Tag: electric

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FURTHER BONUS FOR FRESH-FACED IONIQ 5

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The Ioniq 5 burst onto the local electric vehicle scene more than three years ago like the greyhound favourite out of a trap at the Dapto Dogs. The Dapto dish-lickers have since gone to the dogs, with the track winding up, but the Hyundai-built Ioniq 5 crossover SUV has continued to live a storied life, which has included being named the 2022 World Car of the Year. Now the MY25 Ioniq 5 five-seat SUV locally has won styling updates, new features and technology, and two new battery sizes delivering up… Read more

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GWM HAVAL H6 ULTRA PHEV – THE STARS ARE STARTING TO ALIGN

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Great Wall’s Haval H6 PHEV is the third plug-in hybrid that we have driven in as many weeks. Dating back to 2011, the third generation H6 made its debut at the 2020 Chengdu Motor Show. And, all jokes aside, it’s the first Haval to sit on the ‘Lemon’ platform – we kid you not. H6 is GWM’s all-time, best-selling model, with more than 4 million sales globally. The plug-in version was added in 2021, with a new-look front and available in petrol, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid form. “Every inch of… Read more

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GEELY STARRAY EM-I INSPIRE PHEV

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The Geely Starray EM-i sounds like something out of an old sci-fi movie. But it’s not and if you think that name is quirky, what if it had been the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 as it is sold in other markets. Beam me up, Scotty. The medium-sized five-seat Starray is the plug-in, petrol-electric counterpart of the fully-electric EX5 that we tested earlier this year with which it shares a platform. In fact, it’s the first vehicle in Geely’s “Starship” series and the first to get the second generation NordThor EM-i… Read more

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BYD SEALION 6 ESSENTIAL PHEV … IMPRESSIVE

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BYD’s Sealion 6 is one of the new breed of super hybrids. So called because they are plug-in hybrids with larger batteries that deliver greater electric only range. These PHEVs are starting to gain traction in the market, with a 136 per cent increase in sales in recent months. Fully charged, with a range that exceeds 100km in some cases, they can be used in electric-only mode for the weekday commute. For longer trips, their combined petrol and electric range exceeds 1000km, removing any lingering fear of being stranded with… Read more

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LEAPMOTOR LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH ITS C10 ELECTRIC SUV

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Ding-dong hell! What is the automotive world coming to, with in-car audible alerts and warnings all the go in EVs, especially, adding to the cabin cacophony, all that’s missing is Road Runner – beep-beep! Seriously, the family and I have just spent a week with the Leapmotor C10 SUV butting in to our conversations to tell us all was far from well with our driver, vehicle, road conditions, or the state of the Aussie dollar. No luck with the latest Lotto numbers, but. I digress. The C10 is an electric… Read more

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NISSAN ARIYA -THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

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Already long in the tooth Nissan’s second fully electric vehicle Ariya takes up where the LEAF left off in Australia. And might we just say thank goodness for that, because LEAF was never one of our favourite automobiles. The Ariya could be though. The production version of Ariya was unveiled in 2019, but its launch was delayed because of the global chip shortage caused by COVID. This delay has allowed competitors to get the drop on the car and it will be tough playing catch up, but Nissan is no… Read more

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EYE ON THE FUTURE – INSTER IS HARD TO IGNORE

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Ever been eyeballed by a car? Recently, while picking up a Hyundai test vehicle, I had the strange feeling the eyes (aka round headlamps with a ring of LED daytime running lights) of the Inster all-electric light SUV were following me. On top of this, positioned below was a wide grille with the superior look of a knowing smile? Creepy? The maker sees things differently, explaining the ethos of the Inster by saying the set-up makes for ‘a futuristic yet playful first impression.’ All flippancy aside, Hyundai’s smallest and most… Read more

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VOLVO LOOKS FORWARD TO A FULLY EV FUTURE WITH THE EX90 SUV

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Volvo has been given a hand-up to total automotive electrification in a big way by its bosses at Geely, the Chinese automotive group that is the parent company of the Swedish luxury marque. Both companies are involved in electric vehicle development, including the flagship large luxury Volvo EX90, which shares some of its technology and the Polestar 3 platform. Geely also produces its own vehicles, such as the Geely Starray Em-1, and sells a range of accessories for the EX90 through its Geelyevs website. However, is the swish seven-seater too… Read more

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BYD SEALION 7 PREMIUM

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Back in 2022, BYD was one of the first Chinese vehicles to enter the Australian EV market. It started as a one-car brand imported by the private company EV Direct with the Atto 3 compact SUV. Although popular with early EV adopters it didn’t make much of an impact on overall sales. Atto 3 was followed in 2023 by the Dolphin EV hatch and Seal EV sedan. The first BYD plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 6, arrived in 2024. A mid-sized SUV, it attracted strong sales and quickly became the top-selling… Read more

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NISSAN QASHQAI TI E-POWER .. A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE HYBRID

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Qashqai is the not so small member of the Nissan lineup, sitting between the Juke and X-Trail, and sharing a platform with X-Trail. Originally known as the Dualis in Japan and Australia when it was launched way back when, it was called Qashqai in every other country where it was sold. The second generation, launched in 2013, was not sold in Japan and lo and behold was badged as the Qashqai everywhere this time, except that is for the United States where it was known as the Rogue Sport. Confusing?… Read more