Quick Charge Episode 60 | Mitsubishi’s Aussie-Tuned EV, Lexus RZ Price Cuts, BYD Shark Updates, MG IM8 and V2G Push

In Episode 60 of Plugged In Australia, we cover Mitsubishi’s first Australian EV in more than a decade, developed with extensive local testing and tuning, Lexus slashing more than $40,000 from parts of the RZ electric SUV range, BYD expanding the Shark 6 ute line-up with more tech and off-road software, MG’s incoming IM8 range-extender SUV, Denza’s over-the-air towing and off-road updates, global EV sales heading toward another record, MG’s new small electric SUV, BYD’s next-generation God’s Eye driver-assistance technology, Kia’s PV5 electric van being spotted in Australia, Tesla’s V2L adapter, Amber’s expanded V2G trial, and BYD’s new Dolphin G plug-in hybrid hatch for Europe.

Timestamps — Quick Charge

00:00 — Intro
00:45 — Mitsubishi’s new Australian-tuned EV
01:56— Lexus RZ price cuts
03:10 — BYD Shark 6 range expands
04:12 — MG IM8 range-extender SUV
05:08 — Denza OTA towing updates
05:45 — Global EV sales forecast
06:13 — MG 4X and BYD Dolphin G
06:37 — BYD God’s Eye tech
07:23 — Kia PV5, Tesla V2L and Amber V2G
08:34 — 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 back 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 60 for Monday, the 1st of June 2026, and today we've got a big Australian EV and plug-in hybrid news roundup. Mitsubishi is preparing its first new EV for Australia in more than a decade. Lexus has slashed pricing on the RZ Electric SUV. BYD is expanding the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid Ute range. MG has a big range extender SUV on the way. Denzer is updating the B5 and the B9 off-roaders with over-the-air updates. And there are practical updates on Kia's Pv5AN, Tesla V2L, and Amber's vehicle to grid trial. Let's get into it. Mitsubishi is finally coming back to the Australian EV market. The brand has confirmed it will launch its first new electric vehicle here since the IMIEV, with arrival due before the end of 2026. The new EV is being sourced from Foxtron, the Taiwanese electric vehicle manufacturer created by Foxconn and Yulon. The important part for Australia is its local involvement. Mitsubishi says the car has had extensive Australian testing and tuning with ride and handling work aimed at local roads. The exact model name and full specification are still to come, however, reporting points towards the Foxtron Bria as the likely base vehicle. Overseas, that car has been linked with a 57.7 kWh LFP battery, rear-wheel drive, and an all-wheel drive version as well, with outputs of up to 299 kW in the stronger dual motor model. The hard truth is Mitsubishi is late back to the EV scene. BYD, MG, Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, and plenty of others are already well established. So Mitsubishi wants this car to work, needs to have sharp pricing, good real-world range, proper local tuning, and a stronger dealer support. Next on is Alexis and it has taken a massive axe to the RZ Electric SUV price. The updated RZ500E Luxury now starts from 84,500 before on-road costs, while the RZ500E Sports Luxury starts from 91,000. That's compared with the old RZ450E equivalent, and that means it cuts more than $36,000 and more than $42,000 respectively. The updated RZ also gets more power and more range. The RZ500E now produces 280 kW, uses a 74.7 kWh battery, and has a WLTP range of up to 460km. AC charging has doubled to 22 kW. There is also a new RZ550EF Sport at 105,000 before on rows with 300kW, a 77 kWh battery, steer-by-wire yoke steering, and Lexus's simulated manual style drive system. The price cut makes the RZ much more competitive, especially for innovative lease buyers, while the FBT exemption still applies. However, Lexus still has a challenge. The premium EV SUV market is crowded, and buyers are now comparing software, charging range and value more closely than ever before. BYD is also making moves with the Shark 6 plugin hybrid Ute. The range now includes a dynamic cab chassis from 55900 before on roads, the premium from 57900, and a new performance grade from 62900. The dynamic and premium use a 1.5 litre turbo plug-in hybrid system with dual motors, 320kW and 650Nm. The performance steps up to a 2 litre turbo plug-in hybrid system with 350kW, 700 Nm of torque, and most importantly for U buys, brake towing rises to 3.5 tonne. BYD is also adding more tech. Premium and performance grades get Google Automotive Services while crawl mode is being rolled out across the range. That mode is designed to help low speed off-road control by managing torque and throttle response. This matters because the Shark 6 is doing a job full electric utes still are not doing here. It gives buyers electric commuting range and lower fuel use if they plug it in, but still has its long distance flexibility. MG's premium IM brand is also worth watching because the incoming IM8 looks like a serious large SUV. The IM8 is expected to be a range extender electric SUV closely related to the IMLS8 sold overseas. That means electric drive, a large battery, and a petrol engine used as a generator. Overseas versions are around 5.1 meters long with battery packs up to 66 kWh. Electric only range claims as high as 430km on Chinese CLTC cycle, and total driving range claims above 1600 km. As always, those numbers need caution because Chinese test cycles are generous. But the concept is very relevant to Australia. A big family SUV that can most do most daily driving on electric, but still has a petrol backup for long trips, could appeal to buyers who are not ready for a full battery electric range. Denza has also released useful over-the-air updates for the B5 and B8. The B5 gets a dedicated towing mode switch, cruise control capability while towing, and trailer weight selection. So the vehicle can adjust performance and stability systems. The B8 also gets cruise control in towing mode and dynamic range estimation based on conditions. There are also off-road updates to traction control and torque management. That's exactly the kind of software support plug-in hybrid off-roaders need, because towing, hills, soft sand and rough tracks can still change range and traction behaviour pretty quickly. On the global front, the International Energy Agency expects electric car sales to reach around 23 million vehicles in 2026 after passing 20 million in 2025. That would put EVs close to 30% of global new car sales. The Australian takeaway on this one is choice and price pressure. The more EVs sold globally, the more batteries, platforms, and competition that we get. It eventually flows through to more affordable models here. And in small car news, MG has launched the MG4X in China at the equivalent of about $20,000 Australian. It's a small electric SUV, around 4.5 metres long, with battery options reported at 54 and 64 kWh. Australian pricing would definitely be much higher if it did end up coming here, but it still shows MG is pushing hard on affordable EVs. BYD has also revealed the BYD Dolphin G Plug-in Hybrid Hatch for Europe. It's not currently part of BYD Australia's forward product plan, but it shows BYD also still developing small, affordable plug-in hybrids for markets where price and city efficiency really matter. BYD has also unveiled its next generation God's eye driver assistance technology in China, with a new in-house chip, LIDAR, and a more advanced sensor hardware planned for future models. But Australian buyers should not assume this is coming here immediately. Local cars need local hardware, software, validation, and of course regulatory approval. For now, it's a technology direction, not a local feature promise. Kia SPV5 electric van has been spotted in Australia ahead of local launch. The long range version is expected to use a 71.2 kWh battery with around 416km of WLTP range, a 120kW motor, 30 minute 10 to 80% charging, and 3.68 kilowatts of vehicle to load output. Pricing has been shown around the 5599 TB4 on road costs. Tesla's also finally bringing VTOL hardware into the local conversation with a $145 adapter for compatible Model YL vehicles only. It is rated at 230 volts and 15 amps with output of 3.5 kilowatts. It is useful but it is limited to the compatible models, which is the Model Y L for now. And finally, Amber is expanding its vehicle to grid trial to more than 1000 EVs with extra government and arena funding. This is the sort of pilot that could matter a lot in Australia because EV batteries could eventually help soak up cheap solar and export power back during evening peaks. However, standards, charger approvals, battery warranties, and customer control still need to be sorted out. And that is a wrap for quick charge episode 60 on Monday, the 1st of June 2026. As always, the full episode has a lot more in-depth details. We call it the Deep Dive. It'll have more information on all of the stories we mentioned on Mitsubishi's local EV tuning, on BYD's shark specs, the Denzer over the air updates, all the different things that it involves, a bit more information on the Tesla V2L and Amber's V2G expansion. As always, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for listening. And until the next time, stay plugged in and stay charged.