Welcome to EV Quest’s ‘News Shorts’
Bringing you the latest EV news from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world.

In this episode:

• The new Tesla Model Y release
• A cut-price BYD enters Australia
• Tennis, anyone? In an EV?
• The year of Chinese EVs?

EV Quest’s ‘News Shorts’ features Adrian Maidment in Tauranga, New Zealand, and Riz Akhtar from Carloop in Melbourne, Australia.

Connect with Riz on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/riz-akhtar/

This week, Adrian Maidment and Riz Akhtar (Carloop) discuss the end-of-year sales data from BYD and Tesla. Who really is number one?
Also, Riz is currently driving the new Kia EV5, so he shares his thoughts on this new Kia.

The BYD Shark 6 is an AWD double-cab plug-in hybrid ute. Could this be the ute that changes everything in New Zealand?  It's arrived, and here to challenge longterm class leaders such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton.

In this podcast I'll be checking out the Shark 6's:
✅ Exterior
✅ Interior
✅ Road handling
✅ Accessories
✅ Overall thoughts

A big thanks to BYD  Tauranga  for the loan of the BYD Shark 6👇
Link: https://www.ebbett.co.nz/model/byd-shark-6

Welcome to the EV Quest ‘EV of the Year’ podcast! Adrian  Maidment and Riz Akhtar from Carloop choose their EVs of the year.
Categories include Best Value EV of the Year, Luxury EV of the Year, Hybrid of the Year, ‘Wow’ Moment of the Year,  "Oh No" Moment of the Year and the prestigious “What’s Riz Been Driving?” EV of the Year!

The podcast is available on all leading platforms.

In this episode of EV Quest's podcast, Adrian Maidment discusses the secondhand electric vehicle (EV) market in Australia and New Zealand with guests Hayden Johnston  and Nareev Bhatt.

They explore current trends, consumer education, pricing, warranties, and the future of the EV market.

Links:
GVI: https://www.gvielectric.kiwi/
Electrifying Everything:    https://www.youtube.com/@NeeravBhatt

A quick update of EV News by Adrian Maidment and Riz Akhtar (Carloop)

AA DRIVEN NZ Car of the Year: https://www.drivencarguide.co.nz/news/the-byd-sealion-6-is-the-best-new-vehicle-of-the-year-aa-driven-nz-car-of-the-year-overall-winner/

EV QUEST Sealion 6 review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AqunTOP0Nk

Ev Quest’s Adrian Maidment talks with Riz Akhtar from Carloop in Australia about EV news making the news. 

This episode: Jaguar makes a huge impression with their rebrand.  We look at some EV options for car of the year, and Geely’s upcoming electric SUV, the EX5, has now received approval to be sold in Australia.

Geely EX5:
https://thedriven.io/2024/11/22/geelys-upcoming-ex5-suv-gets-approval-for-sale-in-australia/

Check out EV Quest videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/@EVQuest

I'm testing out a hybrid for this review, not a full EV. It's a small SUV hybrid, the Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid. 

The first thing you'll notice is the price, with the base model starting at $34,990, the Lux Hybrid at $37,990, and the Ultra Hybrid I’m driving today from $40,990 plus on-road costs.

Other SUVs to consider in this category include the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Hyundai Kona Hybrid. 
Note that there’s no built-in Sat Nav, so you'll need to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay for navigation. 

In this episode, we provide the latest news on Chinese EV brands entering Australia and New Zealand. Chinese EV brand specialist Riz Akhtar from Carloop shares his news, experiences, and insights on Chinese brands, including Zeekr, Deepal, Xpeng, BYD, and Geely.

Riz also discusses his recent trip to China to explore Geely’s operations and his appearance in an Electric Viking video.

Links:
Carloop: https://carloop.com.au/

Electric Viking video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLrBI8_0nYg

Nissan Ariya: https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/360488355/nissan-backflips-confirms-electric-ariya-launching-nz-after-all

In this EV Quest episode, Adrian Maidment interviews Clayton Morgan, who shares his adventurous family road trip across the USA (from New Zealand) in a rented Tesla Model Y. 

From exploring the desert to navigating high-speed freeways and unexpected charging spots, Clayton dives into the ups and downs of traveling with a Tesla. He also reveals the challenges of adapting to American roads, managing a full EV itinerary, and the quirks of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving in real-world conditions. 

Whether you’re a Tesla enthusiast or curious about EV road trips, this episode has valuable insights for anyone considering an electric adventure!