The best electric vehicles coming to Australia in 2024

The best EVs coming to Australia

BYD Seal U

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid rival from BYD will launch in Australia around March or April 2024 as a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid. An all-electric version is under consideration to follow later and shapes as a logical rival for the Tesla Model Y.

What’s not really clear at this point is whether it will be called the BYD Seal U, or adopt another name. In China, it's known as the Song Plus Champion Edition, which is unlikely to be the badge it wears here.

The BYD Seal U is a sizeable vehicle, measuring up at 4785mm long, 1890mm wide and 1660mm tall, making it bigger than the Toyota RAV4, but not taller.

In PHEV form in China, it makes a combined 200kW (approximately) from its 1.5-litre petrol engine, and its e-motor and has a range up to 150km.

As an EV, it launched in Europe with a 168kW single e-motor, but a dual motor option is coming. Range claims are up to 500km.

So far, no word on pricing, but in typical BYD fashion and like the Seal sedan, expect it to be very competitive.

BYD Ute

The BYD Ute is the second highly anticipated EV form the emerging Chinese giant. This time it’s a dual cab ute that still didn’t have an announced name as this article was published.

Like the Seal U, the ute will first come to Australia as a plug-in hybrid in late 2024, before the EV arrives about 12 months later.

An example of the PHEV is already on-shore in Australia. It is undergoing testing by a local engineering team, with the aim of maximising key ute attributes that Australian ute buyers appreciate, including a competitive payload and braked towing capacity.

Combining a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with dual e-motors, the ute is claimed to be good for 100km of pure electric running, and as much as 1000km when both battery and fuel tank are full.

Again, pricing is an unknown, but the local importer is talking a big game, promising to undercut the established heavyweights such as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

Jeep Avenger

Jeeps are big, bruising, macho 4x4s designed to get you way out beyond the city, right? Well, for its first EV, the American off-road brand has gone in a completely different direction.

Due in Australia in the second half of 2024, the Jeep Avenger is a small compact SUV about the same size as a Mazda CX-3, and it comes powered by a single e-motor that drives the front wheels. So no rock-hopping here, the Jeep Avenger is much more about conquering urban challenges like gridlock and crowded carparks.

Much is yet to be unveiled, including pricing, but we do know Jeep is claiming a range around 400km for the Avenger, and an ability to DC fast charge at a rate up to 100kW. 

Hyundai Kona EV

The second generation of the popular Hyundai Kona Electric compact SUV will be in showrooms around late November. It will add to a comprehensive Kona line-up that already includes petrol-powered models, and will soon add a hybrid.

This time around, Hyundai developed the Kona to be an EV, and then adapted the platform for the internal combustion drivetrains. That’s a reverse of the usual practice, and should make the Hyundai Kona Electric a better car.

It will also be more expensive if substantial price rises for the petrol Hyundai Kona is any guide. But you’re certainly getting extra real estate for that money, as the Hyundai Kona grows to become a bonafide family car.

While much remains unconfirmed, we do know there will be two powertrains and two battery choices, with the larger one offering about 500km of claimed range between recharges.

Kia EV5

With the EV9 large SUV rolling out around now to join the EV6, Kia’s electric expansion continues to gain momentum. Next up is the medium five-seat EV5, which is tipped to start in the $60,000 bracket when it arrives some time in 2024 (Kia is being very hazy on timing at the moment).

That pricing would pit it against the leading EV in the Aussie market, the Tesla Model Y, as well as the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and forthcoming Tesla bZ4X and Volkswagen ID.4.

The entry-level EV5 will be single e-motor front-wheel drive, with a range around 530km. The dual motor version will be more powerful, but have about 10 per cent less range.

Styled in an upright traditional SUV style, the EV5 will be built in China for Australia – just like the Tesla Model Y and Polestar 2 – and will come with LFP batteries that are cheaper to make than traditional NMC. 

MG Cyberster

Back in the good old days, MG was a British brand that mainly built small but effective two-door sports cars. Nowadays, it’s a Chinese brand that mainly builds SUVs and small passenger cars, an increasing number of them electric.

The old and new combine in late 2024 when the spectacular MG Cyberster convertible sports car rolls into Australia.

Expected to make 400kW from its dual e-motor set-up and accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.6 seconds, the Cyberster is in Porsche Taycan performance territory. However, pricing is expected to be close to $100,000, which isn’t cheap, but still offers leading value for money. 

Nissan Ariya

The Nissan Ariya has been 'coming to Australia' for a long time, but 2024 now seems to be the plan for the mid-size SUV’s local arrival.

The delays have been attributed to various factors, including international demand and local homologation requirements. Now it’s likely Nissan Australia is holding out for a mid-life facelift that’s due in the not too distant future.

Measuring just under 4.6m long, overseas, it is a five-seat SUV with two front-wheel drive and one all-wheel drive powertrain choices, and range capability up to a claimed 536km.

Pricing is still guesswork, but it will probably sit in the $60,000-$70,000 band, lining up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and other newcomers such as the Kia EV5.

Polestar 4

While the Polestar 3 should arrive in mid-2024, the Polestar 4's arrival soon after is expected to replace the Polestar 2 as Swedish-Chinese start-up’s most popular model both in Australia and globally.

Sleekly styled, the mid-size SUV is expected to have a starting price in the $80,000-$90,000 range. That pitches it up against upper-spec Tesla Model Y and luxury rivals such as the BMW iX3 and another 2024 arrival, the Audi Q4 e-tron.

The Polestar 4 will be offered with the choice of a single or dual-motor drivetrain powered by a big 102kWh lithium-ion battery. The claimed range is as high as 600km.

Tesla Model 3

The much anticipated 2024 Tesla Model 3 update arrives in Australia in early 2024, retaining the current version’s essentials while adding some styling, mechanical and technology updates. The Model 3 Performance model isn’t part of the new line-up – at least not for now.

The slippery new body is more aerodynamic, boosting the range of both the single-motor base model and the dual-motor Long Range. 

There’s been some suspension work to improve ride and cabin quietness. The latter issue has also been addressed by more sound-proofing and acoustic glass.

Inside, a 15.4-inch touchscreen is still the headquarters for infotainment, but is now run by an all-new operating system. There are no gear or indicator stalks, instead buttons adopt those duties.

Back-seat drivers now get an 8.0-inch display, which allows them to adjust the climate control and entertainment options.

Expect many of these changes to flow in to the Tesla Model Y, although that might not be until 2025.

Both new models are more expensive, but it’s always worth checking the Tesla website, as pricing changes regularly.

Toyota bZ4X

Another electric car we’ve been waiting a long time to arrive in Australia, the Toyota bZ4X, finally launches in February 2024.

Pitched in to the medium SUV melting pot, it’s an important EV simply because it comes from the brand that dominates the new car market in Australia.

But if you’re expecting cutting edge tech and performance from the Toyota’s first battery electric vehicle Down Under, you'll be disappointed. While we do get an update – part of the reason for the long wait – it’s nothing too radical.

In fact, things like powertrain, battery size and claimed range of up to 516km are all expected to remain very familiar.

The key numbers we don’t know are for pricing. There should be at least two variants competing against the Tesla Model Y. As this starts at $65,400 at time of writing, this is the expected objective for Toyota on release.