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Is an EV practical in rural Australia?

Assuming you live in an area with electricity available, and within a few hours of a main road or a rural city, is a Battery Electric Vehicle practical?

By EV I mean a car with a battery only, and no engine or hydrogen fuel cell, also called a BEV for Battery Electric Vehicle. Companies are increasingly calling their ICE (Infernal, oops, Internal Combustion Engine) cars EVs if they have the slightest hint of electric equipment. ICE was a development on the steam powered traction engine, using external combustion of wood or coal below a boiler.

This depends mostly on the range which the battery provides at highway speeds. While the advertised range applies to things like driving in a city where you are often coasting to a stop at lights, thus regenerating power, an advantage you don't get much in rural areas. Also, pushing through the air at highway speeds consumes energy, and can affect range compared to that published. However this happens to petrol and diesel cars too.

There are some early EV which would not be suitable for rural users, but something like a Polestar / Volvo / Zeekr / Geely, BYD, Cadillac (factory RHD), MG / IM, Porsche / Audi / VW / Cupra, BMW / Mini, or Jeep should all be fine, and perhaps Toyota bZ4X or Subaru Solterra.

The LDV eT60 is a pickup, the Deepal E07 a weird ute-type thing, and the F150 Lightning a US Pick-up with the steering wheel moved across locally. The Ford E-Transit is 4.25 tonne GVM van, in factory RHD. The Mercedes Benz e-Vito is another commercial option. And just launched is the all wheel drive RIDDARA RD6 dual cab-ute from Geely, with 3.5 tonnes towing capacity to totally ruin your weekend, hey sQomo. It has a load carrying capability over 1 tonne, potentially providing tax benefits. It makes a Ranger Raptor look a bit ordinary.

The vast majority of rural areas, rather than remote, are within 300 km of a town with a medium or high rate charger. An IM5 Platinum sedan sold by MG has a range of 655 km, up there with many petrol models. Unlike an economical ICE, it reaches 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. With the AWD option range drops to a still respectable 575 km, but you reach 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. That turns a Commodore into 6.2 litres of meh...

EVs have decimated the ICE car market in Australia! Yes, EVs at 10% of light vehicles sales means they have reduced sales of ICE cars by one-tenth, the meaning of "decimate".

Types of Charger

I'll go through from smallest to largest. The km/h figure is not velocity, but the number of km added per hour.

AC Charging

This uses the vehicle's onboard charger, connected via a device clumsily named "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment", or EVSE. This is however commonly called an AC charger. It appears that all officially delivered EVs in Australia use the CCS Type 2 plug for AC, sometimes referred to by the name of its designer, Mennekes. This has a 7 pins: 3 for Active or Line (allowing single or 3 phase, 1 neutral, Earth, and two control lines (CP and PP). No power is applied unless the car is plugged in and conditions are correct. CCS is Combined Charging System.

When you purchase an EV you may be supplied with, or can purchase a portable EVSE, often termed a "granny charger" due to their lower charge rate. About the size of a 1.25 litre bottle, many have a proprietary connector on the body where the mains lead enters, or a short cable with one. Options for the "tail" or input lead include: 10 amp 3 pin plug as available in homes and most domestic garages, adding 12-15 km/h. The next is the 15 amp plug, with the larger earth pin, as used for things such as domestic welders and some commercial uses, giving ~20 km/h. 32 amp single phase industrial outlets are perhaps less common, although Jaycar can special-order such as tail for their EVSE. 32 amp weather-proof three phase plugs are common, with 20 amp versions also existing. 45, 70, and 140 km/h are typical rates possible. These upper rates are also governed by the capacity of the car's onboard charger.

Standard 10 amp plugs fit 15 amp sockets, and the less common 20, 25, or 32 amp ones in the same crowsfoot pattern. The alternative is the weather resistant Australian Clipsal 56 design. 20 amp 3 phase connectors are are smaller than 32 amp units, and less common; however, 32 amp plugs fit 40 and 50 amp sockets. Note that 3 phase outlets MUST be 5 pin, not 4 pin, as the connection to neutral is essential.

You can also get tails or plugs for the IEC 60309 "Commando" connectors. These are colour-coded (blue or red) plugs and sockets use heavily in Europe and to some extent in NZ, and occasionally here, although you can make a lead with the socket failr cheaply. They are perhaps mostly of interest for the charge rate they set on the EVSE, say 12 or 13 amps instead of 8 amps with an Aussie plug.

An EVSE can also be mounted at home, the office, or at many "destinations", such as to use at a motel or hotel, restaurant, winery, supermarket, tourist information centre, community centre, sports facility, licensed club (RSL, etc), or perhaps place of worship. They are a little larger than a home version, and are water resistant, so can be outdoors. These can be free or paid. Charging rates are as above, usually in the upper range.

This table shows the power in kilowatts, assuming 230 volts. For three phase the car appears as three single phase loads, each using the star (Y or wye) voltage. Some County Councils in what is now the Essential Energy area liked to split Housing Commission properties in rural towns across two of three phases. Consult the manual or manufacturer. Ditto if you have 240-0-240 volt split-phase, or 480 volts between the "actives". (Three phase has 120 degrees between the actives, so the voltage between any two phases is 1.414 (or root 2) times the single phase voltage. 220 volts means 380 volts delta; 230 volts gives 400 volts delta; 240 v means 415 v; whilst 250 volts at the transformer output is the reason for 433 volt warning signs used by the then Country Energy.

Given Australia does not have 120 volt power (meaning Level 1 charging), our 240 volt system means all these are in the Level 2 AC charging rate range, or better (to use the American scale).

I've used 230 volts as it is the official voltage, and perhaps what you will get at the end of the power lead under load if you have 240 volts, or have a long lead-in. If the voltage is slightly higher then charge rate may be a slightly higher.

Note that vehicles may have limits such as being single phase at up to 32 amps, or 16 amps of 3 phase but if the EVSE has the opposite capability then the limit is 16 amps single phase. I believe this applies to some Korean cars.

See below for the Dodge Charger EV, but Mopar (the parts division of Stellantis in the US) sells a Dodge branded EVSE which would suit a range of US vehicles, (a Dodge Charger, geddit?), sadly only Type 1 for 120 volts. If you are in the US and needed a spare Level 1 unit it might even be worth the humour value... "I just bough a Dodge charger". "But I though you got a Neeeessun"...

BYO Cable

Certain EVSEs require the user to provide a cable. Assuming a CCS 2 connector on the vehicle, these are a "Type 2 to Type 2" cable. 5 metres is typical, but longer are available. These have a few different ratings, but buy the maximum your vehicle can use, or just go for 22 kW as the future-proof option, or to make it useful to loan to others. The price is little greater, and covers the cost of the copper in the heavier cable.

The figures for single phase are 3.5 kW for 16 amps, and 7 kW for 32 amps; for 3 phase 11 kW on 16 amps, and 22 kW on 32 amps. These are rounded, and subject to the exact voltage available.

Legacy EVs, such as the Holden Volt include the "Type 1" inlet, under the Society of Automotive Engineer's SAE J1772 standard. It has 2 current carrying pins, a Protective Earth, and two communications lines (PP & CP) using the same protocol. The first pin is always line (Active or Hot), the second can be neutral in Level 1, or the other Hot in Level 2. Yes, most US homes have 240 volts, but for things like clothes dryers and stoves / ovens. It can also be two phase connections of a 208 volt delta 3-phase system, or potentially 277 volts, beyond the standard. These would need a "Type 2 to Type 1" cable, and in practice the limit would be 7 kW, due to the general limit of 32 amps per phase in Australia. The US allows very large split phase loads up to 80 amps. The communications protocols are the same. There is also a "Combo 1" version with the same large DC carrying pins as above.

Range Anxiety

This passes quickly, once you realise the range you have, and understand where you can charge. Something like commuting between Bathurst and Orange daily is well within the capability of any EVs, with charging at home at night, or charging every few days at a fast charger. Ditto any other farm to town, or town to rural city commutes, shopping trips, going to cultural or sporting events, etc.

Public power outlets

15 amp single phase outlets, and 32 amps 3 phase outlets are common at rural showgrounds; and 15 amps at camping sites. Generally you need to speak to the caretaker or council office, and at least offer a donation. Some engineering shops, garages, etc, also have them, see Plugshare below. Rare in Australia, Commando is a brand name for IEC 60309 push fit industrial grade connectors. The most common type type is the blue single phase 1P+N+E at 16 amps. A 32 amp version exists. Three phase ones for 400 volt class are red, with 3P+N+E in 16 and 32 amps being the relevant sizes. They are common in NZ, and Europe, especially for caravans, or powering portable EVSEs.

DC Charging

These bypass the onboard charger to deliver a large amount of power to the battery. 50 or 60 kW is typical of an NRMA charger, 150 is a commercial rate, and 300 kW is used on major highway routes, with terms such as "super charger" applying. These can provide a full charge in a little over an hour, 40 minutes, or 30 minutes. The rate is 300 to 1000 km/h.

There plugs are called Combo 2, and have 2 large contacts below the CCS2 connector. The cables are often liquid cooled.

These are almost always charged for, with fees increasing with charge rate. This is partly a convenience fee, and partly due to these requiring their own padmount transformer, and other equipment.

350 kW is the maximum rate good cars can accept, a few can accept 420 kW at the right chargers. Some vehicles have a lower maximum charge rates and this is a factor to consider, especially if you plan to drive long distances frequently. Others are working on Megawatt charging.

CHAdeMO is a Japanese plug used in old official import, and many grey imports, plus potentially, PHEVs. They are round with two large contacts for DC or single phase AC (Japanese power is like US power, being mostly single phase or split phase); and multiple signal terminals. There are however a lot of chargers with these connectors in Australia, even if there are few users, as there was a requirement for these in government funding contracts. For CCS2 users have thankfully moved to providing current style.

How do I find chargers?

Many vehicles include charging points in their on-board navigation, some showing whether they are in use.

The primary website used to locate them is Plugshare, dating from when people relied on charging points shared by other owners, or businesses. Now it shows all chargers. There are filters for plug types, fast or ordinary charging rates, and things like food nearby. You can turn on restricted use, such as ones where you need to speak to the owner, or which are for customers of the business. Another option is private ones, usually only for emergency use, which was the origin of the site - sharing plugs when EVs were new. It includes route planning, customised for the car you own, or may be considering. See what is near you at: plugshare.com, or in your "play store" or "app store". The "Caravan Mains Socket" logo shows a round pin connector when in Australia they are almost always 15 amp versions of domestic power connectors.

The other is ABRP, standing for "A Better Route Planner". You can add a range of cars you may be considering, and put in a trip from your location, etc to a major city, or other location, as a test. It may provide a range of routes. Over a route from Lightning Ridge to Sydney for a budget car it will include a stop in Walgett, while for longer range cars in goes direct to Narrabri. See: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/

ABRP however excludes some locations, such as van parks and roadhouses between Coober Pedy and Alice Springs, which provide single and 3 phase outlets rather than DC chargers. Thus they may not generate routes to Alice or beyond.

Google Maps built into a vehicle with do EV route planning. On the website it can show charging along a route by using the EV charging button above the map, or: Explore places along your route - See more stops - EV charging. This is not a proper EV route planner, at least at the time of writing, but OK to see whether you want to use an in-town charger near a nice café or the out-of-town site with foreign owned fast food. I think it may have listed the turns to chargers close to the route in the past.

I think these demonstrate that anywhere in NSW but perhaps the north west corner will work for the majority of EVs, and likewise, anywhere in Victoria, Tasmania, the majority of Queensland, along the major roads and tourist areas in the NT, and the WA coast and rural areas. Certainly the vast majority of the population will be able to use them for their entire road transport needs.

Apps and Cards

The commercial charger can use an app and/or a card. The apps typically work by scanning a QR code which communicates via mobile network for central authorisation. However, this requires a charged 'phone, and a connection, not always available when a charger is in the third basement of a parking station or shopping centre. Or perhaps your provider is not reliable in rural areas (hello Telstra). Be aware than Telstra, being Telstra, excludes remote areas such as on the Nullabor and parts of the Northern Territory from use by resellers such as Aldi.

The trick is to use the menu in the apps you use, and add a proximity card. AEVA, the Australian Electric Vehicle Association will sell members a card. However, from what I can work out, almost any 13.56 MHz RFID should work. This includes MIFARE cards such as an Opal, metroCard, Oyster, myki, goCard, Tap and Ride, MyWay or MyWay+. That it is expired, or out-of-use, or from overseas does not matter, it just uses the serial number. A thin building access card, campus card, RFID key fobs, and even a passport, should work too, not that I am suggesting the last one. Scan it at a railway or tram stop, and if you get an "Invalid" message, rather than no response, it should be compatible. 😎. Trying it in the app is probably easier. The thicker 125 kHz ones almost certainly will not work.

Once set up, when you arrive at a charger you just plug in, and tap the card, as per the instructions. If you need to charge somewhere like Orange, Dubbo or Mildura you may need to use a Tesla supercharger, which is publicly funded, so available to all. Not all Tesla ones are, but they are maintained well, so are generally available. These are located in urbanised areas so have decent 'phone coverage on all networks. You can download the Tesla app ahead, or use the QR code to do so.

Some user-pays shared unit-block EVSEs or outlets may only work via a QR code.

What about finding accommodation with chargers? While the above can help, there is a specific site for this too! And the rates are very good, as the primary part of the business is working with accommodation providers. Visit target="_blank">https://evstays.co/

Driving

Almost all EVs have a single speed as they need only a simple reduction drive. This is because electric motors have high torque from low RPM. Reverse is achieved by changing the order of pulses applied to the three phase motor.

The biggest difference between and ICE car and an EV is that when you slow, instead of converting kinetic energy to heat it is converted back into electrical energy, and stored in the battery. The only exception is emergency braking. This means pads and certainly discs have a very long life, perhaps never needing changing. Some EVs have a normal accelerator and brake, and are driven like an automatic. Others allow the option of single pedal driving, when letting off the pedal causing regeneration, with the brake pedal only for idiot avoidance. On others the brake pedal initiates regeneration, with hard application causing the brakes to operate. Note that charging to 100% for a long trip prevents regeneration until some battery is used.

Avoid any EV with only buttons instead of a stalk for the indicator, however if it is not a Tesla you are sweet. Most EVs use a conventional door release, the Tesla is electronic, with a small emergency latches, or loops to pull, hidden in the door pocket, or behind the speaker grille on the X; however if ou passengers to operate the latch on the US models of the 3, or whatever other system there is, then close the door, the window shatters, as it has not been electronically lowered!

Still mechanical, at least one of the Porsches I looked at had a slim and streamlined handle where you pressed the dimpled spot, then pulled the handle doing so swung out.

As for real world travelling, a friend drove their Atto 3 from Central Western NSW / Western Blue Mountains region to Winton in Queensland with no difficulties. The previous Labor Queensland government ensured those travelling long distances have a charging point for their lunch stop, and one for their overnight stay. I was briefly chatting with a Volvo EX40 owner who drove from Bathurst to Melbourne. They mentioned going via Cowra for their first charge, then onto the Hume, which would be the most usual way to go in an ICE - I certainly did that route a decade ago in my Vectra. A local IT person travels in from their rural property daily in a rather dusty Attto 3. All rural EV drivers I have spoken too have been very happy with their purchases.

How fast you drive impacts the energy consumption. If you drive at 90 km/h, using the Atto 3 as an example 4 km uses 1% of the capacity (400 km range), 100 km/h means 3.3 km is 1%, and at 110 km/h means 3 km per 1%. A more streamlined vehicle may be more efficient at 110 km/h.

Questions

Do I need to let it go flat, then charge fully? No, you can add any amount at any time. If you stop for lunch where there is a slower charger you can add capacity at a lower cost, or even for free, say under a supermarket. Or you can fast charge for 10 minutes buying coffee. Speaking of which, you can buy me a non-coffee beverage.

Isn't fast charging more expensive that petrol? What about slavery in Indonesian nickel? Ah, a Channel 7 tabloid TV watcher. Ch 7 is the media front for SGH, which owns large fossil fuel holdings, and a mining equipment company. The nickel lie is easy to refute. This low grade nickel is use to make stainless steel for cutlery, etc. A few vehicle batteries use high grade nickel, and those which do are often hybrids. As for the costs, take two BMWs, the internal combustion engine one is full of petrol or diesel, the EV empty, so charge the EV at an expensive charger while the ICE carries on, then add just enough fuel to get to your destination. Charge the EV at an expensive charger at lunch, then just before arriving at your destination with free or cheap charging, charge it to full at the most expensive place you can find, while parking the empty ICE.

Perhaps in the US under-priced fuel and overpriced power may make the above true, if using expensive chargers on a trip.

Don't I have to add multiple 2 hour stops on my trip? No! If driving on major routes there are fast chargers which can add close to 200 km in the time it takes to "use the facilities" and replace the coffee. 10% to 85% takes a 30 minutes or so, a sensible lunch and rest break. If you were only to charge at morning tea time you can charge just what you need to get to your accommodation in a short afternoon break. As more chargers become available, and larger sites are built, any queuing during school holidays should end. A few problems were down to Tesla owning EVholes using NRMA / RACV chargers and walking away while more expensive Tesla exclusive superchargers were available. If you do buy what some call a swasticar, and want to charge cheaply, stay with your car.

While a century of striving for maximum acceleration apparently no longer matters, but the supposed two minutes to fill up a diesel, endurance and charge times of an EV exceeds the ability of a person to safely drive long distances. Most importantly, the vast majority of EV drivers have spent years or decades driving ICE cars, and have chosen Electric over ICE.

What about Cobalt? Little to no cobalt is used in modern EV batteries. What does use cobalt, including from enslaved children is FOSSIL FUEL processing, specifically removing sulphur. If this isn't just a whataboutism, crush your ICE car immediately, and buy an EV.

Can I drive in the rain? Yes! The electrical connections are sealed. And what do submarines run on while submerged? Batteries. Check the manual for fording depth, etc, and avoid swiftly flowing water.

Can I use solar? Yes! Both grid connected and off-grid solar systems can be used to charge EVs. It is much better to get almost free motoring than a few cents per kW/h feed-in tariff. Smarter chargers will divert power from the panels into the car, rather than exporting to the grid. For off-grid you need to assess how much spare power you have, and perhaps add a few panels, if necessary. However, if you are regularly getting the household batteries full early in the day, you can likely charge without a problem. Note that you generally have to go from DC solar to AC to charge the car.

Doesn't fast charging kill the battery? It was thought that frequent fast charging (rather than mostly home charging) would lead to more rapid deterioration in the capacity of the battery, and thus the range of the vehicle. Given batteries have the correct temperature maintained by the heating and cooling system this has turned out to not be the case to any significant extent. The outlier is the Leaf, without cooling.

But, but, but, coal. But, but, but, diesel generators. The power grids in Australia 40% or more wind and solar, with battery storage and hydro (some pumped for storage). However even 100% coal is cleaner than ICE, and power plants have scrubbers to remove some pollutants. Coal is often burnt close to the mines, while the pil for your fuel is shipped using filthy bunker oil from the repressive Saudi Arabia, not quite ISIS with an actual state, but not democratic either, to Taiwan or the not entirely democratic Singapore for refining, using a LOT of energy, then onto another ship, also burning high-sulphur oil. There have been a few experiments, which found diesel generator chugging away at a fixed RPM is less polluting than an ICE car. One on the Nullabor burns used cooking oil to supplement solar powered charging. However, running a few hundred km on fossil fuel instead for 4000 km on a transcontinental must make sense. There are also diesel backed remote chargers, where the solar roof charges an onsite battery to provide high speed charging. They use little or no diesel, and are there for bad weather, or a peak in demand. Of course, most raising these things care nothing about them in any other situation. From 2028 there may be just one refinery locally, meaning even less fuel security.

And one of the upsides for others is that you are not farting carcinogenic particulates and half-burnt fuel all over the footpath, often enclosed under awnings (my town has back-in parking); nor into your kid's school. EVs run air-conditioning (cooling or heating) without an engine running. And wth less noise! Some can even be set to keep pets cool or warm in the car, and display info on this, probably also good for stopping a cake having the icing melt while you pop into a shop, etc.

One photograph which was triggering folks was apparently a system for charging at remote music festivals, etc.

The same Whataboutism merchants lost their mind/poop over a bus depot having rented generators instead of extremely expensive grid upgrades to cover the need to charge the buses needed to replaced the closed down Bankstown line while it is converted to driverless metro. A generator running at constant RPM is likely more efficient than an engine operating at varying RPM. But really, take this whole Bankstown line debacle up with Gladys and Constance. But more seriously, not every thing is perfect in a time of transition.

But the power grid can't handle it. AEMO are pretty chill about EVs. Many users will be happy to set the car to charge at about 8 amps, or 2 kilowatts, less power than a fan heater uses. They can be set to start charging in the late evening and into the early hours, more than enough if you have driven 40 km each way to go shopping. In some cases low rate or free charging is available around lunch time, thanks to excess solar power being available. As EVs become more common they will be able to receive power pricing, and make decisions to buy cheap power, and in some cases even sell, in what is called "V2G", or vehicle to grid, if coal plants trip off, and there is a cold snap or heat wave.

And the fossil fuel industry's dirty secret is that by the time fuel is in an ICE car, the electricity to extract the oil, pump it to the refinery, refine it, then pump it to distribution centre, then pump and retail it uses as much power as an EV does to go an equal distance. Moving fossil fuels to Australia burns massive amounts of filthy, high sulphur "bunker oil". Australia imports $35,300,000,000 or $35.3 bn per year, over $1400 per year for every man, woman, child, and fetus. Australia does not have adequate stocks of fuel if war involving Taiwan (our largest supplier) broke out there, or elsewhere around the now "Ten-dash line". Other fuel comes from the less-than-democratic Singapore, using oil from the even less democratic countries in the Middle-East, more correctly termed "West Asia". Oil is also smuggled out of Russia, and even transferred between ships at sea!

And if you thought EG - Ampol co-branded sites are Australian, EG is British, previously Euro Garages.

Something, something, Microwave, something. This is one of the more "cooked" conspiracy theories about EVs. The tiny grain of truth is that when current flows in a wire a magnetic field is formed around the wire, be it wall wiring, or the lead to a 'phone charger, or an electric blanket's heating element. When driving an EV the metal floor of the vehicle provides shielding, as does the shielding on the control modules and batteries. More importantly, this "radiation" is NON-IONISING, meaning that it does NOT alter DNA as too much sun, or a nuclear plant explosion does, or Polonium-210 in tobacco smoke which decays emitting the highly damaging alpha particles. Unless it causes bodily heating it is extremely unlikely to cause injury. In fact, deliberate moderate bodily heating has NOT caused injury to US servicemen who played football in T-shirts in Alaska and/or Canada by having the sidelines defined as the area in which heating from the DEW Line radar became too great, or insufficient for comfort. They have not suffered any ill effects despite long term monitoring.

Something, something, Appliance, something. I'm glad even my lower cost appliances run for 10 years or more with just the occasional clean. EVs likewise need only the occasional fluid top-up or change, and wiper blades. As for tyres, resist the urge to make "small" V8 or STi drivers feel even "smaller" too often, and you should have reasonable tyre life. While some EVs are heavier than similar models, some are similar to their ICE equivalents. The inane Cybertruck models are thankfully unavailable here. I am not sure something which accelerates faster than anything but $500,000+ ICE supercars is boring; even a 6.2 litre Holden is a bit "meh" after an EV ride. Maybe the lack of attention seeking "Brmmm" noises makes some feel inadequate.

That little service is needed means that a specialist brand only has dealers in major centres is not significant problem.

But I live on a dirt road, or have a steep, rutted drive. EVs handle dirt road fine. Many have all-wheel drive, typically thanks to having front and rear motors. Munro has a traditional Land Rover / Range Rover style differential system. If an ICE Subaru can do, any sensible AWD EVs can too.

It can't tow a boat! sQomo was wrong again, the Scottish built Munro can tow 3.5 tonnes, similar to several others. The massive torque an electric motor can generate means towing for most EV is not a problem. Some have factory towing gear, for others you can buy from Hayman Reese, with examples being BYD Atto 3, and several Teslas.

Aren't sales falling? Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Apparently after the End of Financial Year* sales peaks there is a drop in sales, although these will pick up. Global sales figures are affected each year during Quarter 1 by a Chinese drop in sales around Chinese Lunar New Year, also termed Spring Festival, but always recover. And yes, the CEO being seen as a Nazi has smashed Tesla sales across Europe where they know that is a very bad thing, and likewise in Australia. BYD and many others have had strong and ongoing growth. The UK mainland likely peaks in March and September as buyers which may wait to obtain the latest age related two numeral sequence, 75 from September 2025, 26 from March 2026.

*Australia's financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June each year, and companies often like to sell down stock ahead of this, or entice corporate buyers to buy before this date. There can also be model year run-outs early in the following year; and occasional random sales. Other offers include providing a wall charger, Type 2 cable, and/or a period or value of EV charging. Always ask about the what you get charging-wise when buying.

It costs twice as much to insure an EV. I just compared a 2017 6.2 litre Commodore ($1295) vs a 2025 MG IM5 in AWD which would leave the driver of the former wondering what the ?????? the percent sign with two slashes he saw for a fraction of a second before it vanished meant, at under $1700. An ICE MG5 is $1305, the more expensive EV $1,526. A Jeep Avenger came to around $1400. Maybe a Tesla is expensive because the company does not support third party repairs, and uses a huge aluminium casting for the rear end, rather that a repairable steel frame on a truck, or steel monocoque on a car, so they get written off and parted out to restomoders. The $78k MG IM5 is even a little under twice the premium of a 2017 (ICE) Micra worth under $15k. I suppose liability failing to push through a barrier if stuck on a railway line, and thus derailing a toxic chemical train into a major commercial fishing estury is part of the premium.

< Chinese or US brand > is dumping EVs they can't sell in < China / USA >. I'm sure you can work out the problem with this idea: These are LHD markets, Oz is RHD. Even a Japanese Domestic Market vehicle would require new signage, a new or reprogrammed radio, and a VIN to be fitted (JDM cars don't have global Vehicle Identification Numbers).

With so many brands, won't some go bankrupt? A number of US start-ups ran out of money, but the Chinese brands are often long established vehicle or other manufacturing companies. Several are selling well over a million units per year in China. BYD sold 4.27 million in 2024, and over 1 million in the traditionally slow Q1 of 2025, up 59.81%. Australian law requires parts are available for at least 10 years, so, to make a random selection, if the GWM Ora was to be discontinued here, parts would remain available via the HAVAL network, or vis-a-versa. Likewise, a lot of British companies didn't go out of business, they merged into others, such as Vanden Plas going from an external coach builder to a division of what became Britsh Leyland, working on luxury versions of their products. Now the name belongs now to Nanjing Automobile, owned by SAIC.

What if I get trapped by a snowdrift, or delayed by a bushfire or flooding? A battery which can move a vehicle a long distance must have quite a large capacity. US examples have demonstrated that EVs will run the heating overnight, and you do not risk having snow trap carbon monoxide (CO) to send you to sleep, and then the morgue. Unlike ICE cars which often need fuel to be brought, they just drive off home. Likewise, an EV can operate cooling for as long period. Those with an AC power outlet also permit electric camping, when lights, electric kettles or jugs, and plug-in cooktops can all be powered from the battery with little loss of range. For "burn over" caused by a bushfire the advice remains the same, put the bonnet towards the flame front, to get low and cover with blankets. Close vents, but put headlights and hazard lights on. But evacuate early and otherwise stay away from fires. Interestingly, EVs do not require oxygen to operate, although the driver does. If an EV is "drowned" alert the fire agency.

Another line used by Brits is that No one wants to drive a milk float. For many decades these provided quiet, non-polluting delivery of milk across the UK. The best comeback indicates that the commenter's real father drove one.

What is LiDAR? A play on RADAR, Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging, or occasionally laser imaging, detection, and ranging. Serious self driving or driver assistance applications use it to generate a 3D model of the environment, such as the road, and hazards such as vehicles driven by drugged/drunk drivers blasting through red lights, and reacts accordingly. It is far superior to camera only systems, which can swerve for shadows, or ignore a white truck against a cloudy sky, no matter what his muskiness says. The downside is higher power consumption. Teslas also have "phantom braking" problems, some leading to pile-ups inside tunnels! They hace extensively misrepresented what should hae been "co-pilot" as "autopilot" and a so-called self-driving (now "Full Self Driving (Supervised)") as a Full Self Driving, charging $10,000 to people whe were unwitting guinea pigs for Musk's insanity, rejected by enginners. They face criminal findings and a 1 month sales ban in California when, oops, if, found guilty.

Isn't Hydrogen the future? No! The laws of physics and chemistry confirm this, with using electricity to make hydrogen being somewhat like exchanging US$2 of energy as electricity for 1 peso of energy as hydrogen. There are two types of hydrogen vehicles possible. FCEVs uses a fuel cells to charge a small battery and power electric motor. They are thus a very inefficient EV. The second, which all the people, oops, males making this claim are thinking off are the extremely rare H-ICE, which use piston engines to make the noise which gives them their jollies. They are even more inefficient than FCs. There was an article suggesting that many of the downside of hydrogen in piston engines are mitigated by using a rotary (Wankel) engine, perhaps as a range extender generator for EVs. Article

A Fuel cell is either a strengthen fuel tank for racing cars, or in our case, an electrochemical cell which uses a flow of fuel, generally hydrogen, and oxygen (pure in space, or from air in a car). They are thus a cousin to batteries. They produce electricity with the physical output water, waste on earth, or used for drinking on various historic NASA space programmes. They are 40 to 60% efficient, much lower than a battery. They also generate heat, which may be wasteful unless it can be recovered and put to work, in a stationary co-generation plant. If you do read up on these, a positive hydrogen ion (H⁺) is without its single electron (or naked), making it a proton.

Hydrogen is difficult to transport, and evidently leaking Hydrogen becomes very hot upon expansion, unlike many gases which become very cold. It is in reality mostly just a way to keep the liquid fuel companies in business; most means of obtaining it generate a LOT of carbon dioxide, hence the terms blue, grey, brown, and black hydrogen, vs "green hydrogen" made with excess clean energy.

What about the low cost microcars I've seen overseas? Or Kei cars? Technically the first ones are often not cars, but quadracycles or heavy quadracycles. Like a cycle they do not have proper impact protection, and Australian jurisdictions do not have a vehicle class for them to be registered under. Perhaps you could use them for on-campus transport, etc. The Canta C2 is an electric update of the vehicles specifically designed for persons with a disability in The Netherlands. They are just 1.1 metres wide, and may either have a seat, or allow the person to board from the rear in a wheelchair. Norway has similar, essentially enclosed versions of mobility scooters for use in cold weather.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a Kei car, and these and Kei trucks can often be registered here.

Why don't US pick-up companies make factory RHDs? This is partly because the three other significant RHD markets, the UK, Ireland, and Japan allow the registration of LHD vehicles, be they pick-ups, oversized SUVs, or things like Dodge cars. For the UK this also allows things like Lancias and other LHD only products to be brought over by ferry or rail. What is NOT allowed is the Cybertruck, which comprehensively fails safety UK rules, and likely any other based on the UNECE standard which forms the basis of the Australian Design Rules.

But I really like my pre-1995 Commodore / F-150 / BMW / Land Rover / MG. You can join a local or marque based car club, and get low cost historic registration, while driving a cheap to run EV most of the time. The Minns Labor goverment in NSW is now allowing pick-ups and utes, etc to be registered conditionally if they are converted to improvised fire fighting vehicles.

Land Rover and the F-150 could also be converted to electric, so likely can the MG. Something like an E21 BMW could be too, especially considering the independent rear suspension means that the differential is bolted to the body. Some conversions use the existing gearbox, including as a means to get reverse more easily.

Chevrolet has an eCrate motor, so maybe that is an conversion option for a Commodore, Monaro, or Statesman, etc of any age: https://www.chevrolet.com/performance-parts/crate-engines/ecrate

What does Reduction Gear or Single Speed mean? Listings, often from legacy companies, or on used vehicle sites use these terms. The vast majority of EVs have one or more motors feeding a single speed reduction gear box, much as in an electric drill. A few have a two speed box, allowing greater acceleration, then reduced motor speed while cruising. Many used vehicles sites and legacy manufacturer sites need a values such as "1 sp" and/or a descriptor "Automatic" in the gearbox field. I suppose the later is somewhat true, in that there is no clutch, as the motor does not idle, nor needs to rotate to operate air conditioning, etc. The user interface is some form of switch / lever, knob, or buttons with R, N, & D options, and a P button. Reverse is achieved by electronically reversing the motor by changing the order of current pulses to the motor's three windings.

Torque is twisting force, expressed in newton metres, or pound feet. An electric motor has high torque from zero RPM, and can have high power output across a wide range of RPM. Modern EVs use electronics to convert DC into AC at whatever frequency generates the required torque and power output. Electric trains and trams of the last few decades do this too, while old ones applied DC through resistors which limit current, as did things like milk floats and golf carts used for many decades in Britain. The limiting factors with these, and with early cars was the mass of lead-acid, and even NiCd batteries which had limited capacity. Adding more batteries added mass, meaning diminishing returns in term of range. Light weight Lithium (the lightest metal) based batteries had much greater energy density, allowing the much larger ranges of today's EVs.

What is a Compliance car? These are low range, high priced cars sold by ICE addicted manufacturers to satisfy government mandates. California's regulations were one example, while some use them to reduce fleet consumption averages. If you find a used one at a price commensurate with their range, you may be getting a nice car, if they meet your needs, but otherwise these may not be practical cars for rural users.

Don't they catch fire? EV fires are incredibly rare, with 12 in Australia. One person poured petrol on an EV in a gangland attack (from memory a Tesla), a second arson, but no one has done so in an anti-Musk action in this country. One had a truck driveshaft penetrate the battery (thankfully it was not a petrol vehicle with the tank torn open and the spray of fuel set on fire), several 12 volt shorts have cause minor fires, in most cases the fire did not involve the traction battery. A Hyundai Kona is one of the very few EVs to have a traction battery fire while driving in Australia (but then they had recalls on ICE for fire dangers, even while stationary). Several house fires have set the EV alight. Meanwhile every shift in larger states fire the agency typically allocates units to at least one ICE vehicle fire. Macquarie bank leased land at Sydney Airport for an illegal junk yard (well, it would have been illegal if the airport was not, for historical reasons, exempt NSW laws), and the battery removed from a damaged EV caught fire there, further damaging other wrecks. Despite widely propagated lies, the largest parking station fires have been started by diesel vehicles.

Norway has a large EV population, and in 2022 0.005% caught fire vs 0.03% for ICE; 33 EVs vs 704 ICE. EV Firesafe in Australia says ICE burn 80 more often than EVs. One risk is submersion during a flood, which will write-off any car anyway. What does burn, even more than straight ICE? Hybrids! Have a read of: https://www.evfiresafe.com/

But EVs are OK in tiny Norway. Even if you can drive from the coast into Sweden for the after dinner amusement of your overseas visitor (me) in some areas, driving from Kirkenes to Kristiansand in the far south without leaving Norway is 3000 km; a shortcut via Finland and Sweden reduces this to 2000 km.

But EVs don't work in the cold or heat (or have reduced range). See above re Norway. Kirkenes (pop 3400) is on the Russian border, well north of the Polar Circle, and is further east than Istanbul. The country has the northern-most cities over 10,00 and 40,000. Any range reduction is irrelevant to day-to-day driving. Meanwhile they work fine in places like Arizona, and mine sites in north-west Western Australia. Electric school buses have more than enough range for school runs, even if by design they budget 50% to heating.

Aren't replacement batteries more expensive than the car? All modern EVs use coolant to ensure batteries last the life of the vehicle. But, but, but $20,000! Vehicle manufacturers have to list part prices in case someone drives over a large rock, or into a river, and the insurance company needs the number so they can write the car off or decide to fix it. Batteries typically have 8 to 10 year warranties, and replacement under warranty have gone from rare to extremely rare. Meanwhile, third party repairers have worked out how to to single cell replacement on out-of-warranty or warranty-refused Teslas (the US has weak consumer protection laws). The grain of truth in this is the early LEAF, without battery coolant, have had their batteries lose range over the last decade or so. While third party replacement batteries are hardly cheap, the new ones can nearly double the range over the factory ones.

Don't they make people car sick? Perhaps if people drive them aggressively they can, but that applies to any vehicle. Some have a "one pedal driving mode" where lifting the pedal initiates regenerative braking. This can generally be turned off, or made more mellow. I've been in a friend's EV on winding roads and been fine, but been a bit blah in ICE on similar roads.

Won't a blind person step in front of me? This is mostly FUD, but to address potential very quiet movement at walking pace, current models may have some sort of noise maker. My friend's ICE to EV conversion whines from commutation noise when moving out of the driveway, etc, as some trams and trains do when moving off. Once at speed, say 30 km, moving around shopping districts, the tyre noise is quite loud, and even with a non-compensatory ICE is louder than the engine. Oh, and some micro-manhooded guy where I lived had a V8 so loud than hundreds of metres away it would drown out a normal car a few metres away.

Don't they depreciate rapidly? or Aren't they too expensive? The truth lies part way between the two, with possible outliers. Early adopters of things like Teslas may have paid a lot, but now the features and performance are pretty standard; the same applied to things like video tape recorders or CD players, even if at a lower level. The other area is compliance cars, where high initial cost and low range followed by a resale value which reflects the range of the vehicle can mean a large depreciation, however, savvy buying may provide a nice car at a good price for local use, or patient longer distance trips on well served highways. There are Nissan Leafs in the $10k to $20k range, but at the lower end pricing range has likely deteriorated due to a lack of cooling. The 2018 and similar models may be a lot better. But remember, electric motoring is much cheaper than fuel powered. Depreciation also matters little if you are buying s car for an extended period.

Can I install a CB? Yes, plenty have installed VHF and UHF mine-site radios, CB, and Amateur (Ham) Radio gear. This youtube video shows a ham installation in an E-Mach. For radios with a remote head capability another option is to put the radio body in the boot (trunk) and the antenna on the boot-lip or edge of the lid, or edge of the hatch. All EVs have a low voltage battery to operate essential equipment and things like entertainment equipment. This is almost always 12 volts. As a serious commercial vehicle Munros have 24 volts, and there are radios designed for this. The weirder ones are Teslas now using 16 volts. If you are only talking to trucks you want to overtake, etc, then a hand-held in the cup-holder is fine - be it a CB or a type-approved UHF radio with CB channels added. If you need to call the fire agency via CB getting out of the car improves range.

For Amateurs the AC output on things like BYDs and MGs can power high power amplifiers (legal for hams), including when stationary.

Why don't cars have solar panels, like the racers? Racers in the World Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide weight 130 km for the driver only units with a flat panel on top, and 300 kg-odd for 2 or 3 seat "Cruisers". They are not crash tested cars which can be registered. The only road-going EV with panels, the Aptera three-wheeler weights 800 kg, with range addition by solar limited to enough for a fairly short commute, assuming outdoor parking often use in te US. Plugging in will be necessary for longer distance travel. Some preople have used fold-out panels to charge EVs, such as while camping, or as a proof of concept on long trips. The mass of the panels means they are unlikely to provide a significant advantage.

But I live in Tiboorburra

In this case you need to select your EV based on range, and to charge to near 100% before travelling. Some Minis, "compliance" cars, and the Toyota / Subaru models, especially the AWDs, may not have enough range, unless you can arrange charging privately along the route. The Cadillacs are fine, ditto IM, convereted US pick-ups, and many others. Routes include a dirt road to Bourke, via White Cliffs, or sealed road to Broken Hill.

Packsaddle roadhouse has a lot of solar on the roof, but Street-view also shows a "pole pig" transformer on a pole, fed by SWER (single wire earth return). Camerons Corner shop, just inside Queensland has outlets, as do van parks and towns in Qld. Cannamulla has proper chargers.

Nhulunbuy is potentially difficult, although if you are moving there it may be easier to transport the vehicle on one of the barge services, as the road is long, unsealed, and generally challenging. You would otherwise have to arrange ahead with the communities along the way to charge. I noticed years ago dodgy GetAway was telling the viewer to drive there from Darwin, at actual risk to their lives. Why? Their sponsor Virgin didn’t fly to Gove Airport, unlike Airnorth, and at the time QANTAS; just to Darwin. MAF also have a base there.

The Nullabor may involve some waiting during lower rate charging, depending on the range of your vehicle, etc.

Brands and Links

Any range is the more accurate Global WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) system, but remember pushing a brick-like SUV through air at at highway speeds will reduce this number somewhat, be it petrol, DIEsel, gaseous fuels, or electric. As well as a number of km, economy can also expressed in a number of kWh per 100km, or Wh per km. All prices are NSW delivered with private use registration unless noted. While registration for business use is higher, the seller may provide "ABN-holder" pricing. Religious agencies and local and other government may get GST rebates.

The alternative is the less realistic NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). The China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) relies heavily on regenerative braking in a simulation of dense urban traffic to generate even more inflated figures. The US's EPA uses the bizare miles per gallon gasoline equivalent, mpg-e or MPGe, with any total range figures likely lower than WLTP.

I recently sat is a number of new EVs. I am tall from seat to top of head.

You may want to visit these pages in a browser you don't use for farcebook. And/or use F.B. Purity to "bust the fluff" (ads, "sponsored content", and other junk): https://www.fbpurity.com/

BYD

BYD Auto is part of a wider electronics, vehicle and stationary battery, vehicle parts, and mass transit systems company, named for the road it was founded on, Yadi Rd, with a B added to be near the beginning of the alphabetic lists, established in 1995. It is pronounced "Bǐyàdí" (BeeYarday) if speaking with Chinese people.

The Dolphin is an FWD SUV. The 340 km range Essential is $32k, and the 472 km essential $40k, which can hold 1.3 cubic metres with the seats down.

The popular FWD Atto 3 SUV is $43k in Essential form (345 km), and $48k in Premium (420 km). The rear of my friend's is comfortable, and roomy.

BYD Atto 3 in the wild, used for rural commuting.

The Seal is a premium sedan at $50k for the 470 km RWD Dynamic, the 570 km RWD Premium at $56.5k, and $66k for the AWD Performace which does 520 km, and a 0-100 of 3.8 seconds. Sealion 7 is a fastback type SUV at $58k to $68k. Some nice demonstrators are listed here. They have dealers in rural cities, and in Canberra which would help many in the Snowy, etc. Visit: Dealer map.

Coming soon (it is NZ news, but Australia should get similar): An AWD go-fast Atto 3, the Seagull hatch as the Atto 1 in budget and 300 km range versions, and the Atto 2. The Atto 1 has been announced here, to start at $25k

The T3 is a perhaps limited availability van available in the secondary market. The Transit size E-Vali is hopefully coming soon.

Note that they also have hybrids with 6 in the model. Who needs the complexity of an grotty engine, plus a socket? The Shark 6 hybrid pickup is selling well, while ICE-only brands are taking a hit.

Their luxury brand is Yanwang. The U7 is a sedan (equivalent to A$135k to $152k), the U9 is a supercar in coupé form, the latter costing around A$360k. It can even "bunny hop" over potholes! The YangWang U9 Xtreme has just claimed the World's fastest production car status from Bugatti, at 496 km/h (or 308 MPH). These have 4 motors.

SAIC

SAIC Motor Corp., Ltd, was previously the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (renamed in 1995 form the Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Components Company, started in 1955). They have multiple brands, and several joint ventures, including with VW and GM. The Volkswagen Santanas I travelled in as taxis in 2012 were made by them.

MG is a brand which has changed hands a number of times, now residing with SAIC. It came with the rights to the XPOWER name, which was used on some V8 prototypes in Britain before Pheonix Group collapsed. The entry level is the MG4 SUV at just under $40k to $50k in FWD, range increasing with price. The XPOWER AWD version is $55k. The new MGS5 EV in RHD only ranges from $43k to $51k. Red is +$700, because in MG should be red, right?

MG's Cyberster is a roadster or similar sportscar, at $109k in RWD, $129k in AWD. Red is $1200 extra.

IM is a joint venture between SAIC and others, "presented" in Australia by MG. The MG IM5 high quality sedan with 4 wheel steering, and with models at $61k RWD, $68k RWD with 655 km range, and $78k 575km WLTP. The upper model indlude advanced air suspension and variable damping, a $4k option at the intermediate level. The IM6 is an SUV with the same pricing points: $61k RWD, $68k RWD with 550 km range, and $78k for AWD with advances suspension. The suspension upgade is a $5k option at the intermediate level. In all cases the interior is dark grey, with a light interior $990 extra. These appear as a model under MG on insurance sites.

Overseas the L7 is a high end, long range full size sedan. Additional SUVs are also available.

MG and IM: https://mgmotor.com.au/collections/explore-all-vehicles?&filter.p.tag=Electric

Originally initials for Leyland DAF Vans in the UK, under SAIC LDV is now only used in Australia and NZ, with Maxus used elsewhere.

The eDelivery7 is $67k to $74k, with a few grand off for ABN holders. The SWB Low Roof has 318 km range and a 1350 kg payload. The LWB low roof has a slighly power payload. The high roof version has a 328 km range, and 1175 kg payload. A cab-chassis is also available.

The eDelivery9 is a larger van, price on application. The eT60 is a 330 km range rear drive dual-cab Pickup truck, also POA. The MIFA 9 is a 7 seater van, POA.

Visit: https://www.ldvautomotive.com.au/ and click ELECTRIC.

Those ads with SUVs driving dangerously off-road? Turns out spraying up sea water in ads, then having your punters' vehicles rust if they do do this gets you in the doo-doo with the ACCC

The SAIC-GM JV makes vehicles such as the Buick Electra L7, a high performance (502 HP) sedan, sold in China. However this appears to be a range extender ICE car, but there are certainly pure EVs under this nameplate there. Maybe they could restart Holden although the fastest ever Commodore being electric might upset a few folks. Or fastest ever Torana.

Other Chinese Brands

These are not available here, although among other things, they demonstrate that hatchbacks, sedans, and wagons are popular there.

Yes, there is a BAIC Group based in Beijing, with Arcfox as a luxury EV brand supplying vehicls from hatchbacks to full sized sedans; and BAIC Motor with the Beijing EU5 electric sedan. Stelato S9 is a full sized sedan, the S9T a full sized wagon, produced as part of a JV with Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), owned by Huawei. Range is around 700 km. BAIC is also the parent of the ICE only Foton, with pickups and larger trucks sold here.

JAC Group, in association with MIMA produces the Maextro S800, a full-size ultra-luxury sedan with reclining rear seats which include lefg rests, a drinks fridge, active suspension, and all wheel steering. It has 600 km range, and a charge time (10-80%) is 12 minutes! Pricing might be towards $250k, but this is likely comensurate with the features and quality of the vehicle. Features include power operated doors with radar to prvent contact with other objetcs. I'll take the purple and silver two-tone. https://insidechinaauto.com/2025/06/08/huawei-backed-maextro-s800-launched-promising-to-redefine-luxury/

GM

Cadillac's first offering here is the Lyriq. This is a roomy crossover SUV, with all-wheel drive the single option here, available to order from November 2025. The Luxury trim is just under $115k, or $128k after the current promotion. The Sport is just north of $116k at the moment. "Crystal White Tricoat" is $1950. A tow pack is available in the US. Range is 530 km, and 0 to 100 km/h is 5.3 seconds. It is build in Spring Hill, Tennessee, as a factory RHD. Wheelbase is 121.8". Visit: https://shop.cadillacanz.com/

Cadillac Lyriq at the Sydney showroom.

The have LiDAR equipment on board, but only use it for lane keeping, however, SuperCruise needs our roads to be mapped before it can be used here. LiDAR is far better than the deadly camera-only (and illegal in Victoria) system, which Tesla uses.

Future plans include the high performance Lyriq-V, the a larger Vistiq SUV, and smaller Optiq SUV. The Celestiq is a super-luxury full-sized car, hand built in Michigan, sadly in LHD only, at ~US$400k. The Escalade-IQ is likley not coming over, even if slow vehicle fans were spraying "Escalade" comments over the local farcebook page, wanting the ICE.

GM is however mining your data and using it to companies engaging in the legalised fraud otherise known as insurance: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PAfjQKT3vBU. Yes, a hungry cat running up to his car is a recorded as a daily "near collision with small object".

GMC is the commercial vehicle division of GM. They share platforms with Chevrolet's largest vehicles, such as the Silverado; and historically produced heavy vehicles and buses. Denali is their luxury nameplate. GMC Australia converts several of their vehicles including the GM Sierra EV Pickup. This has 724 km of range and a towing capacity of 4082 kg. 0-100 is around 4.5 seconds. It includes a large front boot for a your groceries, etc. See: https://www.gmcaustralia.com/2025-gmc-sierra-ev-pickup-right-hand-drive-electric-utility/

GMC is the commercial vehicle division of GM. They share platforms with Chevrolet's largest vehicles, such as the Silverado; and historically produced heavy vehicles and buses. Denali is their luxury nameplate. GMC Australia converts several of their vehicles including the GM Sierra EV Pickup. This has 724 km of range and a towing capacity of 4082 kg. 0-100 is around 4.5 seconds. It includes a large front boot for a your groceries, etc. See: https://www.gmcaustralia.com/2025-gmc-sierra-ev-pickup-right-hand-drive-electric-utility/

This company's other EV is the ridiculously heavy Hummer EV. This has 613 km range and 3.5 second 0-100. It is available in SUV and Pickup. See: https://www.gmcaustralia.com/2025-hummer-ev-suv-now-in-right-hand-drive-for-australia-2/

The Chevrolet Silverado importer (GM Special Vehicles) does not do the EV, but maybe you can suggest it: https://www.gmspecialtyvehicles.com/contact-us

Note that these commercial vehicles may require a Light Rigid licence, and/or require National Heavy Vehicle plates, thanks to a cash grab by the sQomo government.

Other overseas models are Chevrolet Blazer EV (including cop and SS versions (Super Sport, the SS which ICE is learning from)) is a battery electric mid-size crossover SUV, while the Equinox EV is an EV. Both are on the BEV3 platform like the Lyriq, and are hecho en Mexico. US built RHD ICE Blazers were sold in Japan for a period, and was one way to get a Chevy here, but I am not sure if there are plans to repeat this with the EV. The GMC E300 is a microvan and Kei truck made in Taiwan (an LHD market).

Buick has so far forgotten to build EVs for the US.

Geely

For those who think EVs are not for serious drivers, try a Lotus! The Emeya is a fully electric Hyper-GT in All-wheel drive. The 600 as 600+ horsepower, and up to 580 km range. 0-100 is 4.15 seconds. The base is around $186k. The 600 GT SE is around $190k. GT stands for Grand Tourer, or gran turismo, meaning a car able to cross a large European country in a day, operating an fatigue preventing speeds over longer distances. The Sport SE is around $225k. The 900 has 900+ horsepower, and a 2-speed transmission for the rear motor, with 0-100 in 2.78 seconds. The Sport is ~$250k and the Sport Carbon $275k with Solar Yellow paint an included option. A towbar is $3k. LiDAR is $11.5k. An extensive range of interior and performance opions are available, with a carbon fibre roof being an example. The side mirrors can be replaced with more aerodynamic cameras.

The Eletre is an SUV. Built on the same platform, the options and pricing are as above. Range maybe suffers by 10 km with the greater frontal profile, maybe a little more in actual GT use. The 600 does 0-100 in 4.5 seconds, the 900 in 2.95. Interestingly, the top speed is a few km less legal, given the CLP regime in the NT is only doing the concentrating kids into camps bit, but not the (//) open limit applying historically. See: https://www.lotuscars.com/en-AU

The company is a co-owned with Etika Automotive, part owner of Proton, although there is recet news re Proton upping its investment.

Volvo sells a sedan, and 3 SUVs. The ES90 is a large rear drive sedan with 1600 kg towing capacity. It has a 550 km range, and two trim levels, at $100k to $121k. The EX30 is the smallest SUV. In rear drive it is $67k or $74k. AWD is only available in the higher trim, with the stupid glass roof, at $79k. There is a bright "yellow moss" option at all levels. The EX40 has a single high trim level, with rear drive at $85k, and AWD $90k. The largest is the AWD 7-seat EX90 at $140k to $151k. Wander over to: https://www.volvocars.com/au/build?engineType=bev

The C40 is a recently discontinued "crossover" SUV. While 2024s are $64k to $80k as dealer demonstrators, one 2022 is available under just $40k as I type this.

Polestar was once the go-fast tag of Volvo, before it become the brand used for electric sedans. The 2 is the long-standing sedan. I've ticked the $1500 heat pump option which includes rear seat heating, as using resistive heating is a major range killer in cooler weather, and thus stupid. Thus the RWD base model becomes $70k. The RWD Long Range (659 km) is $75k. The AWD is $79k. White paint instead of ugly grey is $1500. Adding a towbar costs $2600 and allows up to 1500 kgs of braked trailer. Yikes, they know how to charge for a charging cable! $480 for an 11 kW one.

The 3 is an SUV with up to 706 km range, or 0-100 in 4.7 seconds. The range number is for the $127k Long range Single motor (with a long wait time). The LR is on clearance of available models $102 to 140k. The Performance pack is around $155k. See what is on the site, I suppose.

The 4 is a fastback. It replaces the rear windscreen with a camera, but has an LCD based electrochromic glass roof. The 620 km single motor is $86k. The dual motor pulls 0-100 in 3.8 seconds, and costs $96k.

The 5 is marketed as a combination of sports car and high performance Grand Tourer (GT). The Dual motor - Launch edition is $187k and will travel 670 km between charges. 0-100 is 3.9 seconds. The Performance - Launch edition goes 565 km, but makes "100" appear on the speedo in just 3.2 seconds in exchange for $210k. A tow pack is available for $3200, although if you're just taking stuff to the tip a few times a year paying a local with a ute might be cheaper!

Drop by: https://www.polestar.com/au/

Incidentally another piece of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) from the anti-EV brigade was that Volvo was selling out of Polestar. Apparently there was a (partial?) transfer to Geely itself. Oddly the FUD brigade don't comment on the fact VW owns Porsche, but Porsche owns VW, and any associated share trading. (They are in fact different entities).

Zeekr is another Geely brand, with the 7X SUV at $65k for RWD, $70k in Long Range RWD (615 km), and $80k for Performance AWD (3.8s 0-100 km/h). White or other coloured paint is currently a free option, as is a light interior on the AWD, but will have fees at some point. Cables are also included in the pre-order offer. They are designed in Sweden, and have as 5 star NCAP rating.

The X is listed as a sedan, but is more like a hatch. The RWD is $50k, the AWD $63k. Range is over 400 km.

The Zeekr X in "Pine Green" above, and White below, The 009 is in the background.

The 009 is listed as a Luxury MPV (Multi Person Vehicle), a brick on wheels capable of gapping a VF Commodore with its 4.5 second 0-100 figure. The 2+2+3 7 seater is $146k, and the 2+2+2 6 seater $150k. Range is 686 km, using the ADR method. It even has an 8.6 litre fridge or warmer. The X is a rather compact "Luxury Urban Cross SUV", with rear drive $55k, and AWD $69k. See: https://www.zeekrlife.com/en-au/

Geely itself sells the EX5 mid-sized SUV in "Complete" for $44k, or with a glass roof for $48 (termed the Inspire). They currently have a free wall charger and cable, although it is 7 kW, implying the car doesn't support fast 3 phase charging - while the description indicates a lower rate 3 phase charger (11 kW). Maybe it can do 7 kw on single phase or 11 on 3 phase. The base model only has a dark interior - certainly something you wouldn't want with the glass roof. That version includes the light interior is the default. The Aquatic Green paint looks nice. They have deelers in Orange, Shepparton, Wodonga, Launceston, Cairns, Townsville, and Bundaberg are example of rural locations, with Shellharbour, Geelong, Canberra, and Darwin available, in addition to all state capitals. Check out: https://www.geely.com.au/models/EX5

Geely also has a Panda overseas: Wikipedia: Geely Panda Mini EV

Geely also manufactures in the RHD Indonesia. Chinese builds are also sold in RHD Malaysia as a Proton.

RIDDARA has just launched in NZ, and is hopefully coming soon here. Globally there are 4WD and 2WD options. The 4WD can even do a "tank turn". See images and info on the various pages here: https://www.riddara.com/, then prod them here: https://www.geely.com.au/contact-us

LYNK&CO is an internal JV between Geely and Volvo, mostly ICE, except the 02.

Geely also owns the London EV Company, which not only builds the hybrid taxi, but the VN5 van. See: Wikipedia: LEVC VN5

The Smart JV is discussed below.

VAG

Volkswagen AG (Aktiengesellschaft = shareholder owned company) is the overall company, with owners including Porsche Automobil Holding SE (Porsche SE), and the State of Lower Saxony. "Volk" means the people, "Wagen" car, with the W is gerneally pronounced as a V.

Škoda, pronounced something like "shkowda", is a long-standing company in the Czech Republic, aka Czechia, bought by VW, and thus shares the MEB platforms with other VAG makes. If the government of as country affects how you vote with your dollars, as this is uploaded, the country has just elected a right wing populist and pro-Russia party which will likely form gevernment with extreme right groups, and will cease support of Ukraine. Their single local offereing is 4 door they call a Coupé, the Enyaq. The 2WD Sportline is $70k, the AWD RS is $77k, adding a very visible Mamba Green as a zero-cost option. Elroq is an all-electric SUV, at $60k in "85 Select" trim, and $70k in the "130 Years Edition". Offered in Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus (the remaining right-hand drive EU markets, following the UK's self-relegation), the Enyaq is also available in a wagon format, with 580 km range. See: https://www.skoda.com.au/

Volkswagen itself sells SUVs and vans. The ID.4 Pro is a RWD SUV, is $65k with an extra kilobuck for white! The ID.4 GTX is the go-fast AWD, at $76k. The RWD ID.5 SUV is $68k, with the AWD ID.5 GTX $79k.

Overseas the ID.3 is a large hatchback, while ID.6 is a crossover SUV, and the ID.7 is avalable in Saloon or Tourer (wagon). ID. UNYX 06 is a cross-over SUV. Comming soon ID.1 will be a small hatch, ID.Polo and ID.Polo GT will be medium hatches, and ID.Cross a small crossover.

The 7-seater ID. Buzz comes in short wheelbase "Pro" at around $100k, and long wheelbase GTX for $123k. Two-tone paint is an option. The ID.Buzz Cargo is a 3 seater van at $86k to $93k, which holds 2 Europallets. Pomelo Yellow Metallic is an option.

Electric VWs: https://www.volkswagen.com.au/en/models.html?---=%7B%22filter-service%22%3A%22%2F%3FengineType%3DElectric%22%7D

Audi has 3 sizes of SUV and SUV sportbacks, with 2WD and AWD (quattro) options: Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron are SUVs. The Q6 SUV e-tron, SQ6 SUV e-tron, Q6 Sportback e-tron and SQ6 Sportback e-tron are larger. Q8 e-tron, Q8 Sportback e-tron, SQ8 e-tron, and SQ8 Sportback e-tron. $110k to $180k.

The Audi e-tron GT is a range of three all-wheel drive Grand Tourers on the J1 platform in the $225k to $333k range.

For EVs click "Fully Electric" here: https://www.audi.com.au/en/models/

For those seeking Iberian passion, Cupra is a brand of the SEAT division of VAG. The initial Born hatchback offereing is listed as sold out, but used are listed from just under $37k to $49k. Range is 500 km.

Their new products is the Tavascan SUV. The 210 kW RWD Endurance is $66k, the 250 kW AWD VZ is $80k. See: https://www.cupraofficial.com.au/cars/tavascan

Their Bentley brand has electric vehicles under development, and currently sells plug-in hybrids. Visit: https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/beyond-100/coming-this-way.html

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Majority owned by VAG, Porsche (pronounced with a schwa (ə), as in "car", on the end) also have a range of EVs on the same platforms as Audi. Oddly, they use "Turbo" to indicate higher performance versions, an ICE carry-over. S (sport) also indicates go-fast versions. A 4 means all wheel drive.

The Tycan is a sports sedan with 4 doors. The standard version has 4 seats, with an addition centre rear seatbelt and headrest available for $1k. Examples include the base in white at $200k; the 4 at $210k; the 4S, $242k; the GTS, 287k. Turbo GT can exceed $0.5M. Custom paint can be up to $46k! (Maybe buy a low income person an affordable EV, and get a $5k paint option instead). They look great. The Taycan Cross Turismo is termed a shooting brake or estate. The Taycan 4 Cross Turismo is $334k. Available oversea, the Taycan Sport Turismo is a shooting break. Range can be up to 600 km. The roof over the rear of the sedan does drop, so some will find the headroom a little low.

Porsche Taycan. The wheels are 21-inch Mission E Design wheels, a $3,940 option.

The Macan is an SUV which is now all electric in the second generation, with the ICE first generation dropped in Australia. The base rear-drive Macan Electric is $145k, and does 0-100 in 5.7 seconds, but tops out at 220 km/h. Adding air suspension lifts ground clearance from 185 to 205 mm (while in tippy-toes mode), and fording height from 300 to 305 mm. The 5.2 second 4 is $153k. The 4S goes 0-100 in 4.1 seconds, and is $165k, with a rear wiper as a $0 option on this and the Turbo. The 4 Turbo reaches 100 in 3.3 seconds, and costs $205k. Bramble is a leather colour option, darker than V-set seats. The rear seat headroom is good, for all but the most overgrown teenagers. There is a substantial centre console in the front makes stretching for guys difficult. The Frozenblue Metallic from the Dreams range is lovely, and a $2,880 option. Unfortunately my 'phone camera photo blurred.

Their site is shy on range, but apparently over 500 km is possible.

See: https://www.porsche.com/australia/

XPENG

XPeng are listed on the NY and HK stock exchanges. Many are 5 start on C-NCAP, preformed at a higher speed then Euro-NCAP. Model names are usually one letter, one numeral. Sedans, are P, presumably for Passenger. SUVs are G, perhaps not for Geländewagen, but who knows? Maybe Guangzhou or Guangdong, the city and province they are in; or Graz, Austria were the European models are built under contract. Bonneted people movers are X.

The G6 is a fastback style vehicle, in RWD, with an 800 volt battery. It is $55k for 435 km Standard Range; $60k for a 570 km Long Range. A towbar is $1880 fitted. The G9 is more wagon-like, and very quick in AWD, but is at the "Keep me informed" stage here.

The X9 seats 7. Range is very good, and charging fast. There are rear and AWD models. With a 0-100 figure of 5.7 seconds, anyone trying to get to a slip lane first from lights is going to discover it isn't a Tarago very quickly.

Americans get the P7, a large sedan, looking rather Volvoish. The smaller FWD Mona M03 sedan doesn't make it here ether.

The Downunder site no option to decline cookies, so copy this to a browser you don't use for other uses: xpeng.com.au

The Blue Oval

While American, Ford also has major operations in Europe, especially Germany.

The Mustag E-Mach is a high performance 5 door fastback SUV. The rear drive Select is $63k, the 600 km range RWD Premium is $77k. The GT is $94 in a current offer, $107k off offer. Those who say that if it isn't a V8 then it isn't a Mustang might hear differently from owners of First and Third generation inline-6 and V6 models; ditto the various I-4s. It was originally a mi-sized "Pony" car.

The E-Transit Custom Trend is a long wheelbase rear drive van. E-Transit Custom Sport is the short wheelbase version, with stripes. The big option is the high roof 11.5 cubic metre, 1.6 tonne E-Transit, with a mid-roof option available. Read more: https://www.ford.com.au/showroom/electric/

The F-150 Lightning is a large dual cab pickup, now at 170 kilobucks, with good towing capacity. The cost is partly down too local conversion: https://ausev.com.au/"

Like the original European Capri (and not the chronically leaky downunder-built front-drive) the Capri is a rear-drive fastback vehicle, built on the MEB platform, and available in RHD countries such as Ireland and the UK. A towbar is available. If they make it downunder, ensure you tick the heat-pump option. There is a 286 PS (metric horse power) option. I'd love to see them, even of they may have hit a bit of a retro car obstacle - those who remember the original likely want the old GT bodied V6, while to younger EV buyers they name means little, or has negative connotations. Other overseas models are the Puma Gen-E, and "All-Electric" Explorer.

Their Lincoln brand is only at the concept stage of electrification.

Mercury ceased with the 2008 sub-prime mortgage debacle triggered GFC. BTW, not only did the Australian response save the economy, it is saving Australians $billions on heating and cooling. They also divested of the brands within their Premier Automotive Group over this period.

Great Wall Motor

GWM stands for Great Wall Motor. The only pure EV here is the ORA, a small 5 door hatch with a somewhat distinctive front, especially around the headlamps. It is branded as the ORA Goodcat in some markets (as in the make is Ora, the model Goodcat). This 2WD car has a 400 km range. The Lux trim is $36k, the GT $39k. This also changes the battery chemistry. Rock on over to: https://www.gwmanz.com/au/config/ora/

GWM Ora. This vehicle can be "defected" due to no "EV" blue triangle on the plate. NSW is now providing plates with the EV tag built in.

The have a couple of good looking pick-ups in pure EV in China, one with 400 km range.

Their HAVAL branded ICE vehicles are popular here, as well as Russia where they have a factory...

Chery Automotive

Chery promised an affordable small SUV or tall car in Australia a few years ago, but has not delivered, taking the PHEV SUV route instead. A more recent promise is that the iCar range will be available. This is an all-electric brand. The 03T is an SUV in rear or all wheel drive. It at least provides the visual cues of an off-roader.

Overseas Chery New Energy has the Arrizo e sedan, the e Q1 city car (although with decent range), and eQ7 SUV. The Chery QQ Ice Cream is a cute but limited range city car. With pastels including pink maybe it is for women, and only the manliest of men. :-)

Also overseas only, the Karry Little Elephant EV single cab can carry an 8 foot (2.44 metre) long hay bale, unlike a RAM tray-backed SUV (which they call a "truck"). The Porpoise is a rear drive van.

BMW Group

I remember when BMW had 3 or 4 models, with a few engine options each, and the badge on my 318i could be decoded as a small coupé with a 1.8 litre injected engine, before one size with different software meant a range of digits, especially in diesels. Odd prefixes became 4 door or Touring (except 2 & 3 door 3 series), even was coupés, M means Motorsport, and the X/x such as xDrive means all wheel drive, as in the 325iX I would have liked. e was a performance level, but now means rear drive and cars, or front drive on SUVs, a travesty to a a brand built on rear-drive. A leading i means "innovation" aka electric; a trailing i is injected (petrol), with non-injected petrols ending in the 1980s, it is no longer on some cars now in the car yards. A trailing d is diesel. An "s" is or was an indication of performance (perhaps "sport").

The group's vehicles, including RR and Mini are very big sellers in Europe.

The iX is a medium sized SUV with 4WD. Oddly they number them with some sort of engine size equivalent. The 45 suffix is $155k, the 50 is $200k, the M60 $250k.

The iX1 is medium AWD SUV. The front drive eDrive20 is $87k. xDrive30 is $94k. An M version is $101k. [Hey BMW, making selections on your site is awful].

The iX2 is medium SUV, with the xDrive30 (AWD) at $94k. The eDrive20 FWD is $91k. They were pointing out these are below the luxury car tax.

The i4 is a "Gran Coupé", somehow meaning 4 doors. The RWD eDrive35 is $95, and the eDrive40 is $111k. The AWD M50 is $144k.

The i5 eDrive40 Sedan is an upper middle sized car at $169k in RWD. The go-fast version is the i5 M60 xDrive Sedan at $240k.

For wagon fans, $146k gets you the i5 M60 xDrive Touring.

The i7 xDrive60 Sedan is the largest option, at $327k. The i7 M70 xDrive Sedan is $367k.

For some "Sheer Driving Pleasure" visit: https://www.bmw.com/en-au/electric-cars.html

Unfortunately BMW has discontinued the smaller i3. Used models range from under $20k to $41k. While some are pure electric, the REx added a 0.6 litre 2 cylinder generator.

Alpina, a company which builds things like high performance engines to be placed into vehicles on the BMW lines which are then sold with an Alpina badge in place of the usual roundel is yet to embrace electrification, despite national and sub-national bans kicking in from last year to 2030, and EU wide from 2035.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is a glorious fastback coupe, seating 4. It is all wheel drive, with a real world range of 450km, and a WLTP figure of 530 km with careful driving. The price is $770k plus on-roads, with options potentially taking it to over $1.1 million. These are generally built to order, with interior and exterior colours customisable. See: Specte - in detail

Mini has several EV option. Range is enough for most rural users, although not for the remotest areas. The Aceman is an all-electric 5 door, with the SE at $67k. The All-Electric JCW Aceman is $72k (JCW is John Cooper Works, named for the racing car builder). The Cooper SE (3 door, the closest to the traditional version), with up to 400 km range is $65k, and the All-Electric JCW is $70k. The Countryman E (5 door SUV) is $71k, the SE ALL4 $80k. Click on: https://www.mini.com.au/

Renault Group

Alpine, pronounced (al-peen) is a long standing French sports car company from Dieppe, merged into Renault S.A., and now relaunched as a brand. The A390 is an "Elegant Sport Fastback", aka mid-sized SUV. Range is 520 to 555 km. The colour? "bleu Alpine vision", close to the mid-blue Bleu de France, although others are available. The prices will likely be north of $130k for the GT (4.8 seconds), and north of $150k for the GTS (3.9 seconds). The A290 Hot Hatch is not yet listed, but seriously guys, get rid of the X headlights and driving lights; I certainly don't want to look like I'm simping Musk. See: https://www.alpinecars.com.au/new-vehicles/a390/. They also have merch for both the brand, and the BWT Alpine F1 team.

Renault iteslf has the Megane E-Tech and the Kangoo E-Tech. The former is an listed as a car in Wikipedia, although is more of a hatchback / "crossover". Range is 454 km, and acceleration 7.4 seconds, better than most things ICE, and especially when you consider the current offer is just $54,990 driveaway. See: https://www.renault.com.au/vehicles/megane-e-tech/

For commercial users or others wanting a bonneted van Kangoo E-Tech is available with metal panels or glass windows, and rear doors or a tailgate. It is front drive, freeing space in the rear. There are short and long wheelbase options, and various "packs" adding things such as timber lining. They can tow 1500 kg. See: https://www.renault.com.au/vehicles/kangoo-e-tech/

They have a range of passenger EVs available outside Australia, including the 5 E-Tech car, and 4 E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech SUVs. The Trafic Van E-Tech is a large van with 297 km range.

These share platforms with Nissan in Europe, but in Australia Nissan is demonstrating Japan's ICE addiction. The local so-called EV is just an ICE with a generator and a motor, instead of a driveshaft, something copied from Owen Magnetic from 1916 (Jay Leno has one which spent its life in Norway). The Kangoo is also the Nissan Townstar EV, in some overseas markets. I am unsure if any Leaf cars remain in stock, but these UK built models were on clearance at earlier this year for $35k. Otherwise models with various ranges should be available used, some from those who bought them from the Good Car Co, imported used from Japan, as well as local deliveries. We also miss out on the French built 400 km range Micra, now EV only, sold in RHD in Ireland and the UK. Ariya is an SUV these markets, with a NISMO version available.

How about the platform's co-developer, Mitsubishi? Nope, despite the eK X EV mincar, and the MiEV mini-van and mini-truck being sold in Japan. (Apparently the lack of a 5-star rating means fleet managers would avoid the eK X). Maybe the minitrucks can be imported via Iron Chef Imports, as they'd make great road registered farm vehicles. Ask Iron Chef Imports. Luxgen n⁷ aka Foxtron Model C mid-sized crossover SUV may be built by Yulon under licence in Taiwan, and badged Mitsubishi, available from 2026. Try: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/

The i-MiEV does have air-conditioning for the battery, so 16 year old versions are still on the road here. They are really only suitable for running around town in, unless you get the ~$16k third party upgrade to get 250 km range.

For completeness re the Renault group, Dacia is the budget brand, based in Romania. Thankfully not sold here, the Dacia Spring is an very much entry level EV, with just 225 to 305 km range, and a battery which takes an hour to charge, annoying any other fast charger user waiting, as it only pulls 30 kW in DC mode. The top speed is 78 MPH or 125 km/h, slower than the typical motorway traffic flow in many countries, and one version takes 19 seconds to get to 100 km/h! It might work as a runabout on a holiday island (Malta has a top limit of 80 km/h), but that is about it. ICE only, the Duster has been promoted to a Renault badge here. A variant was sold by Nissan as the NP200 in South Africa, being one of the last true utes, with a single panel for the cab and body, but called a bakkie, from bak meaning bowl.

However the 3 diamonds are available in electric, if you buy a FUSO ECANTER. Maybe a truck is a better choice for a farmer than a ute or a bloated US pick-up which may raise certain questions... For those with only a car licence: the e515 comes in City Cab and Wide Cab. The City Cab has 2500 mm (98"), 2800 mm (110"), and 3400 mm (134") wheelbases. The Wide Cab in 3400 mm only. These have the smallest battery to allow a useful payload within the 4495 kg GVM. However, the rear axle limit is 4500 kg, and the front 2600 kg, meaning the 4495 is a legal fiction to allow CAR licence holders to drive it (but on private land you can probably fully load it). For Light Rigid licence holder vehicles a medium battery is fitted. The 6 tonne e615 City Cab as a 3400 mm wheelbase, and e615 Wide cab has this or a 3850 mm (152") option. The 7.5 t e818 Wide Cab has more power, and 3400 mm or 3850 mm options. Medium Rigid options have an 8.55 tonne GVM. The e918 Wide Cab with a medium battery and 3850 mm, 4450 mm (175"), or 4750 mm (187") options. The 4450 mm can be downgraded to a 7000 kg compliance plate, to be driven by an LR driver. Also 8.55 tonne GVM, the e918 Wide Cab Long Range has the biggest battery. Many include an ePTO option.

See: https://www.fuso.com.au/range/electric/

The inches were for my benefit, to compare with the 101" FC and 109" Series IIB forward control.

The NSW Labor government is funding heavy vehicle training for people who own a farm, or who can get a letter offereing employment on one if they get the upgrade.

Stellantis

Stellantis is a major joining of automotive groups, formed in 2021. Their "Dare Forward" strategic plan is their move to electric vehicles. Brands are: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks, and Vauxhall. There is a great deal of platform sharing. The also own 20% of Leapmotor, and are the European distributor. They are in other joint ventures, and own various financial and lease / rental companies. They also own Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot (Museum of the Peugeot Adventure), and a museum and archive in Torino (Turin) dedicated to their Italian brands.

Opel and Vauxhall were transferred from General Motors when they quit the right-hand drive world. Sadly Holden was instead "terminated with extreme predudice". Vauxhall is the UK brand, while Opel is sold in Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta in RHD; and Germany, Norway, and other markets in LHD. Frontera is a front drive SUV. Corsa-e is a hatchback, which should have been an electric Barina. The Mokka-e is a small SUV, sharing the platform. Most models names end in "a" to honour Adam Opel. The Combo is available for goods or passengers. Apparently Opel is considering setting up here again.

One brand sold here is Fiat, and its go-fast cousin Abarth. The Fiat 500e is a 3 door at $39k. It does 0-100 in 9.0 seconds, and goes 311 km. It has Level 2 automated driving, such as lane-keeping and maintaining spacing from other vehicles. The Arbath 500e does 0-100 in 7.0 seconds, but only gets 253 km, and costs $44k, including hyperactive paint. (The early 500e was a 185 km range compliance car in California). What don't we get? The 600e SUV, the Grande Panda small SUV, the e-Scudo / e-Ulysse medium van, and e-Ducato long wheelbase van. See: https://www.fiat.com.au/

Citroën is a French brand sadly only in parts supply and servicing mode at the moment. If reactivated products we might get the ë-Berlingo people mover and hatches, SUVs, and vans.

DS Automobiles was spun out of Citroën as a luxury brand, with the name a nod to the iconic Citroën DS. The DS N°8 is an all-electric model, an SUV crossover. The DS 3 is a luxury supermini. No, we don't get these either.

Better news it that the Jeep Recon will be made in Mexico, and sold here. Apparently it is a larger, more off-road SUV. The Cherokee (KM) and Wagoneer S may be LHD only for now. The New Jeep Compass has a pure electric option available in the UK, at a price suggesting A$80k+ here.

The Avenger is a front drive small SUV made in Poland, with a range of up to 390 km, avalable now, with specials at $40k, and potentially demonstrators for less (some $35k, some $38,888, at the moment). The rear front is roomy, and rear seats have good headroom. Avenger: https://www.jeep.com.au/avenger.html. It however only got 3 stars in NCAP, indicating that the Junior below may perform poorly.

Jeep Avenger, showing the traditional grille design. Matt black plastic appears to provide the wheel arches with proection from minor scrapes. Image of a person using a telescope on a tripod, printed in the black window edge of the Avenger. Hopefully some low-IQ donut consumer won't decide it is a sticker and issue a fine.

For those avoiding US products the only US aspect is the name. Maybe I'd put a "Made in Poland" sticker on it. However, parts of Poland, especially the south east is highly homophobic and transphobic, even if anti-LGBT declarations were ruled unlawful. Ironically for a supposedly off-road brand, the rural dealer network is weak, although generally little service is needed for an EV.

Likewise, Alfa Romeo Junior in "Elettrica" form has 407 km range, on the same platform as the Avenger. It was to be the Alfa Romeo Milano, but the Italian government got grumpy about an Italian name being applied to a Polish built car. Others are now upset because "Junior" was used for entry level 1300 and 1600 cc versions of some cars. It is $65k. Various body colours are available, with a black roof. White (below a black roof) is included; red, etc extra. See: https://www.alfaromeo.com.au/models/junior

The Lancia Ypsilon HF Line Elelectric is a hatch, but in LHD only There is the high performance HF 280HP version. Both have a range of 418 km

For those wanting a Stellantis van, the good news is your Peugeot dealer is the person to see. The smaller, bonneted E-Partner Pro Long has a 330 km range, and is $66k. The E-Expert Pro Long is a full sized van with a small bonnet. Range is listed as 330 km NDEC and there is currently a special of $79,990 in NSW. Dealers are located in various rural location, and remember they can often register vehicles in your state even if they are on the other side of the Murray, etc. See: https://www.peugeot.com.au/models/vans.html

You can see the E-206 GTi hot hatch, SUVs, hatches and wagons, and people movers at https://www.peugeot.co.uk/models/categories/electric.html, then nag the local mob.

Maserati is a luxury Italian brand, with a commitment to offering an electric version of every model imminently. Folgore, the word for lightning is the name for electric options of each model. The Grecale is a medium SUV with a great range of colours available, at around $200k in electric It does 0-100 in 4.1 seconds, with WLTP figure of between 426km and 501km. GranTurismo is a grand touring vehicle in coupé form, around $450k, with apparently very good range, despite having 3 motors. These provide a 2.7 second 0-100 figure. The GranCabrio is the open top version, at $517k. Visit https://www.maserati.com/au/en and click BEV.

On the yet-to-be-electrified list Ghibli is a 4 door sedan or saloon. Levante is a larger SUV. MCPURA is a sports car, MCPURA Cielo is "missing" its roof. GT2 Stradale is also a sports car.

Chrysler is currently in parts and service only mode in Australia. However globally the company is entering its "Electric Century", commencing with the very nice looking Airflow sedan: https://www.chrysler.com/chrysler-innovation/airflow.html

RAM is a rebranding from RAM trucks being a model made by Dodge. The RAM 1500 REV will have a 560 km range. Whether it comes here depends on the local conversion companies. The Ramcharger is an ICE powered serial hybrid (like a locomotive). They also have large vans, although I am not sure if there would be much point converting them to RHD when you can buy one from Pug. Prod them via the chat at: https://www.ramtrucks.com.au/

Leapmotor is part owned by Stellantis. The C10 is a chunky SUV. WLTP is likely around 400 km. Price is $46k to $51k, with some demonstrators at $44k. These have a very roomy rear seat. See: https://www.leapmotor.net/au/c10

The B10 is a fairly attractive smaller SUV. Range is 361 and 432 km. Price is from under $40k. I have a photo on my EV homepage. Costco members get a fairly decent discount and bonus cards until the end of October 2025. Overseas they have a sub-compact and various sedans, in addition to the typical SUVs.

The S01 was a coupé with 2+2 seating. I would happily drive something like that, if it had not been discontinued.

Dodge has several Chargers in electric, with up to 3 motors. Perhaps it will escape the LHD world one day.

Changan

Changan a long term vehicle builder, is the parent of several EV brands, and part of several joint ventures.

Deepal has factories in China and Thailand.

The S07 is a larger "all electric" crossover SUV in Australia, although still classed as "compact". The single option model will get the largest battery option here.

Deepal S07. The nearer one is closer to orange.

The S05 (zero five) is a smaller SUV in pure EV, or ICE + battery, coming real soon now. It is a rear drive vehicle, with an AWD option in Europe.

The E07 is a rebadged Changan Nevo E07, with a small rear area which can be uncovered or covered. I don't think you'd want to be shovelling it full of "fertiliser"... It is rear or all wheel drive.

Overseas they have several models including a sedan. The pickup is a hybrid at the moment, a rebadged Changan. Changan and its other brands are often ICE, but the Changan Lumin is a 3 door "city car". Ther AVATR brand (designed in Germany) has pure electrics (and range-extender) vehicles, including good sized sedans, and SUVs which actually look decent.

Exor

Exor is an investment company which also invests in clean energy. They have an interest in Stellantis, and in the following:

Ferrari is held by Exor, Mr Ferrari, and other shareholders. It also has EVs coming, likely in 2026. Try: https://www.ferrari.com/en-AU

Iveco is primarily a rigid truck, prime mover, and military vehicle company. They also sell several of the Stellantis vans. The eMoovy is a rebadged Korean van or cab-chassis if very unusual appearance. They are involved in Naveco with Nanjing Automobile (part of SAIC).

The local offerings are the eDaily van and eDaily cab-chassis. They are rear drive, with CAR and LR licence options.

They also have electric prime movers and rigid trucks, including for waste collection (likely meaning happy ratepayers, thanks to less noise).

Wander over to: https://www.iveco.com/au/eDaily

Mercedes-Benz Group

This was previously Daimler-Benz, then the disastrous DaimlerChrysler era.

Meredes Benz sells several electric versions of ICE cars. G-Class: The G 580 is an electric large 4WD, yet does 0-100 in 4.7 seconds. It includes a Low Range mode. $263k, with many options available.

The CLA is a 2026 sedan, with the electric option perhaps $87k.

Under the Mercedes-EQ brand, the pure electric vehicles have 3 letters, commencing with EQ. In Australia this is used only for SUVs. The final letter increases with size, and is roughly equivalent to the saloons, hatches, and van: A, B, E, S, and V. Any overseas SUV differentiator falls off here.

The EQV is an bonneted 7 seat people mover. The range is ~400 km. Google's AI says "The price for a 2025 Mercedes-Benz eVito in Australia starts at around $98,951 for the Panel Van variant and approximately $137,515 for the eVito Tourer [windowed van for people], excluding on-road costs. Panel van means a taller van with metal, rather than the Holden product of some infamy.

Mercedes-Maybach. Maybach was an engineer who left Daimler to build his own engines for aircraft including airships, before also building luxury cars. The engine division, now MTU owned by the the industral version of Rolls Royce (not BMW owned) built tank engines in WW2. MTU repowered the some of the British version of the XPT with quieter V16s. The car division was bought by Daimler-Benz, and for a period much more recently sold ultra luxury, often chauffeur driven sedan, limousine, or landaulet models. It is now a sub-brand for MBs in the highest trim level, but with the 3-pointed star and MAYBACH text and grille, instead of the M mascot.

The Mercedes Maybach EQS 680 SUV is a highly luxurious electric SUV. The Night series is a sporty version in two-tone paint, and black wheels. See: https://www.mercedes-benz.com.au/passengercars/models/suv/maybach-eqs/overview.html. In stock vehicles range from $335k to $422k.

The AMG in Mercedes-AMG was an external tuning company, now part of MB. The badge and two digit numbering system is applied to the high performance versions of several EQ models overseas, but not yet here.

Overseas models are the EQC crossover and EQT a smaller bonneted people mover. Overseas the EQS is a full sized saloon, and the EQE is an executive car, with SUV suffixes indicating, well, you can work it out. The "GLC with EQ Technology", or "electric GLC" is an SUV.

Brabus is an external tuning company focusing on MB, Maybach and Smart.

Smart has gone from a (not particularly efficient) bubble car to a broader range. The original was the Swatch Mercedes ART, a concept with allowed coloured panels to be swapped like the band on a plastic watch, which Swatch touted around the German car industry.

The #1 is a small SUV. The 420 km Pro+ is $59k, the 440 km Premium is $63.5k, both RWD doing 0-100 in 6.7 seconds. The Brabus is $73k, and has the signature Radiant Red roof option available at zero cost, unless you don't want to make it obvious to the V8 or STi driver they are about to have their doors blown off by a Smart. This AWD reaches 100 in 3.9 seconds, but range drops to 400 km.

The standard #3 is a RWD SUV with a fastback look, doing 0-100 in 5.8 seconds. Pro+ goes 435 km and is $62.5k, the Premium does 455 km and costs a beastly $66.6k. $76k gets you the 3.7 second AWD Brabus with a range of 415 km, and again Radiant Red on the A-pillar, mirror, roof, and C-Pillar is a zero dollar option on the metallic black body. Why is the Red Back (Black Widow) spider brought to mind?

#5 is a blocky SUV available overseas.

To avoid spam, copy this into a browser you don't use for much else, as they have no Cookie opt-out: au.smart.com

The ForTwo was available as an EV in some markets, and an earlier wedge shaped model had an EV option for car-share services.

Tata & Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is now a division on Indian's Tata, a vast corporation across multiple industries.

The premium product of Land Rover is the Range Rover, and they have a pure EV under development.

Jaguar ( JaGUar ) currently has manufacturing on hiatus as they move to high performance EVs. They are likely to produce a GT. The large coupé concept they displayed was slab sided and pink which triggered a lot very insecure males. There is also a blue version. See what is happening at: https://www.jaguar.com.au/

The I-PACE was an SUV produced by Magna Steyr in Austria (where the only kangaroos are in the zoo). Used are in the range of $42k to $120k. There are potentially demonstrators or new old stock at around $185k.

Tata itself has some nice and affordable EVs, with 6 electric models: The Tiago.ev compact 4 door hatch starts at A$13,660. The Punch.ev is a 2 door crossover at a price which translates to A$17k. Visit: https://ev.tatamotors.com/

By the way 1 lakh is 1,00,000 in India's system which increments names of large numbers by multiples of 100. ₹ 9.99 lakh is just short of 1 million rupees (also shown as "Rs"). 1 crore is 1,00,00,000, or ten million.

Real Land Rovers

Traditional or "Series" Land Rovers are very simple; just apply torque to the gearbox or the transfer case, and you get motion. Companies include Jaunt Motors: https://www.jauntmotors.com/series, or British OffRoad" https://www.britishoffroad.com/ev.aspx.

Just don't break the rear half shafts with too much torque, if you are DIYing. Or zap yourself!

Munro

The Munro Series M is the Electric 4×4 Land Rover should have built. They are available as a 5 seater, truck, or cab-chassis. They can tow 3.5 tonnes and carry 1050 kg. It has a two speed transfer case, and locking differentials. They are built to order. See: https://www.munro-ev.com/

Mahindra

Not part of Tata, Mahindra makes several EVs, although they are yet to be sold here. See the XEV 9e (A$42.5k) and BE 6 (A$37k) at https://www.mahindraelectricsuv.com/, then give the local importer a poke via: https://www.mahindra.com.au/

Japanese brands

Honda has dropped the ball in Australia. They have the e:Ny 1 small SUV in Europe. Honda e:NP2 and Honda e:NS2 is a Chinese built range of fastback SUVs. The Prologue is built in Mexico by GM on the BEV3 platform, also branded as the upmarket Acura ZDX (built in TN on the same line as the RHD Caddy) so they should be able to build a RHD. Their discontinued "e" small hatchback is a UK and Japan model. At least one has been imported privately, so hopefully Iron Chef Imports, or Iron Lady Imports, can help you bring one here too.

The Zero or "Honda 0" will be produced in Ohio as a Saloon and an SUV, not entirely unlike the Ferrari "Breadvan". It will be marketed in Europe and Japan at some point, implying a RHD version at some point. Unlike the concept it may have a real window as the top of the panel. Ask here: https://www.honda.com.au/contact-us

Mazda The MX-30 is now discontinued here (in electric). It was also the compliance car which allowed Mazda to sell ICE in California, and thus has a 224 km range. Apparently the battery was 200 volts, not the usual 400. With used prices between $27k (45,000 km) and $57k, it looks like some preople have "taken a bath" on them. If you were a big Mazda fan and could talk a low end priced car down a bit you'd have a nice car (Astina level was the only offering here) if you didn't need a lot of range (say as a second EV in a family).

The Mazda 6e fastback styled sedan is to be released in 2026 in Europe, with Mazda here claiming the reason they killed the CX-30 on Oz is that a new EV is coming. Range will be 555 km.

Toyota We miss out on the several rebranded Stallantis vehicles, being the ProAce City Verso Electric (a people mover or small van), Proace Verso, and Proace Max Verso.

Legally not a compliance car (that was a 166 km range RAV4 EV with NiMH cells, which apparently lost range with each charge cycle), it is however not great on the dollars per kilometre range scatter chart for a non-exotic car. I expect they are more for the fleet manager who has been very well looked after by his fleet sales mate, who has an edict to buy a certain percentage of electrics, "Maaaaaaaate, the boss says I need to buy some EVs, what 'avya got?". The bZ4X is a very Subaru looking SUV. The RWD startsd at $71.6k with up to 436 km WLTP (they like promoting the NDEC number). The AWD swaps the one 150 kW motor for two wee little 80 kW ones, and is $81k with a range of 411 km. 0 to 100 drops from a yawn-inducing 7.5 to a tardy 6.9 seconds. They are also planning to sell the larger bZ4X Touring here.

I saw a comment that if they sell their rusted on buyers a "crappy" EV they will go back to the brand's ICE for their next car.

For Toycar acquisition visit: https://www.toyota.com.au/bz4x-ev

Perhaps the GAC Toyota JV built bZ3 may make it here beside other Chinese builds.

The alternative badge for this is Subaru Solterra, with the AWD $76k, the Touring $83k. I bet there were meetings with managers insisting it be slower than the WRX. The plastic wheel arches on a different model I saw in a shopping centre were so soft a fingernail marks them! See: https://www.subaru.com.au/

Lexus is an export only brand at a level between ordinary Toyotas, and one of the best cars in the ICE world, the Century. It has the RZ SUV at between $121k and $131k, plus on-roads (according to external sources). Range is 470 km. Oops, no, that is NDEC; it is a compliance car proximate 395 km using WLTP. The UX 300e FWD subcompact crossover has been discontinued here, and while less expensive, certainly isn't cheap as a dealer demo or used.

Suzuki is finally electrifying their SUV. The e Vitara, with 405 km range in the 2WD with the larger battery; perhaps 330 with the smaller battery. There is also an AWD. It will be $60k to nearly 80k if UK pricing is a guide, and it very oddly has no front storage (froot or frunk).

GAC

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd has a range of brands, including GAC and Aion, plus commercial vehicle JV with Hino, and Hyptec for luxury and sports cars. The Aion V is cross-ver SUV is coming here, perhaps as the "GAC Aion V".

Rivian

Rivian R1T ute is available in Australia, but there is a catch: They are imported for off-road use only, at mining sites. MEVCO import them, and add bars and lights, and tool trays in the gear tunnel behind the rear seats, etc for use on mine sites, including underground, to avoid cancer causing DIEsel emissions. Range is 415 or 595 km. The standard ones are white, other colours are extra - perhaps like the green-yellow the demos have. See: https://mevco.com/vehicles-australia/#rivian-intro

They also convert the Toyota Hilux 4x4 to a 250 km range EV. More at: https://mevco.com/vehicles-australia/#ev-4x4-intro

While likely North America only they have smaller, more standard SUVs coming soon. They also make delivery vans, but unlike some where the driver is near the curb, these are LHD.

Aston Martin was going to revive the Lagonda marque with an off-road capable luxury shooting break or GT. Now it appears they will push ahead with ICE and hybrids until they are illegal in 2035.

H4>Nio

Their brands are Nio. Onvo, and Firefly. Their point of difference is robotic battery swap garages. The now "locked in" local option will be a cute hatch termed the Nio Firefly, at around $37k.

Rimac Nevera et al

Rimac have produced several EV hypercars, especially the Nevera. It was developed from the Concept_One. Having one motor per wheel allows torque vectoring, meaning extraordinary handling. They are also the manufacturer for the Pininfarina Battista. Pininfarina, recently bought by Mahindra, was a coachbuilder which became an automotive styling consultant to many Italian and other makers (in the past you might buy a Rolls Royce as a powered chassis, and have a third party build the body and interior). The Japanese Aspark Owl also uses one motor for each wheel. Ditto the Nio EP9.

Conclusion

Yes! For the vast majority of users, including rural, an EV is practical, and a saver of operating costs, pollution, and imports of fuel. And a blast to drive.

The future

Brands and models available here are added to often. A list of EVs is available in Wikipedia: Wikipedia: List of battery electric vehicles, and I expect some will move from the Chinese-market to Global market section. It includes future products.

Useful sites

Electrify Everything - Neerav Bhatt: YouTube, Website

Electrify This - Sarah Aubrey: FB, Websitewith lots of social media and video links.

Kiwi EV Adventures: Farcebook, Website, and YouTube (old conversion projects).

Sites such as Top Gear, Drive, and Car Sales have plenty of EV stories.

NRMA in NSW has quite a bit of EV content: https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles

Private Imports

Iron Chef Imports work by you selecting from currently listed items, or you asking them to find you a suitable vehicle, be they made in Japan, or imported there and sold officially. This uses the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS). While I am not sure of they help with them, there are pre-insanity Teslas listed on other sites for $20k and up, including the X, although these may be ineligible unless they are a unique version.
See: https://www.ironchefimports.com/

At the moment they have a 2020 Audi e-Tron 55 Quattro First Edition with 15,000 km at a very good Auction Grade 4.5B rating, for $65k complianced and registered, saving $20k over local models.

Iron Lady Imports are primarily if you (or a family member) has lived overseas, such as the UK, the Crown Dependencies, or Ireland, and owned a car there for over 12 months, with proof that it has been driven by you / them, you / they can use the Personal Effects Pathway (PEP), which allows pretty much anything RHD. The can also do SEVS imports.
See: https://www.ironladyimports.com/

There are quite a few other companies, which either sell imported cars, or provide other servies.

Something really old, such as a Baker Electric or Detroit Electric can be brought in as a historic vehicle, being well over 25 years old.

Accessories

EVSE Australia just might sell EVSEs: https://evse.com.au/

Jaycar has an "AC Charger", but sadly it is only single phase, although 2 pins on the 5 pin proprietary connector are required to identify the input plug.

I am getting spammed on YouTube by an EVSE company called dé, which ships from China. The ad starts with a plug going into what looks like an Australian socket with a Chinese combined 2 pin European and 2 pin US outlet, and a dangerous multi-format socket included on the plate (item 4 with item 12 as shown on Museum of Plugs and Sockets - China) on a white painted brick wall. With direct exports you really don't know what materials or thickness of wire they are using, or if they have any quality control, so I'd avoid them. Also, Chinese 3 pin plugs have longer pins than Australian ones, and these pins are uninsulated, so present a risk that someone with small fingers can contact live pins. Their product has such a plug, so is unlawful here.

Generally an EVSE sold by one brand will suit any other. A while ago, for example there were some good deals on MG branded ones.

Could we build EVs in Australia?

Yes! If the Russians can despite sanctions, so can we (I am not saying this to praise Russia). The Moskvitch 3 uses kits from JAC in China, based on the JAC X4. JAC has a range of EVs in China, but only an ICE pick-up in Oz.

Meanwhile VinFast in Vietnam (LHD) is producing multiple EVs, and exporting their larger SUVs to the US. More exciting is Togg, a joint venture in Turkey, which includes a mobile 'phone network. The T10F is a sedan, the T10X an SUV, with further models planned. They are now pushing into the EU, starting with Germany, then France and Italy, although EU residents can buy a car anywhere in the Single Market. Große Reichweite (Long Range) starts at ˜A$73k. Sadly for Aussies, they are LHD only. New Zealand is a little more liberal on driving side of private imports.

In fact, we sort of did, the Commodore used for VIPs at the Sydney Olympics had a fuel cell and electric motor. Apparently there was development of a BEV, before Joe Hockey told GM to, um, attempt reproduction while travelling. If they can't break unions they are very happy to destroy unionised industries, and put 100,000+ Aussie workers at Holden's suppliers out of a job.

There are also companies which convert things like the 79 series Landcruiser pickup to electric, for mine use; and "restomod" (restore a vehicle while upgrading it to electric) older cars. Australian EVs is an example: https://www.australianevs.com.au/fleet-ev-solutions/

Comedy: Cupholders on subscription?

If you want your media vehicle reviewed on a rural trip, let me know by email: julian AT sortland D0T co D0T uk (Note no "h"). Community newletters also also interested in this content. I also have some older but decent Digital SLRs.

Written by Julian Sortland, VK2YJS & AG6LE, October 2025.

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