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Australia will introduce a bill to parliament this week containing its first-ever vehicle emissions rule, a huge step forward for the country. But the rules make the same mistakes that have caused ballooning vehicle sizes in the US over the last decades.

Australia doesn’t have its own fuel efficiency standards, making it one of only two advanced countries without such a rule, alongside Russia. Australia has seen some state-level efforts to expand EVs, some better than others, but the federal government has been somewhat hands-off in this respect until now.

As a result, the average new car in Australia consumes 6.9L/100km, compared to 4.2L in the US and 3.5L in Europe. Automakers often bring their dirtiest cars to Australia, and don’t offer better and cleaner electric models in the country.

The new emissions rules intend to change that, and to increase availability of EV options for the country.

The rules will cut new vehicle emissions by more than half by 2029 and will save Australians $95 billion in fuel costs by 2050. This will result in 321 million fewer tons of carbon emissions in Australia by 2050.

While both of these numbers are a lot less than the US’ new EPA rules, the US also has 13x as many people as Australia.

The numbers are also lower than they would have been in the original proposal, which would have cut 369 million tons of carbon emissions. But that proposal was watered down by automaker lobbying (which we’ve seen a lot of recently), primarily through exceptions added for huge SUVs.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The US EPA has long had what is referred to as a “footprint rule,” which allows larger vehicles to pollute more. This has been credited with causing ballooning vehicle sizes in the US. And giant SUVs have, in turn, eliminated the auto emissions gains we could have had if cars had remained normal sized.

Thankfully, the EPA’s new rules – which the Albanese government modeled its rules after, including the softening of them after EPA finalized a softer version of its own rules last week – have actually acknowledged this mistake, and say that they will “narrow the numerical stringency difference between the car and truck curves” over time in order to reduce this favor given to huge vehicles. The Albanese government’s rules, however, do not seem to include a similar realization.

The Australia rule classifies several large SUVs as “light commercial vehicles,” despite that they are typically used for non-commercial purposes. These include the Toyota LandCruiser, Ford Everest, Isuzu MUX, Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – all mid- or full-size SUVs.

Commercial vehicles get a higher emissions limit than passenger cars – 210g/km in 2025 and 110g/km in 2029, instead of 141g/km and 58g/km respectively for passenger cars. Higher limits would make sense for vehicles that are doing commercial work, like last-mile delivery, but picking the kids up from footy practice isn’t really a “commercial” task.

Further, the commercial vehicle limits were raised compared to the original plan. They were originally going to be 199 and 81 grams, instead of 210 and 110. This watering-down echoes similar recent developments in both US and EU regulatory schemes.

These changes were pushed for by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Australia’s primary automaker lobbyist. Tesla and Polestar used to be members of FCAI, but both quit due to the misinformation that FCAI spread in the process of lobbying against these emissions standards.

As you might expect, Toyota was one of the main proponents of watering down the standards, in keeping with its general global stance of spreading misinformation about electrification.

However, Toyota does seem reasonably satisfied with the compromised rules – though characterized it as “a very big challenge” and called the numbers “ambitious” (which recalls what the US’ main auto lobbyist said about the EPA’s new rules – calling them “a stretch goal”).

Other automakers had a similar take, including Tesla, whose head of policy in Australia, Sam McLean, said the rules are a “moderate standard that takes Australia from being really last place in this transition to the middle of the pack.”

The rules were a priority for Anthony Albanese, Australia’s center-left Labor party prime minister. Albanese succeeded a string of right-wing Liberal prime ministers, including most recently Scott Morrison, who was criticized for, among other things, taking a vacation to Hawaii while his country was on fire due to a climate change-exacerbated brush fire.

A bill containing the new auto emissions rules will be introduced in parliament this week. The bill is expected to pass over objections of the opposition, which has not seen the rules but said that it plans to vote against them.

Electrek’s Take

Like with the new EPA rules, we obviously think that a huge step forward in auto emissions is a positive step.

But, also like with the new EPA rules, we recognize that watering down these standards is an incredibly dumb idea. The EPA rules shouldn’t have been watered down, and following the US’ dumb decision is not a good move. Especially since Australia’s rule implements a large-car exception that the EPA’s own rules acknowledge was a devastatingly bad influence on US auto emissions, road safety, and general sprawl over the course of the last few decades.

Take it from someone in the US: don’t make the same mistakes we did. It won’t make your cities nicer, it won’t make your population healthier, and it won’t save you money.

And in general, there are no emissions schemes in the world currently that are ambitious enough to confront the climate crisis we find ourselves in. According to Climate Action Tracker, no countries have made commitments compatible with keeping global temperatures under +1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels, and only a scant few are rated as “almost sufficient.” Australia’s commitments are currently rated as “insufficient.” So it is apparent that there is still action to be had, and that Australia needs to do better.

The other threat is possible future Chinese dominance in the auto industry. While this is less of a threat in Australia’s case (it doesn’t have a domestic auto industry to speak of), the recent pattern of automakers lobbying governments for looser emissions rules will only harm those automakers, as weaker rules will lull them into a false sense of security that is not shared by the rapidly growing Chinese auto industry.

Read More: Big Auto is begging governments to let them go bankrupt as Chinese EVs loom

China is ramping EVs, and will fill gaps in consumer demand that are left by intransigent Western automakers who fall into their pathological compulsion of opposing any reasonable regulation just for the sake of opposing it. And while EU and USA may try to throw their weight around and oppose this shift (which I believe will be an impotent effort), Australia is not likely to, given its proximity to China, history as a large trading partner with the nation, and relatively smaller size and therefore ability to call the shots globally.

But, we must also celebrate progress wherever we can. Going from no commitment at all, to one that ramps as a pretty good rate before the end of this decade, is praiseworthy.

Photo by Marcus Reubenstein on Unsplash

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July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals: EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

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July 8, 2025

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July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals: EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

It’s that time of the year once again, with Amazon’s Prime Day officially kicking off with plenty of amazing Green Deals and beyond – with several even continuing from earlier July 4th events. The savings train has officially rolled into the station, and this year we’re getting four days of deals that are dropping prices to some of the lowest of the year, alongside many of our favorite eco-friendly tech brands also offering direct parallel sales too. You’ll find price cuts on EVs, power stations, electric tools, ENERGY STAR-certified appliances, and much more below, curated together in this one-stop shopping hub. Don’t miss your chance to electrify your life at the best prices while they last during this event. We will be regularly updating this hub over the course of the event, so check back later if nothing catches your eye yet.

July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals

EcoFlow power stations

Prime Day Power Station Green Deals

Segway Xyber e-bike

Prime Day EV Green Deals

ECOVACS robot lawn mower

Prime Day Garden and Lawncare Green Deals

aiper smart device

Prime Day Appliance and Device Green Deals

***All prices subject to change at any time…cash in while you can!

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Rivian R1 Quad kick turns into the new EV Halo car brand

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3 hours ago

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July 8, 2025

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Rivian R1 Quad kick turns into the new EV Halo car brand

Rivian R1T Quad

Rivian flew us out to Lake Tahoe to show off the crazy capabilities of its new quad-motor powertrain on both its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. Rivian’s original R1S and R1T were quad-motor vehicles, but as of the second generation of the R1 platform, only dual and tri-motor variants existed. So why quad? Why now?

First of all, let’s get the specs out of the way. The new Rivian Quad is a beast, all the way from its $120,000 price tag to its over 1,000 horsepower and 1200 lb-ft torque.

  • Prices for R1T start at $115,990 USD / $190,990 CAD and the R1S starts at $121,990 USD / $201,990 CAD – Deliveries begin summer 2025
  • Launch Edition R1T starts at $119,990 USD / $196,990 CAD and Launch Edition R1S starts at $125,990 USD / $207,990 CAD. Rivian is reintroducing Launch Edition for the Gen 2 Quad, celebrating the configuration that first defined our commitment to all-electric performance and adventure.
  • Destination and freight charge is $1,895 USD / $2 ,695 CAD
  • Powertrain: Horsepower: 1,025 hp Torque: 1,198 lb.-ft.
  • Performance 0 – 60 MPH 2 .5 sec R1T, 2 .6 sec R1S, ¼ Mile Time 10.5 sec, VMax 130mph
  • Range: EPA-estimated up to 3 74 miles of range (Up to 400 miles in Conserve mode)
  • Charge Port: NACS (North American Charging Standard)

How does one characterize this massive spec monster in the larger vehicle landscape? Before we try to get our head around that, there is more.

The Rivian R1 Quad brings back tank turn as a new feature: Kick Turn – And it is actually useful.

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From our history books, we know that one of the features that the original R1 Quads touted was the ability to turn in a circle/spin on its axis by having its right side wheels spin one way and its left side wheels spin the other. While the ‘tank turn’ disappointingly never made it to the original production vehicles, Rivian hadn’t let go of the idea.

Kick Turn.

The New R1 Quads bring back the ability to turn/spin on a dime when offroading. However, this isn’t just a parlor trick. It is actually useful when negotiating tight switchbacks.

Here’s what it is like to invoke the “Kick Turn” from inside the vehicle. Unintuitively, you don’t want to turn the steering wheel. Instead, you simultaneously push both steering wheel buttons in the direction you want to turn.

The same maneuver from behind:

I was able to use and master the kick turn pretty quickly after trying it for the first time and it is sooooo fun….and useful. Rivian says that the kick turn should only be done on gravel and loose dirt. But I could see ejecting out of a parallel parking spot with this feature…or doing a U-Turn on a country road.

I imagine the wear on the tires that are already taking a beating from this super heavy vehicle doing 2.5 second 0-60s is massive. Rivian says that the standard tires are guaranteed for 30,000 miles but imagine that loses a few miles every time a kick turn is invoked.

Perhaps most devestating, the original Rivian Quads won’t get the Kick Turn functionality. As an owner who was excited about the tank turn functionality when making my buying decision, I’m not pleased. Rivian says that the controllers for the original Quad Motors aren’t tuned and accurate enough to master the move. I’m ready to sign a petition that Rivian try anyway.

Quad offers four different wheel and tire options:

  • 22” Super Sport
  • 22” Sport Burnished Bronze
  • 20” All-Terrain Dark
  • 20” Dune Satin Graphite All-Terrain

Also, there will be Launch Editions:

Rivian is reintroducing Launch Edition for the Gen 2 Quad, celebrating the configuration that first defined our commitment to all-electric performance and adventure. The new Launch Edition Quad will feature an exclusive “Launch Edition” IP badge and a suite of special features, including:
Two standard colorways:

  • Launch Edition exclusive: the return of Launch Green paint with Black Mountain + Brown
    Ash Wood interior
  • Storm Blue paint with Slate Sky + Walnut Wood interior
    Additional included features:
  • Lifetime Rivian Autonomy Platform+
  • Lifetime Connect+
  • Camp Speaker
  • Gen 2 Key fob

NACS native

One more nice thing about the Rivian R1 Quad is that it is the first Rivians, and one of the first non-Teslas overall, to have the NACS port standard. This allows the vehicle to charge at most Tesla chargers without adapter. The flip side however is that it will need the included CCS adapter to charge at most other network charging stations including Rivian’s own RAN charging network, at least until the networks and Rivian switch their chargers over to NACS. We had success on a V4 Supercharger near Lake Tahoe but obviously weren’t able to test the charging speed or charging curve since the vehicles we were given started at 80%.

One other nice trick is that the Quad has a control panel that allows the driver to make their own drive modes.

RAD Tuner (exclusively on Quad, coming in September): Developed by the Rivian Adventure Department, a team of engineers, software developers and designers who create and test features that push the boundaries of our vehicles.

Rivian drivers will have better control over their vehicle’s dynamic behavior. Through intuitive sliders, you can fine-tune ride handling while creating personalized and savable drive modes.

Start from scratch or build upon presets like “Rally” or “Sport.” There are even preset modes that were born from real-world triumphs:

Desert Rally mode was meticulously engineered during the 2023 Rebelle Rally, a grueling competition where the R1T made history as the first fully-electric vehicle to ever win

Hill Climb mode was honed at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where
in 2024, our R1T conquered the race as the fastest production truck to ever make the
ascent.

Oh and Rivian now lets you record Launch Mode with Launch Cam so those 2.5 second 0-60s where you beat the Ferrari off the line can now be downloaded and shared with friends on social media. The videos include real-time stats like speed and distance overlays. Unfortunately Rivian no longer includes an interior camera to capture passengers’ reactions.

Electrek’s take

At a starting price near $120K and realistically over that with some bells and whistles, the Rivian R1 Quad vehicles aren’t going to have mass appeal. In fact, I don’t think these will even be Rivian’s top sells since the $80,000 Rivian vehicles with dual motors are almost as good (and better on efficiency).

However, Rivian is really trying to build its brand ahead of the R2 launch and this vehicle is as adventurous as it gets, electric or otherwise. Think about it: This is a 7-seat, off roading monster that will beat almost any supercar off the line…and can now spin on a dime.

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Kia reveals the sleek new EV5 for Europe with up to 329 miles range

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3 hours ago

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July 8, 2025

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Kia reveals the sleek new EV5 for Europe with up to 329 miles range

Kia-EV5-Europe

Kia is entering Europe’s most competitive EV segment with the upgraded EV5. It’s slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y, but Kia says the EV5 is “a cornerstone” to its growth strategy in Europe.

Kia EV5 lands in Europe

After launching the EV5 in China in November 2023, Kia’s electric SUV quickly became a hit. It’s already leading Kia’s comeback in the world’s largest EV market.

Although Kia has introduced the EV5 in other markets, including Australia and New Zealand, this is the first time it has revealed specs for the upgraded version specifically designed for Europe.

The upgraded EV5 is powered by an 81.4 kWh battery offering up to 329 miles of WLTP range. Unlike the Chinese version, which uses a BYD LFP Blade battery, the European version features a nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack.

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It will be available in baseline and GT-line models. All EV5 variants can recharge from 10% to 80% in as little as 30 minutes.

Both variants are offered in FWD with up to 215 hp (160 kW) and 218 lb-ft (295 Nm) of torque. Kia’s electric SUV also includes bi-directional charging, including vehicle-to-load (V2L) with up to 3.6 kW of power.

Kia-EV5-Europe
Kia EV5 GT-Line for Europe (Source: Kia)

The exterior remains essentially unchanged from the version sold in China, featuring an upright stance similar to that of the larger EV9.

The European-spec EV5 measures 4,610 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,675 mm in height, which is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y. It’s closer in size to the Hyundai IONIQ 5.

Kia-EV5-Europe
Kia EV5 baseline trim for Europe (Source: Kia)

Inside, the EV5 “creates a lounge-like environment” with comfort-focused seats that include massage functions, heating, and ventilation.

The interior is centered around Kia’s new ccNC (connect car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ driver clusters and infotainment screens in a panoramic display, plus a 5.3″ climate control display.

Kia-EV5-Europe-interior
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (EU) (Source: Kia)

Kia will build the upgraded EV5 for Europe in Korea, unlike the Chinese version, which is produced by its joint venture Kia Yueda.

Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the EV5 will sit between the EV3 and EV6 in Kia’s lineup. Given the EV4 starts at £34,695 ($47,700) and the EV6 is priced from £39,235 ($53,200), the EV5 is expected to start at below £40,000 ($55,000) in the UK.

Kia-EV5-Europe-interior
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (EU) (Source: Kia)

Sjoerd Knipping, Kia Europe’s COO, said that “The EV5 is a cornerstone of Kia’s European growth strategy.” He added that the electric SUV is “tailored to the way Europeans live, work, and drive.”

Kia has already confirmed the EV5 will be sold in other global markets, including Canada. However, it will not arrive in the US.

The company said it will launch the EV5 “exclusively for the Canadian market” in North America. It will be available with FWD and AWD powertrains, as well as two battery sizes: 60.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering a range of up to 310 miles (500 km).

What do you think of Kia’s new electric SUV? Would you buy one over the Tesla Model Y or the Hyundai IONIQ 5? Let us know in the comments.

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