Quick Charge Ep 58: BYD’s 5000-Car Australia Push, Volvo EX60 Priced, and EV Sales Hit 20 Million

Plugged In Australia: Quick Charge is the shorter version of the show for when you want the main EV news without the full deep dive.

In Episode 58, BYD sends almost 5000 EVs and plug-in hybrids to Australia on one of its own ships as it pushes harder into the local market. Volvo prices the new EX60 electric SUV for Australia and promises better software after earlier EX30 and EX90 issues. Global EV sales pass 20 million in 2025, Kia shows a wheelchair-accessible PV5 electric van, Tesla talks up Semi uptime, and Sydney starts work on its first purpose-built electric bus depot.
We also cover Origin’s fleet EV findings, the Skoda Epiq small electric SUV, BYD Seal 7 and Ti7 updates, Denza’s wild suspension tech, Mercedes-AMG’s 860kW electric GT, Hyundai’s fake EV shifting influence, and the updated CUPRA Leon Ve plug-in hybrid.

Fast, factual EV news with an Australian focus.

YouTube Timestamps — Quick Charge

Plugged In Australia: Quick Charge

00:00 — Intro
00:44 — BYD sends almost 5000 vehicles to Australia
02:08 — Volvo EX60 priced for Australia
03:30 — Global EV sales pass 20 million
04:07 — Kia PV5 wheelchair-accessible EV
04:50 — Tesla Semi and Australian electric truck modelling
05:50 — Sydney electric bus depot and fleet EV lessons
06:38 — Skoda Epiq, BYD Seal 7, BYD Ti7Denza, Mercedes-AMG
08:30 — Hyundai performance EV tech
08:50 — 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 all the chit-chat. This is episode 58 for Saturday, the 23rd of May 2026, and today we're covering BYD sending almost 5,000 vehicles to Australia on one of its own ships. Volvo pricing the new EX60 electric SUV, Global EV sales passing 20 million, Kia showing a wheelchair accessible PV5 electric van, Tesla talking up Semi, Sydney starting work on a purpose-built electric bus depot, and a run of the new model updates from Skoda, BYD, Denzer, Mercedes AMG, Hyundai, and Cooper. Let's get into it. This shipment includes both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with the BYD C Line 7 and At O2 making up more than 2,000 vehicles between them. Denzer models, including the B5 Off-Roader and D9 People Mover, are also part of the shipment. The reason this matters is supply. BYD is not just talking about growth in Australia, it is physically moving thousands of cars here at once. Using one of its car-carrying ships, that gives its supply chain advantage many legacy brands do not have. The EX60 P10 Ultra is priced from $101,990 before on roads. It has a dual motor all-wheel drive, $375 kW, 710 Nm of torque, with a claimed WLTP range of 660km. Both versions use an 800 volt electrical architecture and support up to 350 kW of DC fast charging. They also get a very high standard equipment list, including a 28-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, a 15-inch infotainment screen with Google Gemini AI, a heat pump, over-the-air updates, an electrochromatic roof, and Volvo's latest safety systems. Volvo is also making a big point about software. The company knows the EX60 and EX90 launches had some issues, and it is saying the EX60 has had more software testing and better integration to avoid repeating those issues. That will be critical because premium EV buyers now expect the software experience to be as polished as the hardware. On the global EV front, the International Energy Agency says electric car sales topped 20 million in 2025, which means one in four new cars sold worldwide was electric. The IEA expects that to rise again in 2026 to around 23 million vehicles, or around 28% of total car sales. That does not mean every market is moving at the same speed. China, Europe, the US, and emerging markets are all behaving very differently. But the overall direction is clear. EV adoption is still growing globally, and fuel price pressure is making the running cost argument stronger for many buyers. Back in the practical vehicle space, Kia has shown a wheelchair accessible version of its Pv5 electric van. I think this matters because EV van conversions can be difficult when the battery is under the floor. Kia's concept uses a side entry layout rather than a traditional rear entry design, which can make urban access easier and avoid issues where cars park too close behind the vehicle. The Pv5 is due in Australia in the second half of this year, but there is no confirmation yet that the wheelchair accessible option will come here. It would make sense for taxi operators, community transport, NDIS providers, councils, and shuttle services if Kia Australia can make it work locally. There is also two important electric truck stories. Tesla says its semi-trucks achieve more than 95% uptime in 2025 trial operations, with 75% of service visits completed in under 24 hours. The long-range version is reported to use an 820kWh battery and deliver more than 800km of range with a heavy load. And in Australia, startup Eco Route Advisory has received a $440,000 arena grant to help freight operators access electric truck routes. Its models look at load, battery age, state of charge, elevation, speed limits, charging locations, and dwell time. That sort of work is exactly what fleets need because a heavy truck range figure means very little unless it is tested against the actual route and payload. Sydney has also started construction on its first purpose-built electric bus depot. That's at Macquarie Park in New South Wales. The project is worth $145 million and will be able to charge 150 battery electric buses using 75 kilowatt and 150kW chargers. It is due to be operational in 2028 and forms part of the broader plan to transition thousands of New South Wales buses away from diesel and gas. And Origins Energy Fleets electrification report also gives us a useful snapshot of the market. The Tesla Model Y makes up 27% of EVs in its leasing and subscription program, more than double the next most popular model. But Utes remain a major problem. Electric Ute choices are still very limited, they're very expensive, and often not suitable for fleet needs, which is why the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in that space. In New Model News, SCODA has revealed the production Epic Small Electric SUV, and it is confirmed for Australia in 2027. It will be SCODA's cheapest EV, with global versions offering up to around 430km of WLTP range, a compact body, a 475 litre boot, and a 13-inch touchscreen with some physical controls retained. BYD also has more models circling Australia. The Seal 7 plug-in hybrid sedan has appeared in government approval documents with a turbocharged 1.5 litre plug-in hybrid powertrain and 197 kilowatts, and it would sit above the C-Line 6 as a larger, more premium plug-in hybrid sedan. BYD's TI7 7 seat plug-in hybrid SUV is also looking likely for Australia after being confirmed for right-hand drive export markets. At the same time, the Ado 5 appears less certain for Australia because BYD already has so many SUVs here. Denza has shown off advanced DISUSP ultra suspension in China, including a low speed three-wheel driving mode and the ability to lift individual wheels for obstacle clearance or for tie changing. The local Denza B5 already uses the DSUSP body control and plug-in hybrid power, so this shows where the brand's off-road tech is heading. Mercedes AMG has revealed its electric GT4 door coupe and it is confirmed for Australia. The GT63 produces 860kW and 2000 Nm of torque with a claimed 0 to 100 time of 2.4 seconds up to 696 kW of WLTP range and 600kW DC fast charging. It also uses the fake V8 sound and simulated gear shifts, which will divide people but shows AMG still wants drama in its EVs. And finally, Hyundai says it is proud that other brands are following the Ionic 5N's fake shift idea. Porsche, BMW, and AMG are all looking at ways to make performance EVs feel more engaging. The point is simple, EVs are already fast, the next fight is making them fun. And that's quick charge for episode 58. For the full version, as always, listen to the main episode of Plugged in Australia where we go deeper into the specs, pricing, local relevance, and what these stories mean for Australian buyers and fleets. As always, thank you so much for listening, and until the next time, stay plugged in and stay charged.