Episode 69; Deep Dive: Record EV Sales, Charging Failures, New Affordable EVs and Electric Trucks

Send us Fan Mail This week on Plugged In Australia, we’re back with a full deep dive after a rough week off with influenza A. There were no Quick Charge episodes this week and no deep dive last week, and with school holidays now here, there also won’t be Quick Charge episodes next week — but there will be a deep dive. In Episode 69, we cover Australia’s record June vehicle market, Tesla and BYD’s massive sales surge, calls for mandatory EV charger standards after the Telstra outage, the updated Xpeng G6, MG S5 EV, Kia EV3 AWD, Lexus ES electric, Leapmotor B05, Cupra Raval, Jaecoo J8 PHEV, Farizon’s new electric cab chassis, electric trucks being built in Australia, Western Sydney Airport’s electric ground equipment, and more. # YouTube timestamps 00:00 — Intro and apology 01:30 — Telstra outage exposes EV charging weakness 04:23 — June 2026 record EV sales 07:39 — Tesla sets new Australian sales record 09:38   — BYD almost catches Toyota 12:13 — Kia EV3 AWD coming to Australia 15:04 — BMW iX3 earns first five-star 2026 ANCAP result 17:10 — MG S5 EV gets more range and power 19:24 — Xpeng G6 refreshed and cheaper 27:41 — MG U9 hybrid ute under consideration 35:05 — Toyota HiLux BEV mostly attracting fleets 45:07 — Farizon F3E electric cab chassis 52:32 — Jaecoo J8 PHEV seven-seater 1:02:08 — GWM targets top five 1:12:34 — Leapmotor B05 affordable EV hatch 1:22:09 — Lexus ES EV coming to Australia 1:23:33 — Polestar 4 rear-window version 1:24:56 — Cupra Raval confirmed 1:35:07 — Geely Emgrand EM-i context 1:43:57 — Zeekr LandCruiser fighter and ute interest 1:45:17 — Volvo builds Australian-made electric trucks 1:55:55 — Ausgrid electric prime mover trial 1:17:03 — 148-truck electric freight deal 2:08:45 — Western Sydney Airport electric ground equipment 2:09:54 — Tesla FSD light for older hardware 2:16:34 — BYD Atto 2 update 2:23:00 — 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