Fat e-bike craze out-running police and regulators
'Food delivery riders, the speed they come down our street is supposed to be limited to 25km/h ... I was down at St Kilda the other day getting out of a car, one passed me at least at 50km/h which was pretty terrifying,' Edwards says.
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7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
GWM Tank 500 diesel debuts, but Australians will have to wait
The GWM Tank 500 is gaining a diesel option in Thailand, but for now Australia will stick with hybrid and plug-in hybrid power. That's despite the smaller Tank 300 receiving a turbo-diesel engine earlier this year, which has quickly become the most popular powertrain in that lineup. The Toyota Prado -rivalling Tank 500 is receiving the same 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that's seen in the related GWM Cannon Alpha and Tank 300, for the Thai market. However, this vehicle is being built in Thailand, and GWM Australia has confirmed our Tank 500 will continue to be sourced from China. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new GWM Tank 500. Click here to get a great deal. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel produces 135kW and 480Nm of torque in the Thai-market Tank 500, and is available with either rear- or four-wheel drive. The diesel-powered model is distinguished by a repositioned spare wheel, mounted under the vehicle instead of on the tailgate. GWM has previously hinted the Tank 500 will gain an upcoming four-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in Australia. The bigger new engine, due for release around 2027, will also be fitted to the Cannon Alpha and Tank 700 off-road SUV, producing more power and torque than the brand's existing 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre oilers. 'Some powertrain, especially [in] the high-end SUV, will need the high-torque [engine],' GWM International vice president James Yang told Australian media in Shanghai earlier this year. 'So in China, or other market, we'll have the 2.4-litre diesel, especially in Thailand… But I think in Australia, the high-torque, big engine [is needed]. So for some products, we'll wait for this engine to launch in Australia.' It won't be the first Tank 500 powertrain Australia will miss out on, with a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6 also offered overseas but not here. GWM believes it can offset the emissions of its turbo-diesel offerings with a range of hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) 'So in the future, I think the Australian market, the PHEV, and HEV, plus diesel is a good choice for the customer… and also we have the EV, but I think for some scenarios the sales volume can be not very high,' said Mr Yang. 'So maybe these are the three types of powertrain that's much better for this market and also can balance the emissions.' GWM now offers hybrid powertrains across its Haval Jolion, Haval H6, Haval H7, Tank 300 and Tank 500 lineups, plus PHEV versions of the Haval H6 GT and Cannon Alpha (and, soon, the Tank 500). It has just one EV, the Ora hatch, but it'll be joined by two more EVs by the end of next year. Petrol power continues to be offered in the Haval Jolion, Haval H6 and Haval H6 GT lineups, and diesel power in the Tank 300, Cannon and Cannon Alpha. The company has said its hybrid-heavy lineup has already allowed it to start accumulating credits under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), meaning it can continue to offer diesel models without copping financial penalties, and also avoid imposing price rises on customers as other brands have done. GWM wants to be a top-five automotive brand in Australia by 2030, with plans to surpass 50,000 sales this year and reach 75,000 annual deliveries by the end of the decade.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
China set to dominate Aussie vehicle import market
More than two in every five new cars sold in Australia will be made in China within a decade in one of the biggest shake-ups in the automotive industry in years. The move, fuelled by motorists switching to low-emission vehicles, is expected to challenge the dominance of car brands manufactured in Japan and Thailand. But automotive dealers have questioned whether the move will be wholly positive for motorists, or whether greater protections will be needed to ensure the availability of vehicle parts and servicing. The Centre for International Economics released the findings on Tuesday, in an analysis prepared for the Australian Automotive Dealer Association. The report found almost half (43 per cent) of vehicles imported to Australia could be made in China by 2035, dwarfing current leader Japan on 22 per cent, and Thailand with 11 per cent of the market. Japan-made vehicles represented 30 per cent of new cars sold in Australia this year, while Chinese vehicles made up 16 per cent, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The swap to Chinese vehicles will be driven by consumers' rising demand for hybrid and electric options, the report found, and falling prices offered by Chinese brands. The change was already prevalent in the Australian market, association chief executive James Voortman said, thanks to an influx of Chinese brands and models. "Australia is at an inflection point where we are going to see exponential growth of sales and new brands from China," he said. "This growth comes on top of the change to electric vehicle drive trains." Chinese electric vehicle brands already established in the country include Xpeng, Zeekr, Geely, MG and BYD, which celebrated its 60,000th local sale earlier in July. BYD considered Australia a "key market," president Wang Chuanfu said, as it was well established and highly competitive. "Success here is a signal to the world that BYD vehicles can meet and exceed the expectations of mature markets," he said. But Mr Voortman, who addressed the association's convention in Brisbane on Tuesday, said introducing so many brands to Australia should raise questions about whether consumer guarantees went far enough. "This rate of growth can have unintended implications to consumer protections such as the supply of parts, wait times to service vehicles, and the long-term ability of manufacturers to guarantee their consumer warranties," he said. "We will be talking to government about what consumer protections are adequate and appropriate." Vehicle purchases are covered by consumer guarantee rights, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, including the provision of spare parts and repairs for a reasonable time after purchase.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
GWM Tank 500 diesel debuts, but Australians will have to wait
The GWM Tank 500 is gaining a diesel option in Thailand, but for now Australia will stick with hybrid and plug-in hybrid power. That's despite the smaller Tank 300 receiving a turbo-diesel engine earlier this year, which has quickly become the most popular powertrain in that lineup. The Toyota Prado-rivalling Tank 500 is receiving the same 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that's seen in the related GWM Cannon Alpha and Tank 300, for the Thai market. However, this vehicle is being built in Thailand, and GWM Australia has confirmed our Tank 500 will continue to be sourced from China. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new GWM Tank 500. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel produces 135kW and 480Nm of torque in the Thai-market Tank 500, and is available with either rear- or four-wheel drive. The diesel-powered model is distinguished by a repositioned spare wheel, mounted under the vehicle instead of on the tailgate. GWM has previously hinted the Tank 500 will gain an upcoming four-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in Australia. The bigger new engine, due for release around 2027, will also be fitted to the Cannon Alpha and Tank 700 off-road SUV, producing more power and torque than the brand's existing 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre oilers. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Some powertrain, especially [in] the high-end SUV, will need the high-torque [engine],' GWM International vice president James Yang told Australian media in Shanghai earlier this year. 'So in China, or other market, we'll have the 2.4-litre diesel, especially in Thailand… But I think in Australia, the high-torque, big engine [is needed]. So for some products, we'll wait for this engine to launch in Australia.' It won't be the first Tank 500 powertrain Australia will miss out on, with a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6 also offered overseas but not here. GWM believes it can offset the emissions of its turbo-diesel offerings with a range of hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) 'So in the future, I think the Australian market, the PHEV, and HEV, plus diesel is a good choice for the customer… and also we have the EV, but I think for some scenarios the sales volume can be not very high,' said Mr Yang. 'So maybe these are the three types of powertrain that's much better for this market and also can balance the emissions.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert GWM now offers hybrid powertrains across its Haval Jolion, Haval H6, Haval H7, Tank 300 and Tank 500 lineups, plus PHEV versions of the Haval H6 GT and Cannon Alpha (and, soon, the Tank 500). It has just one EV, the Ora hatch, but it'll be joined by two more EVs by the end of next year. Petrol power continues to be offered in the Haval Jolion, Haval H6 and Haval H6 GT lineups, and diesel power in the Tank 300, Cannon and Cannon Alpha. The company has said its hybrid-heavy lineup has already allowed it to start accumulating credits under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), meaning it can continue to offer diesel models without copping financial penalties, and also avoid imposing price rises on customers as other brands have done. GWM wants to be a top-five automotive brand in Australia by 2030, with plans to surpass 50,000 sales this year and reach 75,000 annual deliveries by the end of the decade. MORE: Explore the GWM Tank 500 showroom
