Quick Charge Episode 52: Firefly, Leapmotor D19, MG4 Price Cuts and Toyota’s EV Yaris

The shorter version of Plugged In Australia Episode 52 for Monday 11 May 2026. Today’s Quick Charge covers Nio’s Firefly heading towards Australia, Leapmotor’s factory push and D19 flagship SUV, Toyota’s planned electric Yaris, NSW EV support, Zeekr’s plug-in hybrid pivot, MG software and price updates, Genesis GV60 price cuts, and BMW’s two-millionth EV milestone.

Timestamps — Quick Charge

00:00 — Intro
00:41 — Nio Firefly heading towards Australia
01:44 — Leapmotor’s factory strategy
02:52 — Leapmotor D19 large EV and range-extender SUV
03:57 — Toyota planning an electric Yaris
04:31 — NSW charging, fleets and EV training
05:06 — Zeekr’s plug-in hybrid pivot
05:47 — MG IM5 and IM6 software upgrades
06:16 — MG4 price cuts and updated specs
06:55 — Genesis GV60 price reset
07:33 — BMW’s two-millionth EV
08:05 — 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 episode 52 for Monday, the 11th of May 2026. Today we're covering Neo's Firefly EV getting closer to Australia, Leap Motor showing the factory strategy behind its low prices, the huge D19 Electric and Range Extender SUV, Toyota planning a fully electric Yarrus, New South Wales support for charging and EV training, Zika bringing plug-in hybrids into its Australian lineup, MG software upgrades and MG4 price cuts, a cheaper Genesis G V60, and BMW hitting a major electric milestone. Let's get into it. First up, Neo's Firefly looks like it's moving closer to Australia in 2026. This is a compact electric hatch from Neo's Firefly subbrand, and it is a more at the premium city car end of the market than the Bargain Basement EV space. Official global specifications list up to 330km of WLTP range, rear-wheel drive, a rear multi-link suspension setup, a 92 litre frunk, and a 404 litre boot. For a car that is only around 4 metres long, it's pretty clever packaging. Charging is listed at up to 100kW DC with a 10-80% charge in about 29 minutes. Inside, Firefly gets a 13.2 inch central screen, a 6 inch digital instrument display, and available Dolby Atmost Audio. The big question for Australia is price. If Firefly lands sharply, it could be a great urban EV. If it comes in too expensive, it may struggle against cars like the MG4, the BYD Dolphin, the GWM Aura, and future lower cost EVs. Next, Leap Motor is showing why it can be so aggressive on price. Car Expert has looked inside Leapmotor's Chinese factory operations, and the key point is vertical integration. Leap Motor is trying to control more of its own battery packs, battery management systems, electric drive units, controllers, software and production systems. That matters because the expensive parts of an EV are exactly the parts Leapmotor wants to build and control itself. The company is already in Australia with the C10, the C10 E Rev and the B10, and it has the backing of Stellantis for international expansion. The factory numbers are big. LeapMotor delivered more than 613,000 vehicles globally in 2025, and its battery production plans run into very large volumes. It's also pushing sell to chassis technology, higher voltage charging systems, and more in-house electric drive production. The hard truth is that factory claims are one thing and owner experience is another. Leap Motor still has to prove long-term reliability, servicing, path supply, and resale value here. However, the manufacturing story helps explain why brands like this can put real pressure on established car makers. Staying with Leap Motor, the D19 is the one Australian family should watch. The D19 is a huge three-row SUV offered in China as both a full EV and a range extender EV. It is over 5.2 meters long, has a 310mm wheelbase and can be had with six or seven seats. The range extender version uses a petrol engine as a generator while the vehicle is driven electrically. Chinese market figures lists up to 4 or 500km of electric range depending on version and can bind range up to 1300km. The full EV versions use large batteries up to 115 kWh with C LTC range up to 720km. Power ranges from 300 kW in the range extender to 540 kW in the Tri-Motor EV. It is not confirmed for Australia yet, but it is under careful consideration and evaluation. If it comes here, it could be a very interesting alternative to the large SUVs like the Kia EV9, Hyondo Ionic 9, the ZCAT 9X, and other big family vehicles. Toyota is also making news with a fully electric Yarris planned for the next generation of the Hatchback. Overseas timing points towards something around 2028. However, Australia is not confirmed. That is the key detail. Toyota still talks about a multi-pathway approach, meaning petrol, hybrid, and electric depending on the market. A small Toyota EV would be a big deal here, especially if it had strong pricing and the proper Toyota dealer support. But if it is built in Europe and ends up expensive, it could be hard sell against Chinese affordable EVs. New South Wales, the EV transition is getting more support across charging fleets and training. The state's EV strategy includes work on regional charging gaps, heavy vehicle support, fleet electrification and workforce training. There is also fleet funding support for eligible businesses, including help with electric vehicles and smart charges. This matters because EV adoption is not just about private buyers. Fleets need depot charging. Regional areas need trained mechanics, emergency services need high voltage training, and public chargers need to be reliable and in the right places. Next, Zika is explaining why plug-in hybrids are becoming part of its Australian plans. Zika launched here as an electric brand, but large SUVs like the 8X and 9X are expected to arrive as plug-in hybrid or range extender style models from late 2026 into early 2027. That is a shift, but it makes a little bit of sense. Large premium SUV buyers often tow, travel regionally, and want flexibility. A big plug-in hybrid with meaningful electric range could appeal to people who are not ready for a full EV. The catch is that plug-in hybrids no longer get the federal FBT exemption, so Zika will need to win on product strength, not tax advantage. MG also has two big updates. First, the IM5 and IM6 owners are set to receive software upgrades through over-the-air updates, including expanded automated parking and more smartphone control. Updated IM models are expected in Australia later in 2026, but MG says it wants recent buyers to benefit where the hardware will allow. It's a good move. Early adopters should not feel abandoned every time a facelift arrives. The X Power gets all-wheel drive, 320kW, 600 Nm, and 0 to 100 time of 3.8 seconds. All of this for under $50,000 drive away. And for that kind of performance, it's still ridiculous. Genesis has also made a much needed move with the G V60. The updated G V60 arrives in Australia from June with a new advanced rear-wheel drive variant priced from $88,300 plus on-road costs. That is around $15,000 cheaper than before and brings the entry point under the luxury car tax threshold. It uses an 84 kWh battery, has up to 561km of WLTP range and can charge from 10 to 80% in about 18 minutes on a suitable 350kW charger. It's still not cheap, but it is much more realistic than before. And finally, BMW has built its 2 millionth fully electric vehicle. The milestone car was an i5 M60X drive built at BMW's Dingle Fing plant in Germany. BMW says more than 320,000 EVs have now been built at that particular plant, and more than a quarter of Dingolfing's 2025 output has been fully electric. That shows how far Legacy Premium brands have moved. They're not moving as fast as Tesla or BYD, but EVs are no longer a side project for BMW. And that's Quick Charge for episode 52. For the full episode, we go deeper into Firefly's Australian prospects, leap motors, factory strategy, the D19's range extender setup, Zika's plug-in hybrid plans, and what these price cuts mean for Australian EV buyers. As always, thank you very much for listening to Plugged in Australia Quickcharge. Until the next time, stay plugged in and stay charged. Chevidion.