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

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?

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

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?

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?

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.

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

Just saw on the website that the car show is postponed until 2027. Any news on why? Was looking forward to attending.

Hi everyone. As a (current) non-EV owner 'm hoping that I may be able to get some help in assisting an elderly relative who may be looking to get their first EV soon.

A quick bit of context. Said relative lives in a regional town. They drive their hybrid almost every day, but as it almost never takes 15 minutes to get across town it only ever gets driven short distances. As such, it doesn't get driven long enough often enough to enable sufficient charging of its 12V battery, and they're subsequently having issues with flat batteries far more often then they'd like. They are potentially considering trading in the hybrid for an EV, though I'm concerned that (despite differences between ICE, HEV and EVs in how they maintain charge in their 12V batteries) their driving habits may result in the same ongoing problem.

From my research, I've found that some EVs will top up their 12V batteries if needed when the main battery is being charged, while others will use the main battery to top up the 12V battery if the car determines that 12V charge is getting critically low. My understanding however is that not all EVs do this, but I cannot find whether there is a list (or some kind of technical specification/note listed somewhere) that identifies what EVs do this and which ones don't.

In summary, is there a list of vehicles (or somewhere I can look in things such as marketing information) that will auto-check the charge status of rhe 12V battery and automatically top it off if needed? Alternatively, is this something that I'd need to ask a salesperson about?

Thanks in advance!!

​

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

Per the sub reddit post rules:

💰 **Budget**

* What is your maximum budget: Around $50k drive-away, through a novated lease

🚗 **Typical driving**

* Average weekly km: About 100 km (roughly 5,000 km a year, mostly around town)

* Longest *regular* trip: The odd regional trip, e.g. Melbourne to Bendigo (about 150 km each way)

🔌 **Charging**

* What charging is available at home/work? None. Street parking, so public charging only

🚙 **Vehicle class**

* Open to SUV, hatch or liftback

---

I'm about to get my first EV and I'd really appreciate some perspective from people who've had theirs for a while. So far it's been the classic analysis paralysis whirlwind.

To be fair, on mileage alone I'm not the obvious EV buyer. But it's going through a novated lease, and once you factor in the FBT exemption, depreciation, selling my current car and losing its running costs, it actually comes out slightly ahead of keeping what I've got. So I'm not too worried about running costs, I'm more focused on finding something I'll actually enjoy being in.

The main things for me:

- Comfort and a quiet cabin. I'd honestly take a nice place to sit over performance.

- Lane keep and adaptive cruise that feel smooth and natural, not jumpy.

- Easy to park. I'm on the street in Melbourne's inner west, so good cameras and sensors matter a lot.

- Public charging that just fits in, ideally topping up while I do the groceries rather than planning around it.

- Room to grow, as there'll probably be a baby in a couple of years and a pram to fit.

- And I'll admit I want something I like the look of.

I'm coming out of a CX-30 that's been a really good car, so that's my benchmark for comfort and build.

I know these are quite different cars, but they've ended up at similar money on a lease. Discounting has felt pretty significant lately, so is there a lot of stock sitting around? Here are my choices:

- Mazda 6e GT, my favourite on looks and cabin, but I'm a bit unsure about the length and pram life, and about judging the corners when parking

- Geely EX5, comfy and roomy, but a bit plain on the outside and I'm not sure how it'll hold its value

- XPENG L03, a bit of a wildcard, mostly because remote parking might get it into a tight side passage at home. Can these be test driven at the moment? Dealers seem a bit unresponsive

- BYD Atto 2, the sensible cheaper pick, easy to park but a bit plain for me, and charging seems really slow?

I've test driven the EX5 and the Atto 2. I think I could live with any of them, so this is really just optimising and finalising the choice.

What I'd love to hear:

- If you do low km and charge publicly, how has it actually been?

- What's turned out genuinely comfortable and quiet a few months in, not just on the test drive?

- If you own any of the above, what surprised you?

- Anything obvious I might be missing?

Thanks in advance, this sub's always been really helpful.

First time with an EV and want to get a charger for my home.

We bought a Jaecoo J5, we have a Powerwall 2 and we have about 8kw solar system.

I want the EV charger to have flexibility to charge only with excess solar, but also solar and/or grid - bypassing the powerwall if I want it to so it doesnt completely drain the battery.

Does this sound feasible? What EV charger can do this and what do I need to know or consider when wanting to do this??

I have an Ioniq9 and and one tyre is slowly losing pressure, about 15 psi per week. Calling around tyre shops near me they all say they will only replace not repair these tyres (at about $850!). I found one place who would have a look but they said they couldn’t find the leak.

I’m in Melbourne.

Any advice as to what’s going on or how to get it repaired.

The car is only 6 months old

I find it bizarre that that legacy car makers are offering fuel cards to entice buyers. Skoda was doing the same. Seems to highlight the problem with these cars.

Tbf, I struggle to understand why anyone would be buying an Outlander in 2026

Hey everyone,

I made a post not too long ago about what EV to buy, I have gone down the biggest rabbit hole since then and I think I'm set on going back to Tesla.....

Now, all that aside, I have narrowed this down to 2 choices and I'd love some feedback/thoughts from anyone who will give it.

Option 1:

2022 (AMD CPU) Model 3 Performance - 65,000km's $37K

Option 2:

2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range - 70,000km's $40k

I originally was really after an SUV for a growing family, which is still true, however there is only going to be 3 of us so I feel like a model 3 would work for the foreseeable future and be much more fun....

Any insights or anything I may not have thought of as some feedback would be amazing. Cheers.

I pre-ordered it the day Mazda had orders open, back in April. Mazda notes to dealers back then said approx September 30 deliveries. Well that didn't happen for anyone.

Dealer at end of September told me they hoped to get a test car first week of November and deliveries should be a week or two after that.

Now, the only email we ever have received from Mazda themselves, on 1st Oct, says the car is scheduled for production .. then it'll be Built, shipped etc.

So who has ordered and what real details/dates from Mazda have you received.

Really like the look of this CX-6e SUV and thought the sedan drove great, but my wife is tired of waiting so long and is starting to look for something else.

From the email ...

"Now that your vehicle has been scheduled for production, we will keep you updated across all key steps in the process and ensure you have the most up to date information available.

The next update you will receive will be to inform you that your vehicle has been built at one of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities."

Long post, sorry. Partly venting, mostly so other EV buyers know what to document, and in case anyone here has been through this with Kia.

The car
2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD, bought new from Metro Kia in Brisbane and delivered December 2023.

The fault
The 12V battery drains while the car is parked. When it happens the car won't start, and sometimes won't even unlock. Warnings we've had on the dash include:
"Check 12V battery. Stop safely and engage parking brake"
"Check electric vehicle system"
"Check brake system"
"Motor-driven Power Steering system malfunction"
It first went flat one month after delivery. It's failed repeatedly since March 2025.

What's been tried
11 requests for Kia Roadside assistance (we have Kia's own text messages for every one)
4 tows
Countless own jump starts
12V battery replaced twice, the negative terminal and battery sensor replaced, and a camera mirror replaced, all by Kia under warranty
Two different Kia dealers have had it. One kept it for six weeks. The other had it twice and couldn't reproduce the fault either time
Both times it came back from that dealer, it failed again within weeks. The second time it was the very next day, with the 12V sitting at 4.49 V
Separately, both camera mirror displays randomly go green or black until the car is restarted

Each new 12V battery buys a few months of normal running, then the failures come back closer and closer together. That looks to me like a drain that has never been found, not a battery problem.

The car has been off the road for more than 10 weeks in total. It's currently sitting at a Kia dealer, again.

What we did about it

Under the ACL, if goods have a major failure you can reject them and ask the supplier (the dealer, not the manufacturer) for a refund. A car that strands your family without warning, and that two years of repairs haven't fixed, is a major failure in our view.

21 Sept: rejection letter to the selling dealer asking for a full refund within 7 days. Copy to Kia Australia

1 Oct and 7 Oct: phone follow-ups. We were told it was being handled and we'd get a call back. We didn't get anything back.

9 Oct: final written demand with a deadline. No response
Kia Australia hasn't replied either, not even to confirm they received the letter

We've now lodged a complaint with Qld Office of Fair Trading.

What I'd tell anyone buying an EV

Log every failure the day it happens. Date, time, what the dash said. Phone photos keep the date and location, which saved us when our own notes had a date wrong

Always call roadside, even if you can jump start it yourself. Their text messages became our best evidence. The times we used our own jump starter left no record

Put everything in writing. Phone calls with dealers leave nothing you can rely on later

Know it's the supplier who owes you the remedy under the ACL, not the manufacturer

Keep receipts for anything you buy because of the fault

Questions for the sub

Any other Aussie EV9 (or E-GMP) owners with repeated 12V drain? Did anything actually fix it?

Has anyone got a refund or buyback from Kia Australia or a dealer? How long did it take, and did it need Fair Trading or QCAT?

I'll update this if anything changes.

Chery Group’s new premium sub-brand has confirmed pricing for its first Australian model. Key specs: 65kWh LFP battery, 160kW, 275Nm, 440km WLTP range, 30-80% DC charge in 22 minutes on a 120kW charger. Sony audio, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, 13.2-inch screen, panoramic sunroof and 50W wireless charging all standard. Premium paint is free for a limited time. Warranty is generous at 7 years unlimited km vehicle, 8 years/200,000km battery.

One thing to watch: Lepas hasn’t clarified whether the $47,990 is before or after on-road costs, which affects how it competes with the XPeng L03 ($41,900 before ORC, 445km) and Geely EX5 Inspire ($45,990 before ORC, 450km). Both rival it closely on range but at notably lower starting prices.

Thoughts on the pricing and how it will fair in such a stacked segment?

Opened today at Italian Forum Carpark.

6 V4 superchargers but with V4 cabinets (which are capable of 800-1000V).

On Plugshare already an Ioniq 6 reporting 170kW at 40% SOC, whereas never more than 100kW at older Tesla sites

https://www.plugshare.com/location/2183563

Good rates too - $0.34-0.52/kWh (Tesla/subscription) , $0.48-0.73/kWh (others)