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Imminent 3G closure to impact SOS emergency calls in popular cars: Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Land Rover, Jaguar and Genesis issue fixes

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The connected-car systems for several auto brands in Australia won’t connect to emergency services in a crash from 28 October 2024 if customers don’t update their vehicle’s software. Thousands of connected cars on Australian roads may be left incapable of making potentially life-saving automatic SOS emergency calls in a severe collision if owners do not act, once the 3G mobile network closes on 28 October 2024. Many of the car brands affected have confirmed fixes for their vehicles to make them compatible with the newer 4G network – but owners must have software updates installed to prevent disruption to the services in their cars. Hyundai , Kia and Genesis have confirmed a software update is required for their connected vehicles to support calling emergency services after the 3G network shuts down later this month. Until recently, Hyundai , Kia and Genesis vehicles sold in Australia with Hyundai Bluelink , Kia Connect and Genesis Connected Services – first introduced i
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2025 MG ES5 electric SUV revealed as ZS EV successor, Australian plans unclear

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The replacement for the MG ZS EV has debuted as a higher-riding sibling to the rear-wheel-drive MG 4 hatchback. The 2025 MG ES5 electric small SUV has been unveiled as a successor to the ZS EV. A rival to the BYD Atto 3 , Hyundai Kona Electric , Kia EV3 and Chery Omoda E5 , the latest small SUV from MG is based on the dedicated rear-wheel-drive Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) for electric vehicles shared with the MG 4 hatchback. The ZS small SUV has continued into a new generation with a choice of petrol or hybrid power. Borrowed from the MG 4 is a 125kW/250Nm electric motor, though it remains to be seen if the ES5 will also match the MG 4 with 150kW/250Nm and 180kW/350Nm in higher-spec variants fed by larger batteries. Car News China reports the ES5 has a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 8.0 seconds and a 170km/h top speed. Overseas reports indicate the ES5 features a 49.1kWh or 62.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack enabling an electric dr
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Do electric cars actually present a greater fire risk than petrol or diesel? EV fire myths busted

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When it comes to electric cars and fires, fake news can send the rumour mill wild – but is any of it true? We find out. Large scale fires in electric vehicles have happened less than 600 times globally over the last 14 years, new figures show, despite a growing public perception that they are less safe than petrol or diesel cars. According to EV FireSafe, which investigates the causes of fires in electric vehicles in Australia using funding from the Department of Defence, there have been 570 verified instances of EV fires that have reached the point of thermal runaway worldwide. EV Firesafe has been recording such instances since 2010, and the 570 tally is accurate to the end of September 2024. Aimed at enhancing safety for emergency responders dealing with electric vehicle fires, EV Firesafe distinguishes between fires involving thermal runaway and less significant fire events that are able to be extinguished via conventional fire suppression means. One key example of the
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2025 Leapmotor B10 revealed: Budget-priced electric SUV confirmed for Australia

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The newest model from China’s Leapmotor – backed by the parent company of Jeep and Ram – could challenge for the title of Australia’s most affordable electric SUV when it arrives next year. The 2025 Leapmotor B10 small electric SUV could be one of Australia’s most affordable new electric cars when it arrives in local showrooms sometime next year. The B10 is smaller than the Tesla Model Y -sized C10 planned to launch the Leapmotor brand – a Chinese firm part-backed by Stellantis , the parent company of Jeep , Ram , Fiat , Peugeot and other brands – in Australia later this year. Given the C10 will start from less than $50,000 before on-road costs locally, the B10 is set to be even cheaper – and may limbo close to, or less than $40,000. MORE: 2025 Leapmotor C10 electric SUV to undercut chart-topping Tesla Model Y Revealed at the Paris motor show , the B10 is due in Australia sometime in 2025, with more precise arrival timing to be confirmed closer to launch. Lit
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Police-spec Tesla Cybertruck enters active duty fighting the war on drugs

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A Tesla Cybertruck has found a new beat as a police car, with the unique one-off designed to promote the DARE program and as a community outreach conduit. A Californian police department has purchased a purpose-built Tesla Cybertruck to promote its long-running Drug Resistance Abuse Education (DARE) initiative. This particular Tesla Cybertruck belongs to the Irvine, California police department and it’s been specifically kitted out by Unplugged Performance with emergency lights, custom police graphics, and police communications technology inside the cabin. While it’s not expected to complete much traditional police work, the Irvine PD said it is capable of responding to emergencies and assisting the local community when required. It’s designed to promote the Irvine PD’s three-decade-long DARE program which educates the community on the dangers of drug dependence. The Tesla Cybertruck is just the latest of several one-off police vehicles the department has used to turn head
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All the cars Australian police use (even the undercover ones)

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From utes to electric sports cars, here are the specific cars used by state and territory police forces across Australia. Image: iStock/SCM Jeans Australian police cars have come a long way in both performance and design since the glory days of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. Once production of the iconic homegrown models stopped in 2016 and 2017, various state and territory police scrambled to find the appropriate successors. RELATED: The coolest police cars in the world Close to a decade later, state and territory police have added a range of performance, off-road, hybrid and even electric cars to their domestic fleets. Make no mistake, while state and territory police are utilising models that are available to the everyday consumer, law enforcement cars are generally modified to handle the requirements needed for frontline operations. This means most Australian police cars are fitted with various technical gadgets – like number-plate recognition systems and radio
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2025 BYD Shark 6 to cost less than $60,000, undercutting key Toyota, Ford, Isuzu rivals

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Aggressive pricing will make the BYD Shark 6 not only a bargain as a highly-specified dual-cab 4×4 ute – but also as a plug-in hybrid with up to 100km of claimed electric-only range. BYD’s first ute, the 2025 BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), is expected to be priced from less than $60,000 plus on-road costs as the Chinese brand aims for a slice of the competitive 4×4 pick-up segment. While exact pricing will not be confirmed until 29 October, Drive understands a sub-$60,000 before on-road costs starting price will be announced later this month for BYD ’s new 4×4 ute. It will make the Shark 6 comparable in price to mid-specification dual-cab 4×4 utes such as the Ford Ranger XLS Bi-Turbo (from $57,630), Isuzu D-Max X-Rider (from $59,500), Mazda BT-50 XTR (from $59,280), Mitsubishi Triton GLS (from $59,090), Nissan Navara ST-X (from $58,945), and Toyota HiLux SR5 manual ($60,670). However, whereas all aforementioned rivals are powered by a diesel e
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