Quick Charge: : Leapmotor Local Tuning, Jetour PHEV Ute War, Suzuki e Vitara Pricing and Hyundai EV Sales Surge |

.Leapmotor says export-market cars will not simply be copied from Chinese-market tuning, with Stellantis engineering input and possible Australia-specific calibration if volumes support it. Jetour confirms a 2027 Australian launch plan with the T1, T2, G700 off-roader and F700 plug-in hybrid ute, including big power and towing claims aimed at buyers considering BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV. Mazda Australia shuts down rumours of a Deepal E07-based electric ute, while GWM axes the Ora hatch and prepares the larger Ora 5 electric SUV from $33,990 drive-away. Polestar and Volvo begin rolling out Google Gemini in cars with Google built-in. Omoda Jaecoo extends the J5 EV’s $36,990 drive-away price to EOFY. Suzuki confirms e Vitara pricing from $46,990 drive-away for the first 100 customers. Volkswagen’s ID.Era 9X previews a huge range-extender flagship SUV, and Hyundai Australia’s EV sales have already passed its full 2025 result on the back of fuel-price pressure and stronger demand for Kona Electric, Elexio, Inster and Ioniq 5.

 # YouTube Timestamps — Quick Charge

 00:00 Intro  

00:41 Leapmotor export tuning and B05 Australia  

01:41 Jetour T1, T2, G700 and F700 coming to Australia  

02:47 Mazda shuts down Deepal E07 electric ute rumour  

03:23 GWM Ora 5 replaces Ora hatch  

04:07 Jaecoo J5 EV EOFY deal and Suzuki e Vitara pricing  

05:46 Google Gemini, Volvo & Polestar

06:18 Volkswagen ID.Era 9X 

07:01: Hyundai EV sales surge  

07:38 Outro

Disclaimer:

All specifications, pricing, and information discussed in this episode were correct at the time of recording. The electric vehicle market moves quickly, so we recommend you always check the latest details directly with manufacturers, dealers, or official sources.

This podcast provides general news and information only, based on publicly available sources and Australian Consumer Law guidelines. It is not legal, financial, or professional advice. For advice specific to your situation, please contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) or seek independent professional guidance.

Plugged in Australia and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions, misunderstandings, or purchases made based on the content of this show.

Sourcing & Transparency

At Plugged in Australia, all our stories are sourced from publicly available news articles and reports. We do not receive any advance information or briefings from brands or manufacturers.

Any analysis or opinions we share are based solely on this public information.

Our main sources include (though we also use many others, and they vary by episode):

• https://www.carsales.com.au/
• https://www.carexpert.com.au/
• https://thedriven.io/
• https://www.carsguide.com.au
• https://autotalk.com.au
• https://www.carsguide.com.au
• https://evcentral.com.au
• https://www.drive.com.au

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Plugged in Australia Quick Charge, the shorter version of the show for when you want the main EV news without the full deep dive. This is the Quick Charge version of episode 47 for Monday, the 4th of May 2026. Today we're covering Leap Motors push for export market tuning, Jator's plug-in hybrid ute and off-road plans, Mazda shutting down the Deepal Electric Ute Rumor, GWM replacing the Aura Hatch with the Aura 5 SUV, new deals from JQ and Suzuki, Google Gemini in Polestar and Volvo cars, Volkswagen's huge range extender SUV concept, and Hyundai's EV Sales Surge. Without further ado, let's get into it. Leap Motor says it will not simply export Chinese market cars and hope they work everywhere else. The company says it is using Stellantis' engineering expertise to assess export market models before production, especially around ride and handling. That matters for Australia because our roads quickly expose cars that are too soft, too floaty, or poorly controlled at highway speeds. The upcoming Leap Motor B-05 Hatch is the one to watch. It is golf-sized, confirmed for Australia by the end of 2026, and expected to bring a 160kW electric motor and multi-link rear suspension. A hotter B-05 Ultra has also been shown overseas with 180 kW rear-wheel drive and a claimed 5.9 seconds 0 to 100 time. Leap Motor says a unique Australian tune would need enough sales volume to justify the cost. So this is not a guarantee, but it is a good sign the brand understands local expectations. The T1 and T2 SUVs are expected in early 2027, while the larger G700 off-road SUV and F700 Ute are expected later in 2027. The G700 is a plug-in hybrid with a 2-litre turbo petrol engine, electric motors front and rear, and a huge claimed 665 kilowatts and 1135 Nm of torque. It is almost 5.2 meters long, weighs more than 3 tons, and still claims 0 to 100 in 4.6 seconds. The F700Ute could be even more relevant locally. Jutour says it will sit above the BYD Shark 6 rather than compete purely on price, and it is reportedly targeting 3.5 tonne towing. A diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain is also under development, which could be very interesting for Australian buyers who want electric driving around town but still need diesel-style touring and towing confidence. Mazda, meanwhile, has shut down rumors that it will re-badge the DPAL E07 as an electric Ute. This is a follow-up to earlier speculation. Mazda Australia says there are no plans for it and that reports are wrong. The E07 is clever, blending SUV comfort with Ute style rear section. But it's not a true work Ute. It starts from $65,000 before on-roads, uses a large battery, and that affects payload, and it is better understood as a lifestyle multi-track than a BT50 replacement. GWM has axed the Aura Hatch in Australia and replace it with the Aura 5 Electric SUV. Pricing starts from 3390 drive away for the Lux and 3690 for the Ultra, matching the outgoing hatch pricing while moving into a larger body. The Aura 5 has a 150kW front motor, a 58.3 kWh LFP battery. It'll have up to 430km of a WLTC range, a 120kW DC charging, and up to 6 kW vehicle to load. An Australian chassis tune is also being developed, which could be important in a crowded EV market. However, the fresh update is that the offer is being extended and reported orders are now above 4,000. The J5EV has a 155kW motor, 288 Nm, and a 58.9 kWh LFP battery. Up to 402km of WLTP range, it'll have vehicle to load, a 13.2 inch screen, wireless smartphone mirroring, and an 8-year unlimited kilometer vehicle and battery warranty. Suzuki has finally priced the evitara for Australia. The motion starts at 46,990 drive away for the first 100 pre-orders, rising to 49.990 after the promotion. The Ultra starts at 56,990 drive away, rising to 58,990 after the promotion as well. The motion is front-wheel drive with a 49kWh LFP battery and 344km of WLTP range. The Ultra gets a 61kWh battery, all grip E all-wheel drive, and 395km of WLTP range. Charging from 10 to 80% takes a claimed 45 minutes, which is not class leading even in the slightest. And ANCAP has rated it four stars. So Suzuki will need brand trust and compact practicality to do a lot of the selling. For us here in Australia, the timing is not locked in across the board, but it shows how important software is becoming in EV ownership. Volkswagen has shown the ID ERA 9X in China, a huge three-row range extender SUV concept developed with SAIC. It uses a 1.5 litre turbo engine, one or two electric motors, a battery as large as 65.2 kWh, up to 400km of electric driving, claimed total range approaching 1600 km, and 800 volt charging from 10 to 80% in around 17 minutes. It is not confirmed for Australia, but it shows Volkswagen is watching the same EREV trend that Chinese brands are pushing hard into SUVs and Utes. And finally, Hyundai Australia has already sold more EVs in 2026 than it did in all of 2025. Projected sales to the end of April are 2,144 vehicles compared with 1,882 for the full previous year. Coner Electric and the new Alexio are leading the charge, with Insta also close to matching last year's result. Fuel prices are a big driver here. When petrol and diesel become painful, buyers who are already EV curious suddenly have a very practical reason to move. And that is the quick charge version of episode 47 for the full deep dive, including more specs, pricing, more local context, and some hard truths behind each story. Check out the full episode of Plugged in Australia. As I've said on the full version there, the the quick charge will come up as a bonus episode of the full episode. So that's the easiest way to see that there. And then obviously the description will have quick charge down in the front of it there. So I appreciate all of those of you that reached out, that suggested the quick charge format. Hopefully that is something of interest to everybody. Always appreciate any feedback you might have. Info at plugged in Australia.com.au. And as always, thank you very much for listening. And until the next time, stay plugged in and stay charged. Chi videamel.