EV

Cadillac has arrived in Australia, with this Lyriq the first in a fleet of new electric vehicles built in right-hand drive in the USA and shipped to our shores. It's big, lux and definitely has premium intentions, but it also goes up against the best of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi in the battle for our well-heeled dollars.

MG has launched a new entry-grade variant of its electric Cyberster, sneaking the car’s entry price below the $100,000 mark.

Slate Auto, a new electric car company backed by tech billionaire Jeff Bezos, has just launched its first vehicle in the United States.

Trying to pin down the cost of a Tesla in Australia is a bit like swatting a fly - just when you think you’ve got it locked in it suddenly changes.

What price do you put on style? If you’re Hyundai, it’s $39,000 (plus on-road costs), which is the starting price of its all-new Inster compact electric vehicle.But while that makes it more expensive than its direct competitors, Hyundai’s global design boss has said that’s a cost the company must pay.SangYup Lee, Vice President and Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Centre, explained that while the brand could have decided to make the Inster cheaper, the priority was to create a lasting first impression to the Hyundai brand for new buyers it hopes to attract.“ This is our challenge,” Lee told CarsGuide. “But at the same time, when it comes to EV of the Year, Inster, that is the gateway car for first-time users, and a lot of young Gen Z players buying this car. So for me, the entry-level car, the first car is so important because a gateway for our product. So we just want to make sure it has a lot of character.”He said the recently revealed Insteroid concept car is an extension of this design philosophy, playing with the idea of fun and youthful design that will try to speak to a new generation of customers - rather than making the cheapest, most-affordable model possible - even if it means standing out from other models in the Hyundai line-up.“Sometimes when you look at it, you have a smile on your face. And then you see in the Insteroid that is our video game car, it's all about ,” Lee explained.“When you look at it, you have a smile on your face. So you don't have to have exactly the same face as Palisade to the Inster. So this is all about, we have to really target our customers. And at the end of it, I must say there's nothing wrong with what other brands do versus what we are doing and the customer will make a decision.  I really believe this is the customer’s decision.”With its $39,000 starting price the Inster is notably more expensive than its nearest rivals, which all happen to be from relatively new Chinese car brands. The BYD Dolphin starts at $29,990 (plus on-road costs), the GWM Ora costs $35,990 drive-away and the MG4 is priced from $37,990 (plus on-road costs).Despite the cheaper prices, Lee has nothing but compliments for his Chinese rivals, but stressed Hyundai has different priorities as a more established carmaker, particularly when it comes to longevity of design and vehicle reliability.“I have a huge respect for Chinese brands because in such a short amount of time, they challenge a lot,” the Hyundai design boss said. “But we are a traditional OEM and we also are taking care of our customers on the fundamental side of it, most important safety."I mean, of course you love to have karaoke inside of a car and everything together, but a car is a form of transportation. You travel with your family, the safety is something you cannot compromise and therefore the usability and all the things, et cetera. And then we are actually adding the value. For the high techs and also connected and everything together. And so this is actually a bit of the priority difference, I would say.“But once again, that’s okay, this is our philosophy, which we believe is a very important philosophy, a customer able to choose at the end of it. Because for me, a brand-new car is cool, but cars on the street are even more important because I see the value of the car when the car has been out there at least five years and parked on the street."Is the car still stable? Is the car still easy to use and doesn't get dated soon? I think those are the very important factors when you design a car.”Fresh from claiming the title of EV of the Year at the World Car of the Year Awards, the Inster is due to launch in Australia by the middle of the year.

Race track? Check. People mover? Check. Wait, what? Yes we took a fully-electric 450kW Zeekr 009 people mover to the race track to see what would happen.

Volkswagen has unveiled three new electrified concepts at the Shanghai auto show, including the brand’s first range-extender electric vehicle.Intended as a preview for VW’s future product plans in China, the three concept vehicles, which appear to be near production-spec, have been co-developed with the brand’s local partners SAIC Motor, FAW Group and Volkswagen Anhui.The concept range kicks off with the ID.ERA, a full-sized three-row SUV sporting the brand’s first range-extender platform. While specific powertrain details remain under wraps, Volkswagen says it can provide 300km of range in EV-only mode and deliver a comprehensive range of at least 1000km.As a smaller Jetta-sized sedan targeting younger buyers, the fully electric ID.EVO has been developed with high-performance 800-volt architecture that can support faster charging times and longer range than its 400-volt equivalents.And finally, the ID.AURA is a medium-sized electric SUV designed exclusively for the Chinese market. It utilises Volkswagen’s China-specific Compact Main Platform (CMP), with zonal architecture and AI integration. VW said the model has been developed for the “cost-conscious consumer”.The move represents Volkswagen’s desire to get back to competitiveness in China, where the once-dominant brand is losing ground to emerging domestic rivals such as BYD and Xiaomi.Volkswagen’s future product plans for the world’s largest car market consists of 30 new models by 2027, with a major emphasis on drastically cutting the time it takes to develop new products.The new approach, dubbed “China-speed”, will see VW aim to develop a new car in less than 34 months to keep apace with its Chinese rivals.In the pre-EV era, development of a car with a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) could take up to five years, but new Chinese EV brands have shown they can cut that time to as little as 18 months.Nissan has similarly said it is looking to cut the time it takes to develop a new model to 37 months as it seeks to return to profitability.All research and development of the new VW models will take place at Volkswagen’s new facility in Hefei, China. It remains unclear whether any will be sold in overseas markets.

The Audi Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line has had a mid-life upgrade which sees tweaks to its design, technology and features. But do those upgrades make this large plug-in hybrid SUV one to look out for?

Chinese carmaker Zeekr has revealed its flagship 9X SUV at the Shanghai auto show ahead of the car’s official launch in the third quarter of this year.According to the brand’s local operations, the 5.3-metre long model is under active consideration for Australia as it looks to strengthen its two-strong line-up, currently consisting of the X electric SUV and 009 electric people mover.In terms of design, the 9X strongly resembles luxury SUV staples, such as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Toyota Century SUV. That said, it borrows its foundations from fellow Geely-owned brand Lynk & Co’s 900, which is slated for release later this month.Underneath, the 9X will carry a Xiaoyao battery pack from CATL that Zeekr claims will deliver 380km of pure-electric range, marking the furthest distance among hybrid SUVs globally.Zeekr hasn’t detailed the exact size of the battery, nor total power and torque outputs, but it will come paired to a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that delivers 205kW on its own.The entire configuration will see the 9X rocket from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.0 seconds.Ride comfort will be secured through “industry-first” dual-chamber air suspension and active stabiliser bars, the brand says.Inside, there will be Rolls-Royce-style starlight headlining, while Zeekr’s 'G-Pilot H9' autonomous driving system with five Lidar sensors will also be fitted.The 9X’s twin, the Lynk & Co 900, will launch before the 9X, which the brand says has already attracted some 40,000 pre-orders. The brand is set to launch in Australia next year.It loses the 9X’s large chrome grille and LED headlight clusters for a flat front bumper panel and dual-'fanged' headlights. There are different wheel designs in addition to the 900’s unique rear LED tail-light bar design.Zeekr says the 900’s dual-electric-motor, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine set-up delivers a total power output of 650kW, while the time it takes to sprint from 0-100km/h rises to 4.3 seconds.Inside, the 900 boasts twin 30-inch 6K displays and six seats with 180-degree rotating functions.Pricing for either model is unclear, although in China, the 9X is anticipated to range from approximately A$110,000 for the base-spec to A$215,000 for the top-spec ‘Grand Edition’.Full pricing and specifications for the 9X are expected to emerge ahead of the car’s official launch later this year.

The first-quarter results for Tesla are in, and they're abysmal, with the now-controversial electric vehicle brand shaving sales and profit over the first three months of 2025.