here are a handful of electric bargains we found online at a minimum of 30 per cent off retail, with odometers capped at 10,000km for that fresh-car feel. Many had barely breached 2500km.To be sure, there must have been at least three examples at the lower prices advertised to make this list at the time of publishing. Most are dealer demonstrators, and all will bring savings if you depend on your vehicle on a daily basis, since the bulk of their early depreciation has already occurred.Kia Niro EVThe second-gen Niro launched in 2022 from an eye-watering $65K, putting punters off from what was a pleasant, competent and likeable mid-sized crossover EV. Sales stalled, and Kia discontinued it. But there are still a handful of MY23 demos at under $40K. That’s over 40 per cent off retail!New price: $65,300 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai InsterCharming, chuckable and ideal for urban commutes, the Inster can be had for over 33 per cent off retail if you’re willing to snap up one of the demos doted around the country.New price: $43,500 drive-awaySeen for: $28,990 drive-away (MY25, demo)Renault Kangoo E-TechAbout a half-dozen demo examples of Renault’s terrific little Kangoo E-Tech from 2023 are still available for under $40K, representing another 40 per cent saving. The little French van is also indecently fun. What a bargain!New price: $66,500 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai Kona ElectricSpacious, agile and refined, the electric version of the Kona small SUV punches above its weight, as reflected by its current mid-fifties price point. Which means that a 30 per cent saving with just 3000km on the odo make this a no-brainer buy.New price: $54,000 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 (MY24 demo)Audi Q4 45 e-tronOne of our favourite premium EV SUVs, the Q4 e-tron combines high couture with sophisticated engineering, for an on-brand luxury experience that will have you seeking the long way home.New price: $93,000 drive-awaySeen for: $66,000 drive-away (MY25, demo)Ford Mustang Mach-E SelectThe Mustang Mach-E is an enigma. Disregard the baggage associated with the pony-car image and instead revel in a sporty, dynamic and surprisingly practical family car with ample range. Yes, it’s the pre-facelift model, but the savings are worth it.New price: $73,400 drive-awaySeen for: $50,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Jeep AvengerArguably the most athletic Jeep in history, the Avenger is a sweet-driving, decently packaged and well-presented city-sized SUV with relatively minor off-road capabilities. Built in Poland, it’s related to the Peugeot 2008 EV.New price: $53,990 before ORCSeen for: $37,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Subaru Solterra TouringSubaru’s version of the Toyota bZ4X has really struggled to secure buyers, with the up-spec Touring launching at nearly $84K before quickly being reduced to $77K. Though facelifted and improved, there are loaded demos advertised in the low-fifties drive-away, offering a lot of EV for the money.New price: $76,990 before ORCSeen for: $53,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Fiat 500eItalians know how to make a chic urban runabout and Fiat’s stylish 500e is no exception. Rapid yet refined, its small battery is quick to charge, still provides over 311km of WLTP range and the handling is a lot of fun.New price: $52,500 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)

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. 

Electric vehicle sales in Australia are booming, but not in the locations where you might expect them to be.There has been new insight into where Aussies are buying EVs in Australia from the National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association (NALSPA).NALSPA’s data shows where EVs are being purchased using a novated lease and the Electric Car Discount (ECD).Range anxiety is often quoted as one of the major roadblocks to the uptake on EVs in Australia. This data suggests it might not play on people's minds to the extent previously thought.Many of the suburbs on the list are not immediately located in the city centres, but further out.The top two postcodes are both on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, around 25-30km away from the CBD.Next up on the list are two postcodes from the west of Sydney, before a rural area in the ACT.The outskirt city theme continues down the list, with a postcode roughly 30km from Brisbane, Queensland, followed by another outer Melbourne postcode.Rounding out the list is a postcode in the greater Western Sydney area, along with NSW/ACT border town Queanbeyan and a postcode around 10km away from Canberra’s centre.This point outer metro residents searching for some respite from high fuel costs from their long commutes and they have access to roof top solar power.Top 10 postcodes for electric vehicles using novated leasing and EDCThe ECD waives the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT). The incentive applies to new battery-electric vehicles, up to a total cost of $89,332.NALSPA Chief Executive Officer Rohan Martin said the data demonstrates the importance of the ECD, especially to people living outside of the major cities. “Australians living in the outer suburbs often face longer commutes and are more likely to have access to rooftop solar and off-street parking so switching to EVs with the help of the FBT exemption is a smart cost-of-living and green choice for them, especially during the ongoing cost-of-living crunch,” Martin said. “We cannot increase EV uptake further, especially during this early adoption phase, without continued targeted demand-side incentives - that's the stark reality. The EV Discount is more than proving its worth but there is still much heavy lifting to be done.”This news comes after the federal government announced a statutory review in the EDC last year, with rumours the whole scheme could be pulled. Costs for the scheme have increased significantly beyond original forecasts, with it costing $1.35 billion last financial year. There is potential for these costs to blow out further as EVs become a more attractive option for buyers with petrol and diesel fuels soaring up in price, along with increasingly scarce availability.