2025 Ford Everest Black Edition to bolster Blue Oval's battle with Toyota Prado
"Packed with family-favourite features and full-time 4WD, Everest Black Edition builds on the proven strengths of the Everest, adding a distinctive blacked-out appearance that underscores the suite of interior and advanced driver-assist features that has made the Everest the pick of the segment."The Black Edition is the seventh variant of the Everest family – giving motorists more choice to suit their needs – and with a $69,000 drive-away price, it delivers outstanding value for Australians who demand more from their SUV."
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The Advertiser
4 days ago
- The Advertiser
What's driving the dramatic drop in Tesla sales?
Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024. The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president. In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year. Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall. Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians. According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs. In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809. There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures: Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK. Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said. And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk." There may be other factors as well, though. Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin. They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market." But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following. "The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades." And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said. The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back. If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper. But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles. One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed. "It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said. She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it. Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service. He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly. But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe. Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is". Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said. "The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car." Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024. The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president. In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year. Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall. Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians. According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs. In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809. There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures: Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK. Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said. And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk." There may be other factors as well, though. Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin. They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market." But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following. "The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades." And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said. The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back. If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper. But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles. One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed. "It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said. She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it. Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service. He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly. But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe. Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is". Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said. "The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car." Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024. The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president. In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year. Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall. Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians. According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs. In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809. There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures: Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK. Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said. And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk." There may be other factors as well, though. Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin. They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market." But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following. "The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades." And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said. The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back. If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper. But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles. One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed. "It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said. She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it. Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service. He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly. But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe. Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is". Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said. "The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car." Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024. The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president. In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year. Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall. Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians. According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs. In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809. There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures: Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK. Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said. And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk." There may be other factors as well, though. Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin. They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market." But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following. "The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades." And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said. The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back. If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper. But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles. One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed. "It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said. She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it. Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service. He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly. But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe. Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is". Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said. "The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car."
AU Financial Review
4 days ago
- AU Financial Review
The Chinese car brands on the rise in Australia
Chinese car brands are growing in popularity among budget-conscious Australians. Chery achieved record sales in May and GWM has risen up the ranks after slashing the price of its Haval SUV. Chinese brands now account for four of the top 15 brands in Australia. GWM (Great Wall Motor) and Chery mainly sell petrol and diesel models, and MG sells a mix of traditional and electric ones.
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- The Advertiser
Australia's big car love affair still fuelling sales
Australians' love for big vehicles continues to fuel new car sales, with utes topping the charts and SUVs making up three in every five purchases. But motorists are still putting the brakes on vehicle buys as sales slowed by a small margin in May, according to figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council on Wednesday. Only hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles managed to steer around the slowdown, with significant drops for diesel and petrol-powered cars. The findings come two months after plug-in hybrid vehicles lost a tax exemption, and despite persistently flat sales for electric vehicles this year. Australians purchased more than 109,000 new vehicles during May down from more than 111,000 during the same month in 2024. But the tally was the second highest recorded this year and FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said it showed supply and demand for vehicles was strong. "The results reflect a market that remains resilient and competitive by historic standards," he said. "The fundamentals of the market remain robust, with strong competition and consumer interest across a range of vehicle types." SUVs dominated new vehicle sales during the month, and grew by 6.6 per cent to represent more than 60 per cent of all cars sold. By comparison, passenger vehicle sales fell by 33 per cent and light commercial vehicle sales , such as utes and vans, fell by seven per cent. Sales of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles also fell by 1.1 per cent and nine per cent respectively. Despite changes to fringe-benefits tax exemptions, low-emission vehicles remained a popular choice in May, with sales of plug-in hybrid cars doubling compared to last year (3081) and hybrid sales up by 5.5 per cent (17,089). Electric cars also climbed during May to top 10,000 sales – a rise of 12.1 per cent compared to the year before – helping them to represent nine per cent of all new vehicles sold. Fortunes were mixed for electric vehicle market leader Tesla, however, as the company registered a sales rebound based on deliveries of its updated Model Y during May but sales of its Model 3 fell. The company, headed by controversial outgoing US government figure Elon Musk, recorded a sales boost of nine per cent for the month but a fall of 48 per cent for the year. Utes claimed the top two spots on the best-selling list for May, with the Toyota HiLux nudging out competition from the Ford Ranger, while seven of the top 10 spots were claimed by SUV models. Labor's win in the recent federal election will rule out proposed changes to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, which is expected to introduce penalties for brands exceeding emission targets in July. But the automotive industry has joined with the European Australian Business Council to call for the government to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union to remove the luxury car tax and tariffs to make vehicles cheaper, Mr Weber said. Australians' love for big vehicles continues to fuel new car sales, with utes topping the charts and SUVs making up three in every five purchases. But motorists are still putting the brakes on vehicle buys as sales slowed by a small margin in May, according to figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council on Wednesday. Only hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles managed to steer around the slowdown, with significant drops for diesel and petrol-powered cars. The findings come two months after plug-in hybrid vehicles lost a tax exemption, and despite persistently flat sales for electric vehicles this year. Australians purchased more than 109,000 new vehicles during May down from more than 111,000 during the same month in 2024. But the tally was the second highest recorded this year and FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said it showed supply and demand for vehicles was strong. "The results reflect a market that remains resilient and competitive by historic standards," he said. "The fundamentals of the market remain robust, with strong competition and consumer interest across a range of vehicle types." SUVs dominated new vehicle sales during the month, and grew by 6.6 per cent to represent more than 60 per cent of all cars sold. By comparison, passenger vehicle sales fell by 33 per cent and light commercial vehicle sales , such as utes and vans, fell by seven per cent. Sales of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles also fell by 1.1 per cent and nine per cent respectively. Despite changes to fringe-benefits tax exemptions, low-emission vehicles remained a popular choice in May, with sales of plug-in hybrid cars doubling compared to last year (3081) and hybrid sales up by 5.5 per cent (17,089). Electric cars also climbed during May to top 10,000 sales – a rise of 12.1 per cent compared to the year before – helping them to represent nine per cent of all new vehicles sold. Fortunes were mixed for electric vehicle market leader Tesla, however, as the company registered a sales rebound based on deliveries of its updated Model Y during May but sales of its Model 3 fell. The company, headed by controversial outgoing US government figure Elon Musk, recorded a sales boost of nine per cent for the month but a fall of 48 per cent for the year. Utes claimed the top two spots on the best-selling list for May, with the Toyota HiLux nudging out competition from the Ford Ranger, while seven of the top 10 spots were claimed by SUV models. Labor's win in the recent federal election will rule out proposed changes to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, which is expected to introduce penalties for brands exceeding emission targets in July. But the automotive industry has joined with the European Australian Business Council to call for the government to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union to remove the luxury car tax and tariffs to make vehicles cheaper, Mr Weber said. Australians' love for big vehicles continues to fuel new car sales, with utes topping the charts and SUVs making up three in every five purchases. But motorists are still putting the brakes on vehicle buys as sales slowed by a small margin in May, according to figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council on Wednesday. Only hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles managed to steer around the slowdown, with significant drops for diesel and petrol-powered cars. The findings come two months after plug-in hybrid vehicles lost a tax exemption, and despite persistently flat sales for electric vehicles this year. Australians purchased more than 109,000 new vehicles during May down from more than 111,000 during the same month in 2024. But the tally was the second highest recorded this year and FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said it showed supply and demand for vehicles was strong. "The results reflect a market that remains resilient and competitive by historic standards," he said. "The fundamentals of the market remain robust, with strong competition and consumer interest across a range of vehicle types." SUVs dominated new vehicle sales during the month, and grew by 6.6 per cent to represent more than 60 per cent of all cars sold. By comparison, passenger vehicle sales fell by 33 per cent and light commercial vehicle sales , such as utes and vans, fell by seven per cent. Sales of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles also fell by 1.1 per cent and nine per cent respectively. Despite changes to fringe-benefits tax exemptions, low-emission vehicles remained a popular choice in May, with sales of plug-in hybrid cars doubling compared to last year (3081) and hybrid sales up by 5.5 per cent (17,089). Electric cars also climbed during May to top 10,000 sales – a rise of 12.1 per cent compared to the year before – helping them to represent nine per cent of all new vehicles sold. Fortunes were mixed for electric vehicle market leader Tesla, however, as the company registered a sales rebound based on deliveries of its updated Model Y during May but sales of its Model 3 fell. The company, headed by controversial outgoing US government figure Elon Musk, recorded a sales boost of nine per cent for the month but a fall of 48 per cent for the year. Utes claimed the top two spots on the best-selling list for May, with the Toyota HiLux nudging out competition from the Ford Ranger, while seven of the top 10 spots were claimed by SUV models. Labor's win in the recent federal election will rule out proposed changes to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, which is expected to introduce penalties for brands exceeding emission targets in July. But the automotive industry has joined with the European Australian Business Council to call for the government to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union to remove the luxury car tax and tariffs to make vehicles cheaper, Mr Weber said. Australians' love for big vehicles continues to fuel new car sales, with utes topping the charts and SUVs making up three in every five purchases. But motorists are still putting the brakes on vehicle buys as sales slowed by a small margin in May, according to figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council on Wednesday. Only hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles managed to steer around the slowdown, with significant drops for diesel and petrol-powered cars. The findings come two months after plug-in hybrid vehicles lost a tax exemption, and despite persistently flat sales for electric vehicles this year. Australians purchased more than 109,000 new vehicles during May down from more than 111,000 during the same month in 2024. But the tally was the second highest recorded this year and FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said it showed supply and demand for vehicles was strong. "The results reflect a market that remains resilient and competitive by historic standards," he said. "The fundamentals of the market remain robust, with strong competition and consumer interest across a range of vehicle types." SUVs dominated new vehicle sales during the month, and grew by 6.6 per cent to represent more than 60 per cent of all cars sold. By comparison, passenger vehicle sales fell by 33 per cent and light commercial vehicle sales , such as utes and vans, fell by seven per cent. Sales of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles also fell by 1.1 per cent and nine per cent respectively. Despite changes to fringe-benefits tax exemptions, low-emission vehicles remained a popular choice in May, with sales of plug-in hybrid cars doubling compared to last year (3081) and hybrid sales up by 5.5 per cent (17,089). Electric cars also climbed during May to top 10,000 sales – a rise of 12.1 per cent compared to the year before – helping them to represent nine per cent of all new vehicles sold. Fortunes were mixed for electric vehicle market leader Tesla, however, as the company registered a sales rebound based on deliveries of its updated Model Y during May but sales of its Model 3 fell. The company, headed by controversial outgoing US government figure Elon Musk, recorded a sales boost of nine per cent for the month but a fall of 48 per cent for the year. Utes claimed the top two spots on the best-selling list for May, with the Toyota HiLux nudging out competition from the Ford Ranger, while seven of the top 10 spots were claimed by SUV models. Labor's win in the recent federal election will rule out proposed changes to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, which is expected to introduce penalties for brands exceeding emission targets in July. But the automotive industry has joined with the European Australian Business Council to call for the government to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union to remove the luxury car tax and tariffs to make vehicles cheaper, Mr Weber said.
