Technology

Tesla has seemingly rectified the most annoying flaw in its Model Y SUV with the introduction of a retractable sunshade to reduce heat radiating into the cabin through the car’s large glass panoramic roof.Launched as an accessory on the brand’s Chinese website at ¥1499 (~A$310), the manual sunshade will be available for delivery from Thursday this week.Installation appears to be straight forward with the single-piece unit trimmed in the same fabric as the original factory headliner and features metallic handles.DIY fitment should be the norm but Tesla is also offering professional installation for an additional fee.And unlike the myriad of aftermarket (typically clip-in) third-party options available, the factory unit is constructed with an integrated frame and uses a roller-type design to ensure low noise.It’s worth noting Tesla has published a patent focused on engineering the glass roof to help cool the cabin, so this new option may ultimately be a temporary solution.Suitable for 2025 and later Model Ys, Tesla said the shade has “undergone full-vehicle airbag deployment testing and multiple road tests to ensure safe use”. CarsGuide contacted Tesla Australia to check in on local availability and a spokesperson said, “At this point in time the retractable roof is just for China, however it is anticipated that accessories will be available outside of the Chinese market in the future.“What we have seen with Model Y L is an overwhelming global volume (for markets that do take it) which sees accessories take some time to come to market”, they said.

BYD has once again made a move to one-up its international rival Tesla by offering full liability coverage for its ‘God’s Eye’ advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).The brand announced at its ‘Intelligence Strategy Launch Event’ that it would cover “all resulting economic losses” from an accident resulting from use of BYD’s Urban Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) function, part of its God’s Eye ADAS suite.The move comes as part of a commitment to spend A$20.5 billion on investment into ADAS and self-driving, alongside revealing what it claims is China’s first mass-produced 4-nanometer (4nm) autonomous driving chip.BYD has also announced that its entire line-up can be equipped with the top-spec LiDAR version of God’s Eye, enabling level 3 and 4 self-driving.In China, BYD customers are able to purchase a one-year plan to cover use of God’s Eye 5.0.BYD says the policy states “if a legally-liable accident occurs while a user is operating the Urban NOA function in compliance with regulations, BYD will directly cover all resulting economic losses”.BYD cites the reason for this confidence as being down to its “3.15 million Intelligent Driving Assistance vehicles on the road” resulting in around 200 million kilometres logged every day, plus the brand’s huge R&D team of 5000 engineers, which it claims is the largest in China’s automotive industry.God’s Eye has also received an AI-based “hyper‑realistic digital assistant” for use by the driver in the cabin, which BYD claims results in a “continuously evolving in-car experience”.The tech and God’s Eye damage coverage is currently only available in China, while Tesla’s ‘Full Self Driving (FSD) Supervised’ is available in equipped models in Australia, though Tesla won’t take any of the blame for accidents that occur during its use.

The world’s largest battery maker is forging ahead with a game-changing new technology.China’s CATL, which makes the lion’s share of electric vehicle batteries for the world’s carmakers, will start mass producing sodium-ion batteries this year, according to Chinese reports.Sodium-ion batteries have the potential to make electric cars even cheaper. They do away with pricey lithium and use sodium to hold charge instead.Sodium is cheap and plentiful, which reduces supply chain constraints associated with mining and refining lithium.Sodium-ion batteries are claimed to be less fire prone than conventional lithium-ion batteries, and they perform better at extreme low temperatures with less energy loss than other cell chemistries.The one drawback is they are less energy dense than conventional batteries, but recent advancements have brought them close to the Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) cells popularised by BYD.CATL is preparing a series of these new batteries specifically for electric vehicles, as well as grid level storage.The company is reportedly aiming to have sodium-ion batteries that can deliver a driving range of up to 600km.CATL’s recent announcement follows news of sodium-ion cells being developed by Chinese brand BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation).The company claims its latest sodium-ion battery can be fully charged in just 11 minutes, and recent tests showed it can absorb 200 per cent of its capacity without an increased risk of fire or explosion.BAIC does not currently sell vehicles in Australia directly, but the recently launched Hyundai Elexio was developed and built in partnership with BAIC via a joint venture called Beijing Hyundai.The other game-changing battery tech CATL is working on is called lithium-air batteries.A lithium-air battery uses lithium as the anode and oxygen from the air as a cathode. This means the lithium metal reacts with the oxygen gas to produce electricity. The result is a smaller and lighter battery because it doesn't need a heavy metal cathode, they are also claimed to be extremely energy dense.If this sounds too good to be true, then you’re right. There are numerous safety production and safety challenges that means there is no timeline on when or if these batteries will become a reality.

They say going to the movies has declined since the rise of larger home televisions. It seems if Mercedes-Benz has its way, we will soon be watching movies in the car instead.At least if the all-new C-Class EV interior is any guide to the brand’s future. While it’s still an optional choice, the new 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen is one of the largest screens I’ve ever seen in a car. And it might be one of the worst design decisions I’ve ever seen Mercedes-Benz make.It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mercedes has gone down this path. The German giant’s design leader, Gordon Wagener, is on the record with both his love of a large screen and his dislike of rival brands.In a rare on-the-record assessment of his rivals, Wagener told the UK’s Top Gear magazine at the 2025 Munich motor show that the new Audi Concept C interior had “too little tech” and looked like “it was designed in 1995” – which is a pretty generous critique of 1995-era technology and design.In the same interview he explained his decision to introduce larger and larger screens into new Mercedes models, because he believes that owners might want to “watch a movie and stuff like that.”The problem I have with this is two-fold. Firstly, it's not good design. I know that design is subjective, but objectively speaking, the new C-Class EV loses so much about what made Mercedes look and feel luxurious. The difference between Mercedes and mainstream brands was the quality and presentation inside the cabin. I haven’t sat in the just-revealed C-Class EV yet, but looking at the images it feels like it could be something produced by any of the new Chinese premium brands.Yes, there are still some nice premium trims and I’m sure it looks impressive, but for me it doesn’t immediately project a sense of class and sophistication that Mercedes is known for. Mercedes’ arch-rivals at BMW have taken a slightly different approach, its ‘neue klasse’ 3 Series and iX3 feature a combination of large multimedia touchscreen, in a conventional sense, with a narrower screen wrapping around almost the entire base of the windscreen. It’s a different kind of big, but it’s still big. Not to sound like an old person, but… back when I was younger and obsessed with cars, whenever I sat in a Mercedes, BMW or Audi, you could tangibly see and feel the difference between them and their competition. But that differentiation is getting harder to feel these days, as new brands without the heritage of Mercedes and company can simply go inch-for-inch in terms of screens.If you look at luxury houses, they do not fill every room with a huge television or make every room feel like a movie theatre. Good design is about moderation and restraint as much as anything. Secondly, and more importantly, we shouldn’t be ‘watching movies and stuff’ in the car. If you want to watch a movie, stay at home – or heck, go and watch it on an actual ‘big screen’ at the local cinema.Cars are for driving and safety should always remain both the car makers and the driver’s top priority. In case any of these designers have forgotten, cars are approximately two-tonnes of metal and glass that typically travel up to 100km/h. This isn’t an entertainment device, it’s transport. If you can’t go one car ride without watching a movie or having a screen in front of you, maybe you should see a doctor, not your local car dealer.Also, just a reminder in case anyone has forgotten, it is very much illegal to touch your smartphone with its 6-plus-inch screen, so why do the lawmakers not have any problem with these absurdly large screens that are becoming increasingly common – and increasingly distracting?To be fair to Mercedes, the German brand is alone in introducing ridiculously large screens. Instead, I blame Tesla.The American EV brand really kicked off this trend when it realised it could save costs – sorry, I mean create a minimalist interior design – by getting rid of as many buttons as possible and replacing them with a touchscreen.Rival brands saw the acceptance of this technology by consumers and didn’t need any more excuses to save money on buttons and dials. And, of course, like anything in the car industry, it soon became a… measuring competition… between the brands. And thus we find ourselves now in the era of the hyperscreen.The saviour, somewhat ironically, may actually be the Chinese government, which is mandating that car makers do include physical controls for key functionality, which is forcing a rethink from not just Chinese car makers but anyone who wants to sell cars in the world’s biggest market.While this won’t mean the end of the large screen, hopefully it will restrain future designs and reprioritise design, usability and safety.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over your car.

Toyota is one the biggest advocates for hydrogen as a fuel source for vehicles, but it’s now focusing its efforts as the mass-market take-up, especially in the passenger car space, still lags.As reported by Nikkei Asia, the Japanese carmaker is doubling down on implementing its hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) technology in commercial vehicles, like trucks.The reason for this is that demand for hydrogen-fuelled passenger cars is dwindling.Toyota is working with many partners in order to implement and scale its hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles.One example is the Japanese carmaker is working closely with the Japanese Government to use hydrogen fuel cell trucks and develop a refuelling station network.“I truly believe now is the time to accelerate our hydrogen initiatives together with partners. Let's change the future with hydrogen,” said Toyota Hydrogen Factory President Mitsumasa Yamagata to Nikkei Asia.Many carmakers have shunned hydrogen as a viable fuel source. Examples include Volkswagen, Stellantis and General Motors.Reasons for this vary but include the high costs associated with developing FCEV technology and producing hydrogen, as well lacklustre refuelling infrastructure, among others.Toyota, along with other brands like BMW and Hyundai are some of the few that have continued development in this space.The Japanese carmaker has been preaching its multi-pathway strategy for decarbonisation for years now and includes continued development in internal-combustion, hybrid, battery electric and hydrogen powertrain technologies.Toyota currently has one FCEV truck in the form of the Hino Profiz Z FCV as Hino is part of the Toyota Group.It uses two fuel cell stacks from the Toyota Mirai FCEV liftback that have been customised for heavy-duty commercial use.Hino claims this FCEV truck has a driving range of around 650km when fully loaded and refuelling takes between 15 and 30 minutes.As it currently stands Toyota doesn’t offer any FCEV vehicle to the public in Australia. The Mirai is only offered to select fleets through lease agreements.However, the Japanese carmaker has previously confirmed it plans to introduce a FCEV version of the HiLux in Australia in 2027. This will be available to the public but will be aimed at commercial fleets, much like the recently priced HiLux BEV.In Australia there are very few hydrogen refuelling stations currently. There are several initiatives and funding from state governments being put forward to scale this.One includes the $20 million Hume Hydrogen Highway initiative from the Victorian and New South Wales Governments to connect Melbourne and Sydney with around four refuelling stations along the Hume Highway.

A new type of battery technology could be about to take over the budget electric car industry. The sodium-ion make-up solves the problem of sourcing expensive and rare materials needed for lithium-iron batteries, while maintaining adequate driving range for smaller EVs.Sodium-ion batteries are further along the full scale commercialisation than solid-state batteries, which have been touted as the holy grail of electric cars, for example. Sodium-ion batteries have less energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries such as Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) and more advanced Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) units, and much less than what is promised from futuristic solid-state cells.The big advantage is the ease of access and relative cheapness of obtaining sodium compared to lithium, which makes them an attractive choice. The difference in energy density means on a large scale, particularly for car batteries, LFP is often a cheaper choice. This is because substantially more sodium-ion battery cells are needed to make up the equivalent in LFP units.  The power advantage is diminishing, with energy density on sodium batteries expected to exceed 180Wh/kg in the near future.This means sodium batteries could be a significantly cheaper, and much more viable choice for car batteries, especially in smaller EVs, which do not require a substantial driving range.One of the other benefits of sodium-ion batteries is they are more resistant to extreme temperatures. This has been an issue in particular for NMC batteries, with multiple instances of these batteries not performing to expectations in unusually hot or cold environments. Mainstream Chinese battery manufacturer CATL recently introduced a sodium battery with an energy density of around 175Wh/kg, which is closer to energy density in lithium alternatives. Bridging the energy density gap between sodium and lithium batteries opens up the potential for sodium chemistry to be the go-to for budget EV carmakers.Sodium-ion batteries are also becoming cheaper to manufacture and could reach cost parity within LFP batteries within the next two years, according to reports out of China.This could be seen as the perfect battery make-up for smaller EVs, which are often already budget oriented, meaning the price of these cars could be brought down further. CATL began commercial production of its sodium batteries last year, and manufacturers are already jumping on board. CATL’s Naxtra sodium-ion battery offers a driving range of around 500km, while keeping the extreme temperature benefits of the technology. GAC is expected to utilise a unit from CATL in one of its upcoming EVs, according to a report in Auto News. GAC is one of many brands investing in sodium-ion, with other Chinese rivals such as BYD also developing the technology. BAIC has also been making moves with its battery, which can be fully charged in only 11 minutes. The German government has also put aside 20 million euros for a gigawatt-hour sodium-ion plant, with Mercedes-Benz one of the brands potentially benefiting. 

BYD is facing backlash in its home market of China over its semi-autonomous driver-assistance system.The system, called God’s Eye by BYD, is touted as self-driving in the same way Tesla advertises Full Self Driving (FSD), but anecdotal evidence suggests the system is similarly not yet up to scratch for widespread use on public roads.A report by Bloomberg has outlined complaints from both high-profile and a slew of other customers of BYD who have experienced recurring malfunctions in their cars.There are three variants of God’s Eye, one using cameras and radars, one adding LiDAR to the equation, and another with a full array of sensors.In one of BYD’s luxury brand’s flagships, the Yangwang U8 SUV, a Chinese “entrepreneur” reported “the vehicle suddenly accelerating to 93 kilometers per hour” in a 60 zone, or “abruptly jerking into an adjacent lane”.The Yangwang U8 costs the equivalent of A$230,000 in China, though buyers of many BYD models are reporting similar issues on Chinese social media site Xiaohongshu.The Bloomberg report lists “steering flaws, navigational screen malfunctions and delays in features such as memory navigation in urban roads” as complaints made by buyers of BYD’s mass-market models.It’s not the only assisted-driving or semi-autonomous driving technology under scrutiny, given Tesla’s FSD is involved in numerous crash investigations, and there have even been incidents involving Ford’s similar BlueCruise system.It’s not yet clear if BYD plans to implement God’s Eye tech in Australia, but CarsGuide has contacted the brand’s local arm for comment.

Polestar has announced a huge battery recycling initiative on some of its key models. Some Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models will be fitted with batteries that include at least 50 per cent recycled cobalt. As part of its partnership with Volvo battery centres, Polestar 2 and 3 models requiring a battery replacement will be installed with a refurbished unit as opposed to a new one. Cobalt is a key material in many types of car batteries, such as lithium-iron and Nickel-Managenese-Cobalt (NMC). Polestar uses NMC batteries across its range, meaning mined cobalt is integral to the brand, but this latest initiative demonstrates it is trying moving away from that reliance.The majority of all mined cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is said to have half the world’s reserves.The extraction of cobalt in the DRC has given rise to concerns over the health and safety of people involved as well as the legality of the process itself. Extracting cobalt releases fine dust particles and dangerous chemical byproducts leading to contamination.There have also been substantiated reports of illegal working conditions, including broader African mining practices. Cobalt carries with it a heavy price tag as well.These issues have seen some car manufacturers move away from cobalt-dependent batteries, opting for different make-ups such as lithium-iron-phosphate, which are cheaper, but not as efficient. Polestar said it aims to reduce reliance on virgin materials, such as cobalt, and keep resources in use for longer. “... a key focus is to extend battery life and retain the battery’s value for as long as possible, which benefits both the environment and the customer experience,” the brand said.Polestar is also looking into developing recycling initiatives in other global markets, which is in line with many other manufacturers. The European Union has already introduced increasingly tough battery recycling mandates for car makers. This includes a 90 per cent cobalt reduction mandate by 2027, shifting to 95 per cent by the end of the decade. In Australia, Nissan is re-using a few of its first generation Leaf NMC batteries to power part of the company’s part manufacturing plant.BMW has a similar recycling initiative for its i3 batteries in Australia.

Chery’s groundbreaking solid-state battery with 1500km of driving range is edging closer to production, according to reports out of China.Solid-state is seen as a game-changing upgrade for electric vehicles, making range anxiety a relic of history. By using a solid material to transfer power, it can store substantially more energy than conventional batteries. The brand recently confirmed its solid-state plans, aiming to deploy the technology this year in limited operational scenarios before broader commercialisation. It is targeting mass-market availability of the battery next year. More details are likely to be revealed about the battery at Chery’s upcoming ‘Battery Night’ in China. This could include confirmation of important information such as battery capacity and charging architecture.It has previously been reported Chery’s solid-state battery has an energy density of 600Wh/kg, which is far greater than conventional batteries. This enables superior driving range, with the battery offering 1500km. It can perform reliably in temperatures as low as minus-30 degrees. This battery will feature on Chery’s high-end sub-brand Exeed with its Liefeng shooting brake model. We also know the car will have super fast charging through its 800-volt platform and can shift from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds, maxing out at 260km/h.Chery has been boasting of its solid-state battery developments for some time now.Exeed was thought to be launching its ES8 with a solid-state battery for the first time later this year, expected to have a driving range of 1000km. The Exeed brand is something that could be on the cards for Australia, with local Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris eager to see it Down Under.“I really like the Exeed product, and I think they make some, you know, really cool, really high end, actual luxury specification vehicles. If I could make a wish tomorrow and it would come true, that would probably be what I would ask for," Harris told CarsGuide this year.Chery’s announcement comes after rival Chinese brand BYD said it would have small-batch production for its solid-state battery ready some time next year, but there are no specification details available yet. Many other brands are also investing into solid-state, with 2027 looking like a breakthrough year for the technology, as CATL, SAIC and Toyota all prepare for production. It is unclear at this stage whether solid-state batteries will be the future of electric vehicles, but this upcoming announcement could provide an insight into its potential.