Your questions answered: Are more electric car models coming to Australia?

Fewer than 20,000 battery-electric cars were sold in Australia through 2021, but that has not stopped them dominating the discussion about the future of motoring.

More and more car-makers are committed to electric-only development through the second half of the 2020s, and it’s not just the high-profile European luxury brands.

Ford and General Motors are making the switch in the US, with the potential to power a new generation of battery-powered pick-ups in Australia.

Now, Toyota has detailed a comprehensive EV program and Hyundai says it will soon end development of new internal combustion engines.

So, the take-up is currently slow, but electric cars are very definitely the future – even in Australia.

Check out all things EV at carsales Electric hub

Question:

Answer: In theory the engineering answer is yes. They are easier to package. But whether RHD markets will see more vehicle availability is arguable. There are many more factors than simple engineering, including EV subsidies etc, that will determine the attractiveness of markets to car companies, as well as the availability of production for exports beyond the growing home markets. In reference to the battery-electric F-150, Ford cannot make enough to satisfy demand in the US, so that means it’s even less likely to be built in RHD or exported to markets like Australia.

Question: I was listening to an American car commentator the other day and he was saying that second-hand electric cars (those four-plus years old) are virtually worthless due to the batteries having to be replaced after 8-10 years. The extra battery weight also means that suspension, brakes and general bodywork etc is also likely to last less time due to the extra stress caused by the car’s extra weight. Is this true or is it an urban myth? – Neil M

Answer: It’s far, far, far too early to tell on resale values. The number of electric car sales in Australia in 2021 was less than 20,000, so there is limited data for Down Under. The weight factor is untrue as the cars are engineered from the start to take account of their mass. As yet, there is a dearth of solid evidence on longevity of batteries, how much they will cost to replace, or recycling. That said, older-tech batteries in petrol-electric hybrids are confounding the pundits in terms of their longevity…

Question: Many, many years ago ‘The Age’ newspaper in Melbourne had an advertisement about American car tyres and I recall they boasted their tyres were superior and lasted twice as long as a ‘regular’ tyre. Now I don’t know if the tyre was Cooper or Kelly brand, or something else, so can you shed any light ?? For the record, my 2001 Subaru Impreza came with Michelin tyres which I found to be good and my 2015 Holden XV came with Yokohama which I have found to be less than satisfactory. – Dani C

Answer: The company is Cooper from the US and it still promotes a guaranteed mileage for many of its tyres, usually 50,000-80,000km. But the catch is that you must have 10,000km check-ups to ensure nothing is causing premature wear. Nissan has just put Cooper rubber on the new 2022 Nissan Navara Warrior PRO-4X and the result is excellent.

Question:

Answer: We contacted Kia Australia. It says it has investigated the issue and the company is committed to having all outstanding orders for windscreens filled by the end of this month (January). You can expect Kia HQ in Sydney to contact you directly to ease your concerns.

Question:

Answer: The message from Kia Australia is that it does not recommend bike racks being fitted to their tow bars, as it cannot find a local engineer who will sign off on the vibration and harmonic impacts on the rack. There are aftermarket hitches but these are not recommended for you. Instead, Kia will be in touch about using a roof rack instead of the tow bar.

Question:

Answer: This is a question that often comes up… In short, model year is not the same thing as compliance year or build year. The ‘Model Year’ tag is something used by the manufacturer to talk about specification; typically, a model year starts before the end of the calendar year because that’s the system we’ve adopted from the US. A car’s build date is its real age because that’s when it came down the production line. Compliance is when it lands and is certified in Australia for sale. You can read more detail in our advice article: How old is my car? Remember also that the warranty clock starts from the day the vehicle is first registered, even if it’s sold as a demonstrator or is used for dealer stock.

Question: My sister is looking to buy a new Volvo XC40 and I’m wondering if she should go for the AWD or FWD. She is an active 70-year-old city driver with the occasional interstate trip. – Gerard H

Answer: The Volvo XC40 is definitely a good pick but there is no need to go for all-wheel drive. Unless she drives to the snow or heads onto sand or deeply rutted gravel roads then front-wheel drive will be fine and she will also save money and should get very slightly better fuel economy.

Question: My wife and I were recently rear-ended in our 2016 Kia Sorento by a young bloke on his phone doing about 60km/h while we were stationary in traffic. I was very impressed with the safety and how well the Sorrento handled the impact. We had a boot full of groceries and nothing was damaged, not even a cracked egg. We have decided, however, that even if we do get the car back we will sell it privately and upgrade. We are looking to downsize slightly and have come to a decision between either the Hyundai Tucson or the Kia Sportage, top of the range in both and after your opinion as to which is the better vehicle and why? My priority is safety and reliability, my wife’s is the gadgets and extras! – Peter H

Answer: Beneath the skin the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are essentially the same vehicle. Drive them to choose, as the suspension tune is slightly different. But also remember that there are big delays on the South Korean contenders, especially if you want flagship trim with all the microchip goodies. You should move fast and see if there is any stock.

Question: I currently have a 2010 Mazda6 Luxury Sport with 126,000km. It’s been a great car and still purring away nicely, like the first Mazda6 I had. But now I’m looking to upgrade to either a Mazda CX-5 or a Jaguar E-PACE. I know the Mazda is a good car. However, although don’t know much about it, I love the look of the E-PACE. What’s your opinion on these two cars? Am I better to wait? Will the price come down on the Jaguar with the British Free Trade Agreement? – Deb J

Answer: The Mazda CX-5 is the smart pick, despite the prestige and history of Jaguar. Best to test drive them, back-to-back on the same day and roads, to see if you can feel and appreciate the difference and the extra cost of the E-PACE. No-one knows the impact of the FTA on car prices, but it’s unlikely to be much.

Question: We currently have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and tow a caravan and horse float. It has nearly 300,000km and we haven’t really had any major problems with it but we are looking for a new vehicle to do the same. Considering a Mercedes Benz, Audi, Volkswagen or a Land Rover. What would you recommend as keeping in mind it needs to be able to handle the rough stuff as well as highways? – Kelvin A

Answer: So good to hear from someone making a smart decision for towing, instead of going for a dual-cab ute. The Land Rover Defender would be an excellent choice, less of a show pony than a Benz or Audi, but there are always questions about back-up in the bush. But that’s the same with all your choices, compared with the benchmark Toyota LandCruiser. The Volkswagen Touareg is the left-field choice but would be the best for your needs and great value.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

Find more of Your Questions Answered by carsales here