Episode 79; Quick Charge: Ford Fathom EV Ute, GWM Cannon PHEV and Smart #2 Teased in Melbourne

Ford has named and priced its new affordable Fathom electric ute, and while Australia is not yet confirmed, Ford has already trademarked the Fathom name locally and engineered its new EV platform with right-hand-drive markets in mind.

GWM has detailed another plug-in hybrid ute for Australia, with the Cannon Hi4-T offering 310kW, 750Nm, a 33.1kWh battery, 115km of claimed electric range and 3500kg towing.

We also look at Smart using Melbourne to preview the new two-seat #2 electric city car, substantially updated specifications for GWM’s huge Haval H10 PHEV, and a new NSW parliamentary report containing 18 recommendations aimed at improving EV charger reliability, pricing, apartment charging and regional infrastructure.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Intro
00:44 — Ford trademarks Fathom EV ute name in Australia
03:12 — GWM Cannon Hi4-T gets 115km EV range
04:49 — Smart #2 revealed in a Melbourne mural
06:42 — Haval H10 gets a major spec update
08:21 — NSW report calls for better EV charging
09:46 — 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 a full deep dive. This is episode 79 for Saturday, the 8th of August, 2026. Ford has named and priced its new affordable electric ute, and there is now another interesting Australian connection because Ford has already trademarked the Fathom name here. GWM has detailed another plug-in hybrid canon for Australia, while Smart has used a Melbourne mural to preview its tiny new hashtag 2City EV. We also have a major update to the Haval H10 we covered a little bit earlier, plus a New South Wales parliamentary report calling for better EV charging reliability, pricing and apartment infrastructure. Let's get into it. Ford has finally named the first vehicle built on its new low-cost Universal Electric Vehicle platform. And it's called the Ford Fathom, a mid-size electric jewel cabute due in North America in 2027. Ford says the standard range version will start at US 28.350 before destination charges or US 29.945 once the current US destination fee is included. We can't simply convert that into Australian dollars, unfortunately, and assume we're getting a 40 grand EV. Local pricing would obviously depend on things like specification, shipping, taxes, exchange rates, and Ford Australia's positioning, which is me just trying to have a nice way of saying how much money they want to make. More importantly, the Fathom has not yet been officially confirmed for Australia. However, there are now several reasons to think Ford is at least seriously considering it. Ford Motor Company actually filed to trademark the Fathom name in Australia back in August of 2025. The application specifically covers vehicles including electric cars, pickup trucks, vans and SUVs. The trademark application doesn't guarantee the vehicle is going to be sold here, but it is a considerably stronger Australian link than simple speculation. Ford says it will have five seats, a front luggage compartment, as well as the rear tray, and more passenger space than a Toyota RAF 4. It'll also get a large touchscreen, digital key, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. It'll have hardware for blue crews, which is Ford's attempt at FSD, and bike directional power capability. The big unknowns are still battery size, range, power, payload, and towing capacity. So pretty much everything that is important. Those numbers will decide whether it's a genuine work unit or more of an affordable lifestyle pickup. And if Ford can deliver useful range, proper capability, and a sharp Australian price, the Fathom could create a new electric ute category below the range of FEV. For now though, Australia remains a possibility rather than a confirmed destination. GWM has released much more detail on the Canon HI-4T plug-in hybrid Ute due to join its Australian range later this year. We mentioned this model earlier as part of GWM's broader 2026 rollout, but this is the first time we have had a proper specification picture. The powertrain combines a 2-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor for 310 kW and 750 Nm of torque. The HI-4T system retains a conventional transmission and mechanical four-wheel drive system rather than relying only on electric motors for the four-wheel drive. A 33.1 kWh battery provides a claimed 115 km of electric range on the NEDC cycle with 1037km of total combined range. Obviously, NEDC, not even damn close cycle, so take that one with a grain of salt. Fuel consumption is listed at 2.4 litres per 100km, again under that NEDC cycle. But as always with a FEV, and what do I always say, that figure depends heavily on regular charging. Plug the damn thing in. The key Australian capability figure is 3.5 tonne braked towing capacity. It also gets vehicle to load capability and a 230 volt outlets in the tub for things like tools, camping gear, or anything really. Australian pricing has not been announced as yet, however, GWM says the Canon HI-4T will sit among the more affordable plug-in hybrid Utes. They could make it a serious rival to the Ranger Fev and BYD Shark 6, particularly for buyers who want a larger battery without giving up that 3.5 tonne towing. Smart has chosen Melbourne as one of the cities in its global teaser campaign for the new Smart Hashtag 2, effectively showing the tiny electric city car's final exterior design before its official reveal. A large mural at Melbourne Central shows a red hashtag 2 among recognizable Melbourne landmarks. Similar artworks are appearing in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Paris. A mural is obviously marketing rather than a vehicle launch, however, Melbourne being selected is interesting because the hashtag 2 has not even been confirmed for Australia as yet. Smart already sells the hashtag 1 and hashtag 3, electric SUVs here, while the lager hashtag 5 has been confirmed for local launch. The hashtag 2 goes back to what Smart originally became famous for, a two-seat electric city car continuing the lineage of the 4.2. It uses Smart's new ECA electric platform and is being developed with the Mercedes-Benz Global Design Team. Current target specifications include a 35.7 kilowatt hour battery, around 300km of WLTP range, 10-80% DC charging in under 20 minutes, and a very tight 6.95 meter turning circle and vehicle to load capability. A little bit of perspective on that turning circle, the BYD at O1 has a turning circle of 9.9 meters. So, you know, that's uh definitely gonna be very good for inner-city sort of driving. Now those are still target figures, not final certified production specifications though, so keep that in mind. The production hashtag 2 will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show on the 12th of October. For Australia, it would be a very different proposition from the growing crowd of small electric hatchbacks and SUVs. I guess the biggest question is going to be the price, because a specialised two-seat EV only makes sense if enough buyers value the tiny footprint and urban packaging. The Haval H10 is one of those stories that we've covered before, however, the latest information changes enough for me to justify giving you an update. And when we covered it back in episode 69, preliminary information pointed to a 42.8 kWh battery and around 180km of CLTC electric range and 5 or 6 seat layouts. The latest China market specifications are substantially different. The H10 is now reported with 440 kW from a 100kW front motor and a 220kW rear motor and a 132kW 1.5 litre petrol engine. 0 to 100km hour is claimed at 4.9 seconds. The battery remains 42.8 kWh. However, claimed electric range has jumped to as much as 323 on the Oso Optimistic CLTC cycle. The DC charge charging is listed at up to 120 kW, and despite its tank style looks, the H10 uses a monocoque platform rather than the body-on-frame construction. It still gets a mechanical rear differential lock, crawl mode, a tailgate mounted spare, and 220mm of ground clearance. China will get a 5138mm 5-seat version and a longer 5,299mm 7-seater, both with a 3,000mm wheelbase. Australian plans are still not locked in, however, the latest figures make the H10 a much more serious electrified flagship than the earlier information suggested. And finally, a New South Wales Parliamentary Committee has released a report into EV charging infrastructure containing 18 recommendations. These are recommendations, not new rules that have already taken effect. The committee groups the main problems into five areas. It wants better support for installing charges in new and existing apartment buildings and public housing. It wants better planning, signage and financial support for public charging, particularly in rural and regional areas, including consideration of petrol stations and truck stops. It also wants electricity distribution networks to standardise and report the costs, processes and time frames involved in connecting new charging sites. Then there is reliability and pricing. The report recommends minimum uptime requirements for public charges and clearer, more transparent pricing. Now that matters because the charging pin on a map is not useful infrastructure if the charge is either broken, inaccessible, or the driver cannot easily work out what the session will cost. The final area is workforce training, especially in regional Australia, so there are enough qualified people to install, maintain and repair charging equipment. None of this is flashy or new models or 500kW or anything like that, but it addresses the practical problems EV drivers actually notice. Australia doesn't just need more charges, it needs charges that are easy to connect, easy to find, clearly priced, and working when you get there. That's a wrap for episode 79 of Plugged in Australia Quick Charge for Saturday, the 8th of August, 2026. As always, thank you so much for listening. Any feedback? Info at plugged in Australia.com.au. Plan to have that deep dive episode out to you by the end of the day today. Hopefully, if I can get it all done and dusted. Slight change to how I've structured it there. I'll give you more information on that in the intro of that. If the deep dive is something of interest to you, it's very in-depth and technical, this next one. So we'll see how you like that one. More quick charge episodes next week. And until then, stay plugged in and stay charged. Chevy the ammo.