BEST EVs & PHEVs
Eco cars are the next big thing, and they’re gaining traction fast, following the government’s new ‘zero FBT’ incentives. Admittedly, there’s a lot of hype in this segment - but these EVs and PHEVs actually make solid sense right now.
HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC
New 2023 Kona Electric arrives in the second half as the ideal option for semi-regional driving without leaving nearby fast chargers in capital cities.
It’s a reasonably compact run-around vehicle for shopping, school drop-offs and with heaps of driving range for a typical week’s worth of commuting before charging from a home power point over the weekend.
New Kona Electric will be fractionally wider, longer and taller than the outgoing version, meaning more legroom, luggage space and head-shoulder wriggle room. So it’ll be a great option for small families, or as a second town-based car where an SUV might be the vehicle of choice for weekend sports games, camping or long-distance roadtrips.
This new version has been designed as an EV first and adapted to fit the combustion powertrain, unlike the outgoing Kona which was the other way around, meaning it was slightly compromised dynamically.
Enquire about a new Hyundai Kona Electric now: Click here >>
MG 4
All-new MG4 promises to be the small, simple, affordable electric vehicle consumers have wanted for years.
It should do what the Toyota Corolla did for combustion cars, being able to do a great deal of short journeys in relatively good-enough comfort while being modest in how well equipped it is.
A small battery is what’s been missing from the majority of electric vehicles, and the bigger it is, the higher the price. This battery is gonna be capable of being recharged at home in a matter of hours because the 64kWh battery is small enough to get the day’s driving done before topping up overnight.
At $48,000 before on-road costs for the Essence, it’s a compelling value proposition and hugely appealing for those who don’t love filling up with fuel and trying to get the smell off their hands afterward.
KIA NIRO
The Kia Niro is basically the Kona Electric underneath, but with a different look and specification. It’s the size and quality of a Mazda CX-30 SUV, or like a fat hatch, basically.
It’s something of a quiet achiever, not getting nearly the same media attention, but is absolutely worth your consideration in the current market of high-priced EVs. For the quality, affordability and daily practicality envelope it offers, Niro doesn’t get nearly enough consideration.
Where an MG ZS EV feels like a lower-end EV on the quality front, the Niro feels appreciably premium, without going over the LCT threshold, which is good for you and certainly you don’t have to be a Kia cult member unlike some brands. Niro also offers extremely useful vehicle-to-load capability to charge and power appliances.
Kia sits comfortably inside the top 10 car importers in this country, and their commitment to customer support is among the best in the market.
MG ZS EV
Maximum electric vehicle value at the compromise of the quality and luxury of other brands. Essence trim is arguably the most affordable, best value EV money can buy at $30K cheaper than a Tesla Model Y.
A small-midsize SUV package with ample luggage space, and decent cabin appointments without going full Ioniq 5 level.
Handling is compromised due to the combustion platform the heavier battery and motor sit on, but it’s tolerable to save tens of thousands to get a 50kWh battery capable of a claimed 320km of range (280-300 real-world).
There’s also a ‘Long Ranger’ version which has a bigger 72.6 kW-hr battery good for 440km of claimed range and wants about $58K.
ZS is ever so slightly bigger than a Kona Electric, but feels more like a previous generation Toyota RAV4 in terms of size, quality and design.
MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS PHEV
When it comes to offering a small SUV with one foot in the medium size camp, the Eclipse Cross is already a good all-round family SUV. But in plug-in hybrid form it’s got the Toyota RAV4 hybrid squarely in its crosshairs.
With a dedicated EV-only mode that locks out the combustion powertrain and allows for tailpipe emissions-free daily commuting, it makes much better use of a much bigger battery than the lowly efforts of the Toyota blunderbuss.
Both vehicles can harvest kinetic energy via the brakes and store it in a battery for later use, but the Mitsubishi can be independently recharged using the mains.
If you need a family SUV that plays both sides of the field, because you’re not quite ready to divorce from the established network and reliability of liquid fuels, but you want to begin the process of putting less filth into the air, Eclipse Cross PHEV is a smart choice.
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV
The ideal ‘electric vehicle’ for long roadtrips where a charging station might not exist, or could be overcrowded on busy public holidays or for large community events.
The seven-seat functionality is a great option to have in a pinch when unaccounted for kids are suddenly invited without your authorisation during school lunchtime conversation.
Use the 20kWh battery pack for pure electric driving on school runs, daily commuting and bi-weekly shopping, the switch to 56 litres of regular unleaded for annual drives, camping or regional visits.
Think of it as an EV and large SUV in one, for between $70,000-$76,000 depending on spec-level.
KIA SORENTO PHEV
A Kia Sorento with plug-in hybrid city-driving capability and long-distance petrol-powered cruising potential. Now that’s and interesting prospect.
Sorento is a big vehicle; a full-sized seven-seat SUV - and yet it comes with a 14 kilowatt-hour battery, which is a comparatively tiny battery for a vehicle quite this big. What this means is that it’s got a reduced EV-only operational potential than it would have with a bigger battery.
When you consider this vehicle’s claimed 68km of range, you'll see that there's a profound distance you can drive in EV-mode, despite having a smaller battery than an Outlander PHEV. But you have much more functional row-three seating thanks to an ISOFix point, top tether and a full-size spare wheel - which is extremely rare in this segment.
Sorento PHEV is a spacious, practical and luxuriously equipped SUV that will do limited commuting in EV-only mode, and will eat highway road trips without making you sweat over the availability of public chargers.
FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO AVOID
Nissan LEAF: Selling just 50-60 per month, Leaf is a poorly designed EV. It has no internal active thermal management, so it relies purely on airflow to cool the big, sealed battery. This is a serious flaw in hot Australia. This is an inferior design carried over from the first-generation.
Volkswagen ID.4: This thing has been ‘almost here’ for years, kinda like Cybertruck only it does actually exist. ID.4 should launch at the end of 2023, but it’s part of the VW Group, meaning you’ll have to endure poor customer service.
BYD Atto3: There are quality issues regarding rust with this car which requires further investigating. As for the servicing and dealer network, it’s online purchasing and BYD relies on MyCar retail servicing outlets, which is hardly a sound commercial structure, long-term. Too many unknowns.
LDV eT60: I’m not convinced the build quality is there with LDV. The Timothy Rigby rusty T60 case suggests an underlying problem. The battery range in eT60 is gonna be terrible as soon as you start adding weight; don’t fall for all the pro-EV hype from vested media on this vehicle.
Tesla Model 3: It might be the Electric Jesus halo car, but Tesla’s build quality is renowned for being poor, the tech is not particularly special and the agency-style business model means you can’t negotiate on price. The customer service experience is a mixed bag of results, too.
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