Postingan

Diesel supply into Australia expected to improve as standards are lowered

Gambar
New changes will see “additional diesel supply into Australia” as Chris Bowen reveals over 550 service stations are out of at least one fuel type. The Federal Government has temporarily lowered quality standards for diesel fuel in a bid to unlock additional supply for Australian service stations grappling with shortages. It follows a similar rollback of petrol quality standards in recent weeks to match rules last in force in late 2025, also aimed to improve supply. The announcement comes as Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has revealed a figure of 564 service stations across the country had run dry of at least one type of fuel as of Tuesday. However, these figures represent a minority of outlets in each state, as seen in the table below. State/territory Total fuel stations Reported shortages New South Wales 2417 164 (no diesel); 289 (missing at least one fuel type) Queensland 1800 55 (no diesel); 35 (no regular unleaded) Victoria 1...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

New EU agreement to cut the cost of European cars in Australia

Gambar
A new free trade agreement trims the cost to import popular European cars, but there’s no guarantee car brands will pass on the savings. Inset photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Most European cars imported to Australia could get cheaper, as tariffs on European-built cars will be scrapped under a new newly signed free trade agreement between the European Union and Australia. As previously reported by Drive, this deal means the price of over 100 European-built cars sold in Australia could drop, including the Volkswagen Golf , Audi Q3 , and Mercedes-Benz GLC . European-built vehicles also include an array of vehicles from non-European brands that are manufactured in Europe and exported to Australia, such as the Hyundai i30 N hatch built in the Czech Republic. The only European-made cars currently exempt from the import tariff are electric vehicles priced below the Luxury Car Tax threshold – currently $91,387 for these models – under legislation introduc...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

Ford F-150 Lightning remanufacturer AusEV goes under

Gambar
Ford’s decision to drop the F-150 Lightning has been blamed for the collapse of AusEV, the company responsible for importing the electric pick-ups to right-hand drive for sale in Australia. Ford F-150 lightning The business responsible for importing the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pick-up into Australia and converting it to right-hand drive (RHD) has gone under, blaming Ford for its woes. BOSSCAP Group Pty Ltd was placed into administration on March 17, attributing its collapse to Ford ending production on the all-electric F-150 Lightning that its subsidiaries, Advanced Manufacturing Queensland and AusEV, had been converting to right-hand drive and selling locally. The AusEV operation is unrelated to Ford Australia’s remanufacturing of petrol-powered F-150 pick-ups for sale in local showrooms, and was not covered by the US car giant’s five-year factory warranty. “A sudden change in global production strategy from Ford materially impacted the availability of the underlyi...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

2026 Melbourne Motor Show: What to expect from the second year of the event’s comeback

Gambar
New vehicles set to be displayed at the 2026 Melbourne Motor Show include the Honda Prelude and Super One, GWM Tank 300 PHEV, Kia EV9 GT and MG 4 Urban. The reborn Melbourne Motor Show is returning for its second year with 20 new-car brands and more than 40 aftermarket exhibitors locked-in for the event. Held between Friday, 10 April and Sunday, 12 April, 2026, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the biggest confirmed brands at this year’s show include BYD , GWM , Honda , Isuzu Ute , Kia , MG , Tesla , Volkswagen and Zeekr . Other carmakers set to exhibit their vehicles at the 2026 Melbourne Motor Show include Farizon , GAC , Geely , JAC , Polestar , Renault , Skoda and Smart . Major brands absent from the event include Toyota , Ford , Mazda , Hyundai , Mitsubishi and Chery , as well as luxury brands such as BMW , Audi and Porsche . MORE: ‘Fast & Furious’ celebration headlines 2026 Melbourne Motor Show activities Tesla Model Y L While Mercedes...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

2026 Mazda CX-5 price and specs: First new model since 2017 due in Australia mid-year

Gambar
The third-generation CX-5 will arrive in Australia mid-year with a sub-$40K entry price, a larger body, new tech and standard AWD – but no hybrid or turbo options. 2026 Mazda CX-5 pricing and specifications Third-generation SUV gets larger body, new technology Standard all-wheel-drive 2.5-litre non-turbo petrol power Priced from $39,990 before on-road costs 2026 Mazda CX-5 G25 Akera Australian details for the next-generation 2026 Mazda CX-5 – replacing the current nine-year-old model – have been confirmed ahead of local showroom arrivals mid-year. Priced from $39,990 before on-road costs, the CX-5 is now limited to an all-wheel-drive 2.5-litre non-turbo petrol configuration, with the front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre discontinued, along with the all-wheel-drive 2.5-litre turbo. Mazda Australia said its sub-$40K entry price is approximately $6000 cheaper than some hybrid competitors, such as the Toyota RAV4 , Hyundai Tucson , Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V . A...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

Vehicle safety in 2026 explained: What are ANCAP’s changes to its examination criteria

Gambar
Cars with annoying safety systems and hard-to-open door handles will be penalised in ANCAP’s new car-safety assessment rules. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and Euro NCAP have enacted a drastic change in its testing procedures that will better emphasis real-world usability of vehicles as well as crash-safety assessment. While the safety organisations will update their protocols every three years, and just introduced a new set of rules from 1 January, 2026, the latest overhaul is designed to lay the groundwork for the next set of changes due in 2029. Up until now, vehicles have been assessed on four key areas – adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assist – but these existing tests will be moved into four new pillars. MORE: ANCAP releases two new safety ratings without crashing any more cars On-road driving assessment (real-world testing) Now, an ANCAP assessment will involve safe driv...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya

Police say car brands ‘acutely aware’ of how to make vehicles harder to steal

Gambar
Police say new cars should be harder to steal, but vehicle brands say thugs shouldn’t have access to car-stealing tech in the first place. Police in Victoria have pointed a finger at global car giants “acutely aware” of how to prevent their vehicles being stolen, as new statistics show car theft crimes are at their highest level in decades. The car industry argues the government has work to do in cracking down on criminals’ easy access to electronic tools that allow popular cars to be stolen in seconds. Figures released on Thursday show Victoria recorded 32,013 motor vehicle theft offences in 2025, a 10 per cent increase from 2024, and the highest number in more than 20 years. Victoria’s Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines, told media last week: “Car manufacturers have a role to play in making sure that the vehicles that they sell are more secure.” Total car theft offences in Victoria 2016-2025 Robert Hill, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner, said car companies have “m...
Posting Komentar
Baca selengkapnya