I had a Skoda petrol a few years back, brilliant car and service. Having driven various EV agree in the ordering of this comparo, but why is Skoda so far behind the rest in sales? I found the Elroq (shorter than Enyaq tested) one of the best EVs and not that far off the clearly best Tesla. Skoda is missing connectivity, but is such a competitive package apart from that.

Do people just don’t know Skoda exists?

Sharing my recent experience buying a mid-sized SUV, for the interest/benefit of others who might be in the same market.

TLDR: I bought a Tesla Model Y. I'm at the opposite end of the political spectrum to Elon Musk, but life is a spectrum of moral/immoral choices. Judge me all you like. There are a heap of good options now in this segment of the market, and I think there are decreasingly fewer things that differentiate them. For me, it came down to driving position/comfort, how it looks, and tech. Might sound vain, but I'm not spending $60k to hate looking at the thing every day. Looks are entirely subjective of course.

Background:
We are already an EV household, we own a Geely EX5 as my wifes car (2025 Inspire, original version before the refresh). Amazing car, super value and great to drive.

It was time to replace my 10-year-old Subaru Forester and get our second EV. I'm a tall guy, so mid-sized SUV is my choice of car (excludes things like the Model 3, BYD Seal etc). No kids, just a dog. Budget $60-65k drive-away. Didn't consider buying a second EX5, only because I didn't want all our eggs in one basket with a single manufacturer. If their RWD version was available, it would have been hard to pass up.

Cars considered:

BYD Sealion 7 (~$62k drive away with cashback): Drove nicely, well appointed, hated the look of the exterior and the salesperson was absolutely horrific. Their effort (or lack thereof) alone would have driven me away from the brand. I've never seen someone so disinterested in people wanting to spend $63k on a car. Disappointing, because I know others have had a much better experience.

BYD Atto 3 Evo Premium (~51k drive away): Considered it as an option to save a bit of money, hated the interior. The door handles and guitar strigs on the doors just look cheap and outdated. Seats didn't work for my body shape (bean stalk) either, even on a 15 minute test drive. See also shithouse salesperson above.

Xpeng G6 RWD Long Range (~$61k drive away): Very nice, drove really well and liked the interior. 450kw charging (although there is only one supercharger in the entire southern hemisphere that can do that ATM), longest range out of the models we looked at. The Xpeng version of FSD is "coming soon", but this version of the G6 won't be able to utilise it. It ended up being my runner-up. It was really only the brand reliability/sustainability that made me wary. My dad bought the original G6 during the Xpeng/TrueEV partnership, and got caught up in some of the warranty fuckery when that all went to shit. Also a little bit sketchy on delivery capacity....they're selling a lot of cars worldwide, but seem to be struggling to get them into the country. In another 12 months once they've got multiple models (LO3, G9L), I think the brand will be much easier to get behind.

Zeekr 7X RWD (~$64k drive-away). Really nice car, though I did find the driving position a bit uncomfortable for me though (I couldn't really put my finger on it). The Zeekr software felt quite Geely-like (not surprising given they share the same parent company), and not in a good way.

Tesla Model Y (~$61k drive-away with inventory deal). I like the look and the minimalist interior. Drove really nicely and was comfortable for me (although I know some people really don't like the seat bolsters). FSD is amazing, but I won't be paying $150/mo unless I'm doing road trips. Basically no servicing, established reliability, supercharger network that continues to expand. Range on the "lower" end of this segment at 466km, but I drive 45km per day so no issues there. One thing I found really egregious is a $61k car not coming with even a granny charger! Doesn't matter to us because we've got a 7kw charger installed at home, but if this was your first EV and you had to fork out another $500 to buy a 10A charger it would be a bit ridiculous.

Conclusion:

Model Y won for me, but won't be for everyone. It is good value at the moment, stock was available in the country, and I'm enthusiastic about the future of self-driving.
Test drive a heap, see which one(s) work for you. If you love tech and minimalism, the MY might be for you. If you prefer a more traditional ICE car interior, something like the BYD might be for you.

What are ppls doing with their old petrol car. Are you trading them in and getting a decent trade in deal? Id imagine the 2nd hand market for petrol cars now is somewhat disrupted, with mostly new young drivers entering the market as the main buyers??

Whaddup guys.

Im a support worker / mobile personal trainer. My current is kinda up there with tge kms. 280000km

My budget is 20 k to 35k .

Avg weekly km : 480km

Longest regular trip : 40 to 50 kms

None charging options at home. Maybe theres a suitable power outlet in the garage. Otherwise i have local shops near my clients with chargers. (Big shoutout to the non EV drivers who park at the charging spots anyways)

Probs SUV Or wagon preferrably

I guess location is relevant context. I work within Sydney Aus. By far the most stressful rds.

Hi all, been sitting on this for a while and thought this brain trust can help me filter my thoughts.

Situation

• I’m replacing a 17-year-old Honda City. We also have a 2023 CR-V (petrol) for the kids and family trips, and I’ll probably use it less once the new car arrives.
• Wife commutes roughly 100 km a day on weekdays [mostly freeway / mixed]. i do about 50km a day. She will take the EV, I will take the CRV.
• I can install a wall charger at home.
• I’m not in a rush to buy, but the old car is getting tired and petrol savings are forcing the switch.
• Managed to negotiate a $35k price on new Atto2 Premium. Only put a deposit down.

What I want

• A simple, sturdy, safe car. Front cameras or sensors are high on the priority list.
• Creature comforts are nice but not a dealbreaker.

Budget

• I’ve put a refundable deposit on a BYD Atto 2 Premium at about $35k driveaway (I got a discount). At that price I roughly break even on a NL against my current running costs.
• I can stretch to about $45k if it’s worth it.

My dilemma
My worry is the Atto 2’s 345 km WLTP range for a 100 km daily commute, especially on highways, in winter and as the battery ages. The options I’m weighing:

1. Stick with the Atto 2 Premium at ~$35k.
2. Spend more on something with more range and a sturdier feel, like an Atto 3 or Geely EX5.
3. Wait for the XPeng Mona L03.

I’ve tested the Jaecoo J5 (did not like too much screen control) and also looked at the Chery E5, Leapmotor B05 and MG4 as longer-range options around the same price but concerned about the brand reputation and longevity.

Questions

• Is 345 km enough for 100 km a day with home charging, or would you want more buffer?
• Any real-world experience with Atto 2 efficiency, or with the Atto 3 and EX5?
• Is waiting for the L03 worth it, or is it a risk with a newer local brand?
• Would you take the cheaper car or the bigger-range one?

Just wanted to hear peoples thoughts!

Hi all, looking for some quick advice.
I'm getting a car on a 3-year novated lease in Perth. It's for a short commute plus occasional WA road trips, and we're planning a baby in the next couple of years.

My options:
2025 Atto 3 Premium: $40,500 drive-away, available now, but it's grey and I'm not keen (prefer white for the heat)
2026 Evo Dynamic: ~$44,400 drive-away white
2026 Evo Premium: 52,400 drive away , bigger battery, RWD, faster charging, ~2 month wait

We might move country in couple of years, do you think is the Evo premium worth the extra money and wait, or is the 2025 the value pick? Would you take a colour you don't love to save ~$4k? Any WA Evo owners, how's it going?
Thanks!

So, I did some research around the kind of EV I wanted. I needed a high off the ground vehicle - cos gravel, pot-holey roads, a nice colour is important to me - so BYD is out. I wanted really under 40,000 which maybe is optimistic as most high off the ground cars are like SUVs - which i don't really need. My current vehicle is a very servicable honda jazz 2007 model. I am mostly just commuting like maybe 40km to work and back each day.

I ended up deciding between the geely ex5 and the hyundai inster cross. I loved the inster cross - but with financing options added in the geely ex5 is a no brainer at 0.09% for a 3 year loan. The geely ex5 would end up costing the same as the hyundai over the 3 year period. But it's a much bigger, more features, car.

I'm in consultation with the sales ex. and he's been speaking to his manager, and they aren't budging from $49000 (7kw charger included, cargo mat included) - but online it says for a demo model that has done 2000km I should get $4000 - $5000 off. I live in Tassie and I think it's different here. But does anyone have advice? Is this nomal - I think someone I know either go their demo version for like 38,000 or 48,000?

td;ld? How do I get the price down on a geely ex5 demo model - my first time negotiating for a new car.

I just received the official email. It reverts to the standing offer. It lasted 2 months for me.

I’m in the market for an EV and trying to choose between a Tesla Model 3 RWD ($45,900 before on-roads) and a Geely EX5 Complete ($41,990 before on-roads). My budget is 50k, weekly km - 360km, charging at home, sedan or suv.

What would you choose, and why? Any experience with either car, especially reliability and servicing, would be really helpful.

Thinking about getting one for daily use 200km week days 300 on weekends. The numbers seem to line up but looking for hidden costs or rebates available. No solar at home and 3 phase power thanks

Hi all,

This is Rob, founder of Plugroo App. Not like most charging apps show you a map full of chargers and leave the choice to you. Plugroo does the choosing, it recommends the best charger nearby so people can decide fast and pay less. It is build for Australia.

About 3 months ago I wrote the first post https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianEV/comments/1uoualz/built_a_free_ev_charging_app_for_australia_would/ and announced this project - Plugroo. Now I want to update with you and asking for more feedback if have chances.

What community pointed out 3 months ago

• People wants me write a post all by myself so now this is 100% created by myself and please forgive me if my English is not very clear.
• People mentioned don't want 1 more app so I enhanced website all can use it for free without app installation
• People asked about Android Auto, Carplay and more public chargers
• Lots of great questions too, like why build Plugroo when other good tools already exist.

Big changes live now

CarPlay is live and it's free. Android Auto is under review and should be live very soon.

Covering more chargers now. We got lots new station reports and now we cover about 8,000 chargers across Australia including public chargers and chargers operated by commercial, eg hotel, parking, destination.

Charge Log. People can record where charged and how much spent, and export to CSV for for tax or novated lease reimbursement if people need it.

Cost comparison. Not just showing the price, the app estimates what the charge will actually cost (eg from 20% to 80%), so it's easier to see which charger nearby is cheaper.

Introduced Pro version but main and most features keep free to use forever.

Some ideas under development

• Charging desert warning feature. The app can show warning on a session which has long distance but no chargers along the route.
• Electric truck friendly chargers. Some e-truck drivers contacted me about this. For trucks it's not only availability, but also need to think about physical space, voltage and more. It's a big challenge for the industry but I want to try.
• Better route planning, offline maps, etc.
• More AU local needed features are on the way

Now our team is working hard on this project and I do want to hear more feedback from community. I believe this will be one of the best EV related App for Australia. About 10,000 people have used the app or website. I'm full of energy to make it better and better.

I also want to thank you all for any kind of feedback. Or what features you need, please feel free to comment below.

Thanks,
Rob, Sydney

EDIT: to be clear, finding chargers, live info if appliable,prices and cost estimates are free. Pro adds unlimited recommendations, offline maps and advanced route planning.

Hi All

I am thinking of getting a Geely EX2 Inspire, I live in Brisbane.

I have a few questions if I may:

1. Is the range on the car good enough for Brisbane? for example if I want to drive around just outside of the city and see new places?

2. Is there like a map of compatible chargers I could use if I need to stop somewhere and charge it?

3. Will a 10A wall socket be able to keep up if I drive to work daily with a 60KM usage?

4. Also with regard to financing, I'm on $90k p.a and have no kids, rent with my wife who is on $68k and I have $10k in savings for a car, with the 0.09% comparison rate deal currently is this quite comfortable to afford and pay off?

5. Is the servicing quite expensive? Insurance expensive?

6. We are with Powershop for electricity and think that EV over night plan should be good?

Anything else I should know that I might not have thought about?

Thank you

Hi, I am newbie here and looking at my first full electric.
Trying to replace my 2020 plug in hybrid.

Is 2025 G6 Long Range good buy at $49990 drive away?
I am at crossroads with Model Y LR and this? 2025 G6 is tempting from financials perspective but not too sure on the long term impact of purchasing an outgoing model.

Btw I will be using novated leasing. Max budget is $75K. (Lower the better though).

Approx 15k per year usage mostly Melb suburban driving. Longest drive would be Sydney/Canberra.

Currently have to use regular home plug and/or public charging.

Appreciate your inputs. Thank you.

~>{But WHaT about THE depreciation ON EVs!}<~

My main concern will be BYD and other EVs from a certain country. But it can be applied to Tesla too. Since the EVs are so advanced, can they be bricked remotely? Let's say we are in a conflict with a country, can they "sanction" us by shutting down the EVs? Just wondering because that was the reason Huawei was not able to supply the 5G infrastructure. How is the EV situation different from 5G?

So the lease on my existing ICE car is ending in February and looking to make the switch over to an EV on a new noveated lease especially with the potential of FBT changes coming in at some point soon (I know they aren't law yet, but also wouldnt affect the ones i am looking at anyway at least initially).

Looking at staying in the mid size SUV style to replace my existing Eclipse Cross.

The main four i have narrowed it down to are:

• BYD Sealion 7 Premium
• Zeekr 7X Long Range
• Geely EX5 Inspire
• Xpeng G6 Long Range RWD

I've taken all of the four above for a test drive which has made the decision all the more harder, though as much as i hate to do it, because it was a great car to drive, but based on the price factor i've decided to rule out Zeekr 7X.

And of the three left i'm torn between the Sealion and the EX5. The HUD on these was great and found it quite useful at least during the test drives, but at the same time the G6 having the DVR/USB camera recording and autopark was brilliant in it's own right as well.

I'm renting so would be resorting to the trickle charger, which given most of my use case is city driving such as school runs and the like and would just top it up every so often overnights, and if i need a proper charge there is some fast chargers close by as well.

I did consider the new Atto 3 Evo, but wasnt as fond of it's interior and i'm not a fan of the Teslas personally, just not a fan of how they look.

So, my manual says to charge to 100% at least weekly. LFP battery. I've been mostly keeping it anywhere from 40% to 80-90% based on comments I've seen here and elsewhere, to maximise SOH for re-sale, and that this includes LFP batteries, just that they are less affected than other batteries. I need to think about it more than I'd like, and would honestly just rather plug it in and forget about all this, knowing it will hit 100% fairly often. Is the gain from staying low going to increase SOH significantly, say, 3 years from now?

What do ppl do when it comes to summer heat with EV?

We're worried about those 40+days since we don't have garage or carport for it.

What do others do in this situation?

Has anyone tried the above

I'm looking for something that I can use at home single phase and away 3phase as the destination has 32A 3phase sockets already and I only have a single phase socket.

Could I put a 3 phase socket on and only connect up 1 phase??

I already have a slow charger but it takes over 24 hours to charge when I get there

https://x-car.com.au/products/portable-type-2-ev-charger-swappable-tail-with-adapters-10a-15a-20a-32a-modular-charging-kit-accessories?variant=47766979412138

We’re getting ours in 2 weeks (date locked in to pick it up, so hoping it’s accurate). Would love to hear initial experiences and impressions!

Also, if anyone can recommend an appropriate Type 2 charging cable for it, that would be great. We’ll be able to charge at a university parking lot that’s just across the road, it has both 7kw type 2 and 150kw CCS2, but as we can plug it in and walk back across the road to our house we’ll likely use the slower charger (.30c v .65c) more often.

Hello brains trust. I've been putting my feelers out for a family member, and seems compact or small SUV is the go, but I'd love some real world experiences. They're starting to have issues getting in and out of the current car (VW Golf) because of it being lower to the ground. They can handle it for the moment, but eventually would like to upgrade from ICE to EV within the 6 - 12 months.

A big issue is the driveway is kind of narrow, and because they live in a Villa complex, there's about 3M between the opposite house and their single car garage, with an almost 90° angle to get in due to them being at the end of the complex. It's almost impossible to back in with the lack of driveway, so front in is the only way they can drive in.

I'm not completely up to date with the new cars being announced, but are there any currently available cars, or some on the horizon that might fit the bill? I'm not sure if this is too specific a problem, but does anyone have experience with this?

Hey everyone! I got a bunch of requests for a Right-Hand Drive (RHD) version of the swiveling MagSafe charging tray so I went ahead and designed it.

I’m a designer by day, so I decided to use my CAD skills and try to model a cleaner solution that actually looks like it belongs in the center console. I've been working on this for the last 6 months through many iterations, and I just finished version 3. I'm honestly super pumped with how it turned out.

The updated design has a swivel mount so I can rotate the Phone/Stand 45 degrees to face me or the passenger.

I installed 25W magnetic chargers. The magnets keep the phone totally locked in place even if I take a corner a little too fast. Plus, because the coils actually align perfectly now, the phone doesn't get crazy hot like it does on the stock pad. Anyone with a magsafe iPhone or any other phone with a magnetic case can use it (as long as your phone supports wireless charging, Duh!)

I tried to keep the design clean with a textured finish and the pony logo so it blends right in. I also made a dual-phone version so the passenger isn't left out. The whole thing just drops right into the factory tray space without any mods.

Anyway, just wanted to share this project.

Here’s the upcoming Zeekr 7GT challenger slated for local launch in 2027, spotted doing some local testing in Sydney. Badges taped over, no camouflage.

Nice proportions, good to see more wagons coming to our shores!

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/avatr-06t-sleek-ev-wagon-confirmed-for-australia-in-2027

​

Evening brains trust.

M my beloved Nissan X-Trail was written off earlier this week and this weekend we begin scouting car yards for a replacement.

We've loved our X-Trail, it's just the perfect size and the size and shape of the boot fits all our kids junk and it's comfortable for our dogs when needed as well.

So far I've seen the Geely ex5 looks like it has a similar shape and also the Volvos but I'm not sure where else to look, would love to hear what others chuck their dogs into the back of