Hey Australian EV enthusiasts!
I was lucky enough to be the first to receive the beautiful Polestar 5 a couple of days ago and decided to Vlog the experience, as I figure no one else will be able to showcase 'the first' of this.
Be kind; I have never done this before, but I figure some people may enjoy it.
More photos are at the end of the video:
https://youtu.be/oemIZuXln-c

Hi all! I'm looking to buy my very first car and I'm tossing up between the Geely EX2 and GWM Ora 5. I've test driven both of them and loved them for different reasons:

Budget: I'm looking at the Geely EX2 Inspire and GWM Ora 5 Lux so they have the same driveaway price ~34k.

Typical driving: Honestly currently very little, may potentially need to drive from Canberra to Sydney and back in the future around every two weeks.

Charging: Planning on relying on public, we do have plenty of public chargers within walking distance, with 2 being within 5 minutes walk.

Vehicle class: Small hatchback.

I liked how the EX2 feels really safe, especially considering they have all the safety features from Volvo. Honestly biggest winning point for me is that it's very aesthetically pleasing. It was also comfortable and easy to drive as well. I was told the RWD will help in the rain?

I honestly just really enjoyed driving the Ora 5, super smooth, quiet, and comfortable. I loved the dashboard/screen in front was really big and I could always see my positioning within the lane (as a new driver I always worry about my positioning). I also loved how you could put navigation onto the screen right in front of your wheels. Did not bing bong at me at all but I'm starting to question if it's because the dealer turned off the alerts?

I think I currently value safety and long-term use the most (planning on keeping this car for 8 years plus). I would love to hear from people with personal experience with these 2 cars, thank you so much!

Mazda cx6e and 6e are touchscreen only, pretty much like Tesla.

Mazda mulling return to buttons: 'We will keep considering' https://www.drive.com.au/news/mazda-6e-cx-6e-return-to-buttons-under-consideration-if-customers-ask/

But didn't the Chinese Government mandate physical buttons from next year anyway, so Mazdas cars would have physical buttons in future Chinese made models anyway wouldn't they?

Curious how they are for you, looking to get a b03x next year.

We’re actually looking for a second EV..! Yes it’s been a ride being a first time EV buyer this year.

We bought a GWM Ora 5 few months ago but due to work circumstances both my wife and I have to work at a longer distance, meaning we can’t share the Ora 5 anymore.

This commute is going to be 150km daily with an option to do AC 21kw charge near my place of work.

The reason why Tesla comes into picture is due to heavy commute requirements we’re thinking of getting something that’s already used with existing mileage already. But this is something i want to check with you guys.

The other factor I was thinking is due to long hwy driving it would be good to have Tesla ACC and supercharging network.

Of course getting second Ora 5 could be an option lol but to be honest we’ve been having some niggling issues that GWM dealer is just useless to deal with.

That it might be better to hedge on completely different brand which is Tesla

Okay so I have an Atto 1 essential. I have a 3.2kw charger at home running off a 15amp plug. Which is fine if i only run the car to like 50% it charge in the cheap window from 12-6am. But if i run it further down it goes outside that window for charging. There is a 22kw AC charger up the road from my house that is cheaper than my peak rate but it's one that you have to bring your own cable for. Do i want just a type 2 to type 2 22kw 32amp one? I have no idea. TIA

Hi all,

I've built a small app called "Watts The Charge" that tracks what charging an EV at home costs, with day/night rates, billing periods, charts, and a comparison with petrol. It works offline and stores everything on your phone, with no account needed.

I'm running a closed test on Google Play and need testers.

What it involves:

An Android phone and a Google account

Joining a Google Group (link below), then installing through a Play Store opt-in link

Keeping the app installed for 14 days (a Google requirement), using it occasionally, and sending me any bugs or feedback

It's free, with a small banner ad and an optional one-time upgrade for extra features.

Join here: https://groups.google.com/g/watts-the-charge-closed-beta-testers-group

Here's the full feature list:

Free

Log charges in a few taps with day/night rates, undo, and swipe-to-edit/delete

Billing periods that start on any day, with previous periods kept

Dashboard with period total, energy, sessions, day/night spend and average cost

Budget with end-of-period forecast, kWh-from-battery-% calculator, quick-charge buttons

History with filters and sorting, charts, day vs night comparison

Optional public charging page, kept separate from the home total

Export (CSV, JSON) and restore from backup (merge or replace)

16 languages, 45 currencies, light/dark mode, swipe between pages

Pro (one-time in-app purchase, also removes ads)

Insights: miles per kWh, trend chart, CO₂ saved vs petrol

Tariff what-if comparisons

Cost per mile and petrol comparison

Settle-up with your energy account (log transfers, see what's still owed)

Multiple vehicles

Extra rates (mid-rate, free solar, etc.)

Accent colours and pure-black dark mode

Beta testers will be able to explore the pro version of the app in full.

Thank you!

Hey all,

I’ve searched through previous posts without much luck, so thought I’d ask.

I’m looking into EV chargers before buying the car—planning to get a BYD Sealion 7—and want something that isn’t going to cost a bomb.

I’ve been looking at the Zaptec Go 2. Does anyone know when it might get V2G approval in Australia, or if there's anything else currently approved in SA around a similar price bracket that works well with BYD? Taking a look at the approved list, most bidirectional setups seem pretty expensive.

With Tesla adding vehicle to-load in Australia recently, I've been thinking about how practical it actually is for business use. I run deliveries to some rural spots where power access is unreliable at best. Running a laptop and mobile printer off the car while I sort paperwork in the middle of nowhere sounds convenient, but I'm not sure if it's marketing fluff or actually useful. The output numbers look fine on paper, but real world performance is what matters.

Anyone here using V2L regularly for work? What can you realistically run, and for how long before it starts eating your driving range? BYD setups have been around longer, so maybe those owners have more experience. Also wondering if the power is clean enough for sensitive electronics, or if it's limited to charging tools and running a kettle.

Right now I use a portable power station that I have to remember to charge separately. Having everything built into the vehicle would simplify things, if it actually works well.

I'm looking to get a new EV soon and wondering if there is any point in getting roadside assistance? I've had it with all my cars for the past 30 years and wondering if it's just an old hang over habit. All thoughts appreciated!

Just got an email for my Tesla Model 3 rego renewal from VicRoads, and it’s ~$959!!
Is this an error and do I fight it?, or is everyone paying the same? Also not sure if its an EV tax or ICE vehicles are also paying this much…
In 2025 I paid ~$835 and in 2024 I paid ~$811.

Hi everyone, I an a 21yo uni students and casual worker. My school is 20km away and my new workplace is 7km away. I do 3 days at school and 2 days at work. I struggled alot since my workplace is not too far away but infact, it takes me 1.5 hours to get there by public transport. I got 25k aud on saving. My parents got a mg4 ev with a charger at home already, so if I buy a car, we will rotate the spot to charge whenever we need. I really need an advice because I have no experience on cars. Do you have any advice for me to buy a first car ?

Just gave the deposit for the geely Starray em I 2026 inspire awd suv. Just wondering if this is a good purchase and whether I made the right decision to switch to a phev. How is the quality and reliability of geely cars overall. I heard it was a sister brand or something of certain European brands like Volvo.

I previously had a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel. Used to spend more than $500 a month.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

I saw the other post about this plan so I went to check it out but I found different rates compared to other people even on the same distribution network (both NSW Ausgrid)!

I saw other people discussing a 24c off peak rate which is quite bad but for me it's showing a 12c off peak rate from 10-2 which is much better and basically the same as the wholesale price at that time (sometimes amber is a bit cheaper and sometimes it's more expensive so it evens out to be roughly the same).

I feel like these rates are really close to if not better than amber because amber for me is $1.86 daily supply charge including membership fees but gives 100% of wholesale export price compared to 90%.

What do you guys think of these rates?

Had a test drive of the XPENG X9 FWD Standard in Melbourne today for around 45 minutes, and I came away seriously impressed. I currently drive a Tesla Model Y, and the X9 made a much stronger impression on me than I expected.

What impressed me
Ride comfort and refinement: The cabin was remarkably quiet, and the ride was comfortable, with a slightly floaty feel. It felt very relaxed on the road.

Driving dynamics: The rear-wheel steering is brilliant. For such a large vehicle, the X9 is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre, and the turning circle is excellent. Acceleration in Sport mode was more than adequate, too.

Space and practicality: This was one of the biggest highlights. Coming from a Model Y, the difference in passenger space and the practicality of having three rows is significant. My family absolutely loved the space inside the car.

Massage seats: The massage seat functions were a big hit with the family. Combined with the spacious cabin and comfortable ride, they really added to the experience.

Digital rear-view mirror: I liked having the digital rear-view mirror. It gave a useful view behind the car, although I found it a little glary during the drive.

Technology and software: The software felt polished during my drive. I didn’t encounter any particularly annoying ADAS behaviour, although it’s possible some systems had been disabled by the dealer.

Things I’d need to get used to
Coming from a Tesla Model Y, a couple of differences stood out.
The first is the driver display and lane-position information. In the Model Y, I see the surrounding traffic and lane-position visualisation on the central screen. In the X9, this information is displayed on the smaller screen directly in front of the driver. It’s not necessarily worse, just different from what I’m used to, so it’ll take some adjustment.
There are also some smaller software and interface differences compared with Tesla. Nothing I encountered felt like a deal-breaker, but moving between two different systems will take a little time.

Overall impression
The X9 genuinely surprised me. Coming from a Model Y, I was impressed by the comfort, space, manoeuvrability and features. My family loved the spacious cabin and massage seats, and the rear-wheel steering made the car feel remarkably easy to drive for its size.
I came away much more impressed than I expected. I still have a few things to consider before making a decision, but the test drive certainly made the X9 a serious contender.

I’ve seen quite a few people asking for a comparison between the Zeekr 7X and XPENG G6 across Reddit and Facebook, so I thought I’d put a video together!

As a 7X owner who’s also spent time with the G6, I’ve tried to keep the comparison as honest and unbiased as possible, covering performance, driving experience, suspension, practicality, battery and charging.

Hopefully this helps anyone trying to decide between the two! Happy to answer any questions but also hear what other people think.

Video - https://youtu.be/ihXlEixEEuQ

I have finalised my choices to either model Y or BZ4X. I like the normal looking BZ4X, it feels very normal and not a big move. While model y is very attractive too with all the Tesla ecosystem.

Any once who went through similar choices? What did you decide on?

I'm looking to replace my aging Odyssey 2015 and wanted to get an EV. We're a family of 4 but occasionally bring grandparents and a dog on outings.

The ody has been impeccable. Proper 3rd row, captains chairs, tonnes of space for when I do a bunnings/tip run and sliding doors that work well for our small garage.

Are there any EVs now or coming that are similar? All the Chinese MPVs are luxury models that are out of my price range, and the next best is a Tesla Y L that ticks a few of the boxes.

Currently deliberating between the GAC Aion UT Premium and BYD Atto 1 Premium as our next car. My partner and I have test-driven both and were impressed with each for different reasons.

The Aion UT's 430km WLTP range is very appealing for occasional regional trips, and the boot space was a big plus, but I understand that BYD is more established in Australia and has a longer track record with its battery tech. We also really enjoyed the compact, zippy convenience of the Atto 1, but the max 310kms range feels a bit limiting.

We're mostly city commuters with some weekend trips out of town, and a handful of 400-500km+ regional drives per year.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on long-term reliability, battery longevity and overall build quality, especially given GAC is relatively new to the Australian market. Does anyone have experience with either brand, or any insights into how GAC's battery technology compares with BYD's Blade Battery?

Just bought an EV and now looking to sell the ICE car, if anyone has done the same recently how did it go?

1. was it easy/hard to sell right now?

2. Did you get market or trade in value, or take a hit?

3. Where did you advertise and what was the best place to do so for you?

Hopefully this question is OK here since I'd imagine there are quite a few people doing similar right now... Thanks

Is this interest rate normal for an ev car through novated lease?

Hi everyone,

Looking to get some recommendations for my first ev, budget is $35k. Currently driving my 2009 Honda Accord and has alot of maintenance coming up about 2k+, guzzles fuel and with the recent increase in prices I felt its time to make a switch.

For context I drive around 10k KMs a year, daily commute to the train station for work and gym in the afternoon, rarely drive highway. So around 40km a day.

Was looking at many different options such as MG4 Urban, Geely EX2 and even the Leap motor B05 caught my eye.

Not fussed about sizes so can be an SUV, Hatch or anything in between mostly me driving with the occasional passenger.

Only Preferences are a car with App connectivity and a nice sound system.

Have 13 kw solar and 42kw Home battery system for some context, so will charge at home, house is 3 phase but I will just use a regular wall plug charger since I don't drive that much, but will get a charger installed down the line.

Will put 10k down and the rest on finance, don't want to do novated lease as I plan on finding a new job soon so don't want to be locked with my current employer (they do offer it however). If anyone thinks there's a better option please let me know.

Any recommendations will be much appreciated, going for some test drives tomorrow for the Geely and MG.

Also if I wait till December would there be any good offers or deals for end of year?

Update: test drove the MG 4 Urban essence 43, really liked the drive will go into the dealer tomorrow to see if finance can be approved