Australians got a taste of the avalanche of new EVs heading our way at the Everything Electric show in Sydney, where Tesla unveiled its latest offering in the face of its collapsing share price and increased competition.
From the sensible and affordable to the radical and racy, an influx of electric cars is set to shake up the Australian market – and plenty were on display at the Sydney event held from March 7-9.
The stars included an array of models from the updated Tesla Model Y and Kia EV3 to the Audi S6 e-tron and Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid, as well as a plethora of shiny machines from brands many Aussies haven’t heard of.
Fancy an SUV that transforms into a ute? The Deepal E07 could be for you.
There was even a Zeekr with more power than an F1 car.
Sexy new metal – including bikes, scooters and trucks – served as the headline act at Everything Electric 2025, but the latest solar and EV charging tech was also on display, making it easier for Aussies to electrify.
It’s that diversity into the electrified ecosystem that Dan Caesar, CEO of event organiser Fully Charged, said makes Everything Electric appealing to those wanting to learn more.
“Unlike the steady state car industry … this is a whole ecosystem and [consumers] want to understand it,” he said.
Caesar believes Australia is on the precipice of an EV boom, although he adds that 2025 may end up being “quite flat” in terms of raw sales numbers.
“I think the Australian market will go quite fast. The cars here are as cheap as they’re going to be anywhere in the developed world. The competition is fuelling that,” he said.
Despite a drop in the growth of EVs, the sheer number of new brands and models from existing players makes a boom inevitable, he argued.
“We never get too hung up on short term trends, we always look at the longer-term trends,” said Caesar, pointing out there were “about a dozen new cars that haven’t been shown before”.
Tesla Fightback
The new Tesla Model Y “Juniper” revision on show in Sydney
Headlining Everything Electric 2025 was the heavily updated Tesla Model Y, as the EV powerhouse seeks to push back against declining market share and plummeting share prices.
The so-called Juniper revision to the top seller in the country is big news ahead of first deliveries in May.
Tesla is (unsurprisingly) talking a big game for the heavily revised Y. One of the cars on display was the affordable model that will be priced below the launch editions which have almost sold out.
That Model Y on its own likely dragged in some of the circa-30,000 visitors that came through the doors of the Sydney Showground over three days.
“It’s the biggest new unveil we’ve ever had at the show,” said Caesar, who points to the dozens of newcomers looking to take a slice of Tesla’s share.
“It’s not the only game in town any more … the competition now is absolutely fierce,” said Caesar of the EV market.
Unknown Brands Make Their Mark
Zeekr put its best foot forward with a range of EVs on show.
Of the 18 shows Fully Charged has hosted around the world, Caesar says Sydney 2025 was the biggest in terms of new models.
“That’s the most (car makers) we’ve had in one show,” said Caesar.
The Sydney Showground hall was packed with newcomer EV brands, including recent new arrivals such as Zeekr, Deepal, Leapmotor, Farizon and Skyworth. It’s a great way to look, smell and touch brands that in some instances can be difficult to find out in the wild (many have a miniscule showroom presence).
Several brands showcased models that are months away, or yet to be confirmed for the Australian market.
Zeekr had some of the highlights, including the quirky Mix people mover that features funky swivelling seats and sliding doors. It’s clearly sizing up the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, the head-turning EV take on the Kombi and another of the many options that showgoers could get up close and personal with.
The Zeekr 001FR also gives an idea of what’s possible in the EV world. The Porsche-chasing wagon features 930kW of power – more than 1300 horsepower, exceeding a Formula 1 car.
XPeng showed off its “flying car”, which looks a lot more like a mini helicopter or a drone than anything you’re likely to spot in peak-hour traffic. But the brand also had plenty of real cars, including the X9, one of the new breed of tech-laden people-movers that look set to change the game.
The influx of Chinese brands has already changed the market, a trend set to continue.
Traditional Car Makers Join The Party
Kia was one of the traditional car makers to promote its EV range, including the affordable EV3.
There were also plenty of familiar brands, including BMW, Kia, Audi and Volkswagen.
Yep, traditional car makers increasingly want in on the EV party too.
Kia showed its soon-to-arrive EV3, which is set to become the brand’s most affordable model with a circa-$50K starting price.
Volkswagen is finally getting serious with EVs, too, with its ID.4 and ID.5, while sister brand Skoda showed off the upcoming Elroq.
And Audi went big as it plays catch up to its German rivals on the EV sales front.
As well as the recently arrived Q4 and Q6, the brand showed off the sporty S6 that was flown out (yep, it’s expensive!) ahead of a late 2025 on-sale.
Ford had a small stand but a big presence with its Ranger PHEV now on sale ahead of mid-year first deliveries.
It can drive purely on electricity but has the back-up of a petrol engine for heavy hauling and longer distances. It’s a critical model for the blue oval brand in the face of the first fuel efficiency standards introduced here.
Behind The Wheel
The real appeal for many with Everything Electric is the chance to get behind the wheel.
Dozens of cars were on offer for test drives, allowing people a taste test of some cars that aren’t even in dealerships yet.
Caesar anticipated up to 10,000 test drives across the three days of the show, with many brands booking out early on.
Plenty of cars were off-limits, though, including the new Model Y and some of the high-performance stuff (previous years seem to have shown some car makers that queues of enthusiasts will quickly form for the really sexy stuff).
But there were also dozens of interesting machines hitting the road, including those new Volkswagens, various BMWs, the BYD Shark 6 and some from Zeekr, among a healthy carpark covering many brands.
On The Grid
Australian battery manufacturer RedEarth showed off its V2G offerings.
There was also no shortage of fresh fare from charging companies and energy suppliers, all keen to jump in early for those looking to make the EV switch.
Now that vehicle-to-grid has been approved for Australia and we have a national plan in place, there’s a sprinkling of options for hardware to enable the tech on cars that are set up for it.
One is Australian battery manufacturer RedEarth that says it will soon start selling a V2G-enabled box that also integrates an EV charger.
The single-phase version is due mid-year ahead of a 22kW three-phase option later in the year.
No word on what it will cost, which could be the clincher, but it’s indicative of increasing interest in V2G. For more on the possibilities of this emerging new option for EV drivers, read our comprehensive explainer on bidirectional charging.
About Toby Hagon
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The only people foolish enough to consider buying a Tesla are the same people considering buying a Nissan. Why would you? It is so obvious that the risks are just too high. Just like the Solar Panel installers, who give you 20-year warranties, what’s the chance that they will be around that long?
I am so glad we are now seeing so many new EVs, which is still quite early days in the EV revolution. I have a year old Model 3 refreshed Highland. Its been an absolute breath of fresh air compared to my old petrol car I now call effectionately as the “puffing billy”. So so ancient in every way compared to the trouble free, zero maintenance, zero fuel cost EV that I can charge from using my excess solar roof panels whenever I am home. Not to mention how much fun it is to drive and even dragoff V8s. I still feel like a kid with a new toy every time I drive it ! Happy EV motoring…
Here here. Tesla has the only dependable public charging network (SuperChargers) and at rates typically less than other public chargers (think ChargeFox, Evie, BP, others). It also has a very reliable and widespread service network with spare parts, which cannot be said for the other EV’s in the Australian market (present or future). Not to mention the low cost servicing schedule and tech that is very reliable. Tesla have been in Australia since 2016 – every other EV manufacturer are playing catch-up.
I hardly think a CEO who is a bit rogue is going to force a multi billion dollar company with world leading products to go broke.
Tesla? not at any price.
Tesla Y model, yeah it is Tesla why? Or wtf, no NAZI cars thank you.
You should not give any promotion to this brand.
Buy one if you want to be hated and have to join the class action law suit.
The vast majority of Tesla haters were never ever going to buy one anyway so who listens to them.
The share price and sales have tanked mostly for other reasons.
So who cares about contributing more of our hard earned AUDs to the world’s richest man’s coffers. I for one am looking elsewhere.
Hilarious- these “intelligent” people who say they won’t buy a car because they don’t like the CEO.
I don’t like him much any more either, but that wont stop me buying another. Tell me what you know about the CEOs of the Chinese cars you might buy instead.
Our existing Tesla is coming up on five and a half years old. It’s been BY FAR the best, most trouble free and reliable car we’ve had in fifty odd years. It has also cost under $100 in maintenance in that time.
Outdated battery tech, no outstanding features makes tesla drop out of the competition
Hmmm the Tesla battery tech is almost all sourced from 3rd parties CATL, BYD, LG and its original foundation supplier Panasonic. Only the Cybertruck uses their new 4680 battery which is still in evolution stage. As for charging speeds, motor and energy management systems hence EV range they are still cutting edge at there price points. So where did you get your facts?
Even without the CEO, Teslas are impractical death machines compared to something from any other EV manufacturer. Your indicator is on a touch screen for most models. They built a shiny hotwheels ripoff and called it a 4WD.
Tesla did push the industry in the right direction for a long time, but it’s time for their image to die and the good engineers and workers to move to other manufacturers. Let the richest man in the world profit of some other facet of our global system, like creating space debris or dismantling the social systems of America.
Hmmm all Tesla cars have 5 star safety ratings and recently the Cybertruck got its 5 star rating as the safest truck on the US market. The Model 3 & Y have on individual safety metrics the highest ratings of most cars. So where did your facts come from?
You my friend, believe too much of what is said (often with click-bait headlines) in the mainstream media. Rhetorically, why do you think Tesla’s are impractical death machines when they have the highest safety ranking in Australia and the world?
I guess these “intelligent” people only have one way to hit back at someone who is embracing 1930’s German politics, by not giving him their money. All you say about EVs is true, but not just about Teslas. My Ioniq 5 is as good, I’d say better. I think it’s quite intelligent to stand up for a very moral cause in this case with no downside to the EV buyer at all.
“Sexy new metal – including bikes, scooters and trucks – served as the headline act at Everything Electric 2025….”
The only mention of electric motorcycles and scooters. Let’s remember that a car, whether electric or ICE, still takes up a fair bit of road space and contributes to congestion, which in turn contributes to inner-city pollution, takes up parking space, while only carrying a single person.
Today there are at least two Aussie made motor scooters and motorcycles (Fonz Scooters (Sydney) and Savic Motorcycles (Melbourne)) which should at least rate a bigger mention.
Thanks for raising this comment, Joe.
I came here to read about electric motorbikes and saw nothing… other than the comment you quoted, and your comment!
A plethora of new electric vehicle options might sound great, but what about the recharging infrastructure?
Try driving your EV from Melbourne to Cairns (or further to the west) to discover the messy debacle with recharging stations and payments!
I got badly caught with this in Scotland too, with many charging stations not working properly, or not compatible with online payment system, and many Scottish residents jumping up and down in frustration at a system that has not been properly set up in the first place. Australia is similar.
I have a KIA Carnival converted to carry a power wheelchair. Safety and ease of use are major considerations. Is there an EV that could be used for that purpose? Speed and acceleration would not be big drawcards.
I have no idea mate! My source of real data is Utube which has comprehensive vehicle reports on the testing regimes conducted and the testing results. Not sure what media reports your referring to but usually its brief has a star rating and bits and pieces about safety features offered on a car. I take little notice of just reports.
As for some so called safety gripes, I have read about three that come to mind and are flurfies.
As for the indicators say on the Model 3 its on the steering wheel which ultra luxury and super cars have. It takes a bit to get used to but it’s far quicker to operate as you don’t take your hands away from the steering wheel. In Aus where we use a lot of roundabouts its a trick to change indication half-way around the circuit which just requires you to press the indicator when the steering wheel is upside down. Again a bit to get used to but even for an aging retiree, it only took me a few weeks.
As for gear engagement it 80 to 90% self selecting but sometimes you just swipe the side of the screen up for forward and down for reverse, not exactly rocket science compared to using a stauk.
Then theirs the phantom emergency braking issue. When I got the car it did it a few times on a particular dipping road. After a software upgrade, the issue disappeared. The active cruise control is a bit of a nervous Nelly, but I have talked to new car owners, it seems to be very generic issue just needs use of the accelerator to override its actions. Clearly an industry wide issue the regulator needs to intervene with fact based research to recommend improvements.
Given the anti-Tesla sentiments noted here and elsewhere, I thought it might be of interest to some to hear that the anti-Tesla domestic terrorism has led to a surge in interest in buying one. Whether the interest translates to sales, only time will tell.
Yes some will doubtless argue the ‘protests’ aren’t terrorism, unfortunately for sympathisers, it actually does meet both the FBI definition, and the Patriot Act definition.
Hi George,
Everyone should be happy to see more people buying EVs, even if the salesman is this bad…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uUntzU4Toy4
“Everything’s computer!”