Quick Charge 57: Longer-Range PHEVs and Electric Trucks Step Up

A shorter version of episode 57 covering the biggest EV and plug-in hybrid stories: GWM’s locally tuned Tank 500 PHEV, Geely’s longer-range Starray EM-i, CUPRA’s Leon Ve plug-in hybrid hatch, Ausgrid’s electric prime mover trial, and Stellantis building new electrified Jeep and Peugeot models in China.

YouTube timestamps — Quick Charge

00:00 — Intro
00:45 — GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T gets local tuning
02:23 — Geely Starray EM-i gets 136km EV range
03:44 — CUPRA Leon Ve priced for Australia
04:40 — Ausgrid trials electric prime mover
05:48 — Stellantis plans electrified Jeep and Peugeot exports
06:52— 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

G'day, 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 57 for Wednesday, the 20th of May 2026. And today we're looking at GWM giving the tank 500 HI4T plug-in hybrid, local suspension and steering tuning, Gly updating the Stari EMI with a much larger battery and 136km of electric range, Cooper pricing its new Leon VE plugin hybrid hatch, Osgrid trialling a electric prime mover with battery-assisted heavy charging, and Stellantis turning to China for the new electrified Jeep and Peugeot models. Let's get into it. Alright, first up, GWM has updated the Tank 500 HI4T plugin hybrid for Australia and New Zealand. The big change is local ride and handling work. GWM has revised the suspension damper tuning and steering calibration as part of its AT-1 localisation program. The goal is to make the Tank 500 feel more confident on local roads, from suburban streets to highways and off-road terrain. That matters because this is a big, heavy, body-on-frame plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive, and our roads can expose weak suspension tuning very quickly. The Tank 500 HI-4T keeps its strong plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It combines a 2-litre turbo petrol engine with electric assistance for total outputs of 300 kW and 750 Nm. It also has a 37.11 kWh battery and a claimed electric-only range of up to 120km on the NEDC cycle. It remains a 5-seater, not a 7-seater, because the battery takes up the space that would otherwise be used for the third row. But it keeps proper four-wheel drive hardware, including low-range gearing, serious off-road capability, 3 tons of brake to towing, and vehicle to load capability. GWM has also added a 220 volt outlet in the cargo area, which should make the tank more useful for camping, tools, and power hungry accessories. Pricing is currently listed at 77990 drive away under the May promotional offers, with updated MY26 stock expected to reach dealers in the coming months. The hard truth is that GWM still needs to prove the local tuning works in the real world, but this is the right move. If brands want to sell serious touring vehicles in Australia, they need to tune them for Australian conditions. Alright, next up is Geely, and they have made the Stari EMI much more interesting. The top spec Stari EMI Inspire now gets a 29.8 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, replacing the previous 18.4 kWh pack. Electric-only range increases from 83km to 136 km on the WLTP cycle, while total claimed combined range rises to 996 km. That puts the Stari in a very strong position for buyers who want an affordable plug-in hybrid SUV but still want enough electric range to cover normal daily driving. The base complete stays at 37490 before on-road costs and keeps the 18.4 kWh battery with 83km of WLTP electric range. The upgraded Inspire rises by $1,500 to 41.490 before on-road costs. The Inspire also gets faster DC charging, now up to 60 kilowatts, with a claimed 30-80% recharge in 16 minutes. Claim fuel consumption falls to 1.4 litres per 100km. As always, plug-in fuel usage depends on charging. If you plug it in, a car like this could do a lot of normal driving on electricity. If you do not plug it in, you are missing the point entirely. Deliveries of the updated MY27 Stari EMI are due from late May. Couper has also confirmed Australian pricing for the Leon VE plugin hybrid hatch, which starts from 62,990 before on-road costs and uses a 20 kWh usable battery for up to 123km of WLTP range. The drivetrain combines a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor for 150 kW, 350 Nm of torque, with a claimed 0-100 time of 7.7 seconds. It also gets 11kW AC charging and DC fast charging support, which is a big step forward compared with the older plug-in hybrids. The Leon VE is not cheap. It sits only $2,000 below the more powerful Leon VZX hatch, so if you only want performance, the VZX will be pretty tempting. But if you want a sporty hatch that can do most daily driving on electricity, the VE makes more sense. Australian arrivals are scheduled to begin in June. Alright now to heavy transport. Osgrid has started trialling its first electric prime mover, a Volvo FH Aero Electric, with up to 400km of range and fast charging at up to 350 kW. The truck will haul loads of more than 30 tons between the Upper Hunter and Southern Sydney. That is important because this is not just a symbolic EV trial, it is a heavy vehicle doing actual work. Osgrid says early results show the truck is performing comparably to diesel alternatives without reducing productivity. Drivers have also reported positively to the smoother and quieter driving experience. The charging system is just as interesting, comes from Australian startup HubZero Energy and is supplied by grid rig. It combines a standard grid connection with integrated battery storage, which can help avoid major grid upgrades and allow faster heavy vehicle charging to be deployed more quickly. That kind of solution could be crucial for fleets. Electric trucks need more than just vehicles. They need depot charging, power management, and infrastructure that can be installed without turning every site into a major construction project. And finally, Stillantis and Dongfeng have confirmed a major new agreement to build electrified Peugeant Jeep models in China from 2027. The plan is for the DPCA joint venture plan in Wuhan to produce two new Peugeot branded new energy vehicles and two Jeep branded off-road new energy vehicles. The vehicles are planned for China and export markets with a project worth more than 8 billion yuan, which is about 1.6 to 1.7 billion Australian dollars. For Australia, nothing is confirmed as yet, but it matters because Jeep's local lineup is now much thinner than it used to be. The Grand Cherokee has gone, the regular Cherokee is gone, and Jeep needs fresh product if it wants to rebuild momentum. Chinese built electrified Jeeps could potentially help, but only if they are made in right-hand drive, obviously, properly engineered and actually suited to Australian buyers. As you probably hear that's the big theme for today. Plug-in hybrids and electric heavy vehicles are becoming more serious. Batteries are getting bigger, charging is getting faster, and the use cases are becoming more practical. And that's it for Plugged in Australia Quick Charge 57 for the full deep dive. Check out the main episode of Plugged in Australia where we go further into the specs, further into the pricing, and the Australian relevance behind each story. As always, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for listening. Any feedback info at plugged in Australia.com.au. And until the next time, stay plugged in and stay charged. Gividiamo.