Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) review: Alexa rides shotgun

Undergoing a major hardware redesign to better fit your car, the Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) ensures that Alexa is always by your side when you hit the road.

If you’ve become accustomed to having your favourite smart assistant at your beck and call, then it’s understandable that you might not want to give this up when you get behind the wheel. If you’re a fan of Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant then you could summon them from your smartphone sitting in a cradle, but it’s not that simple if you’re wedded to Amazon’s Alexa.

To fill this gap in your life, the Amazon Echo Auto brings Alexa to life in your car. You can chat to her while you’re cruising the streets, but her usefulness is limited by the fact that she’s still completely dependent on your phone.

Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) first impressions

It’s easy to stick the magnetic mount in an a convient location, rather than rely on an air vent mount.

The original palm-sized Amazon Echo Auto was designed to attach to your car’s air vent, but it was a bit cumbersome and looked unsightly. Amazon has improved on this by splitting the unit into separate pieces for the speaker and microphone.

The microphone half of the second-gen Amazon Echo Auto is only the size of your thumb, making it much easier to tuck away somewhere on the dashboard. To assist with this, Amazon provides a tiny mount that is sticky on the back and magnetic on the front. Simply stick the mount in a convenient location and then attach the microphone to the magnet.

Alternatively, you can pay a few extra dollars for Amazon to include an air vent mount for the microphone. One advantage of the magnetic mount is that it’s easy to detach the microphone and hide it out of sight when you leave the car.

More choice over where you place the microphone also ensures that Alexa can hear you more clearly. Plus, it makes it easier to reach the action and mute buttons on the front, which are accompanied by a status light.

With the microphone attached to the magnetic mount, it’s easy to talk to Alexa and reach the buttons.

The microphone is on the end of a 90cm cable that runs back to the speaker module. This module has a tiny built-in speaker which allows Alexa to talk to you during setup, but most of the time she wants to make herself heard via your car stereo. You can link the speaker module to your car via Bluetooth, or via the 3.5mm audio jack and supplied 60cm audio cable.

Bluetooth is probably the easiest way to connect to your car but, depending on your phone and your car stereo, you might notice a slight drop in sound quality compared to using the 3.5mm audio jack. There’s also the option to connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, wired or wireless, if your car’s stereo is smart enough to support them.

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A 5cm USB cable extends from the other end of the speaker module, which plugs into the supplied 12-volt car power adapter. The power adapter features a USB-A port to power the Echo Auto and a USB-C port to power another device, with support for fast charging.

While the design is a big improvement over the first Echo Auto, that super-short USB cable is a hassle because it leaves the speaker module hanging awkwardly from the car charger – looking even worse if the 3.5mm cable is snaking to the car stereo’s AUX input.

If the USB cable was a bit longer, and perhaps the speaker module had its own sticky magnetic mount, then it would be easier to tuck the speaker module out of sight. Some people might also prefer a 3.5mm cable with an L-shaped jack, so it sits flush against the AUX input on the front of the stereo.

The short USB cable between the car charger and speaker module leaves it hanging in a awkward location.

Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) specs

Smart assistant	Amazon Alexa
Mobile OS support	Android 8.0 and iOS 14 or greater
Microphones	Five-mic array
Charging	Quick Charge 3.0
Ports	1 x USB-A 1 X USB-C
Connectivity	Bluetooth – HFP, A2DP, AVRCP 3.5 mm line-out Apple CarPlay Amazon Auto
Speaker module dimensions	57 x 35 x 14 mm
Microphone module dimensions	52 x 23.2 x 15.3 mm
Weight	61 gm
Price (RRP)	$99
Warranty	1 year
Official website	Amazon Australia

Features

Setting up the new Amazon Echo Auto requires installing the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone, which you presumably already have if you’re a fan of Alexa and have Echo speakers around your home.

The set-up process pairs the Echo Auto’s speaker unit to your smartphone via Bluetooth, so it can connect automatically when you get behind the wheel and turn on the electrics. The unit doesn’t have any built-in smarts of its own and is completely reliant on your phone.

With Alexa brought to life in your car, you can talk to her just like talking to any other Amazon Echo speaker, with the ability to answer your queries, set reminders and alarms, add things to your shopping list and control smart devices around your home.

All-new Echo Auto (2nd Gen) | Add Alexa to your car

• HANDS-FREE ALEXA ACCESSORY – Slim design that’s easy to place in your car with 5-mics built-in so Alexa can hear you over music, air con, or road noise. Includes a fast car charger to charge your phone on the go.
• LISTEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC – Ask Alexa to stream playlists from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and more, or listen live to radio stations. Use Follow Me Music to resume media playback.
• CALL AND MESSAGE WITH YOUR VOICE – Use your voice to make calls, reply to text messages, drop in on Alexa-enabled devices in your home or broadcast announcements.
• GET YOUR FAVOURITE ENTERTAINMENT HANDS-FREE – Binge a hot new podcast, catch up on the news, or listen to best-selling Audible books.
• CONTROL YOUR SMART HOME FROM THE ROAD – Ask Alexa to turn up the air con, turn off the lights, check if your front door is locked, and more while you’re away from home.

$ 99.00

Buy on Amazon

As part of the Echo Auto setup, you can specify which streaming services you want Alexa to use for music, podcasts, radio and news. Additionally, you can specify which mapping app she should rely on, as Amazon doesn’t have its own equivalent of Apple or Google Maps. You can also grant Alexa access to your address book for making hands-free calls.

Finally, you can configure the Amazon Alexa app to automatically launch Auto Mode when it’s connected to the car, giving you easy access to touchscreen shortcuts such as music controls, making a call and getting directions home. There’s even a “Find My” feature for remembering where you parked.

Keep in mind, Alexa is completely reliant on your phone and its mobile broadband connection, so you need to keep an eye on your data usage when requesting tunes on a road trip.

The new design splits the Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) into two smaller units attached by a 90 cm cable.

Quality

Alexa is very good at hearing you, even when driving with the windows down, although she can struggle if you really crank up the music. The microphone also acts as a handy car kit for making hands-free calls, sending the sound from the person on the other end to your car stereo.

Unfortunately, the second-gen Amazon Echo Auto falls short when it comes to integrating all of these aspects into a slick user experience. That’s mostly due to the fact that it’s totally reliant on smartphones made by its rivals.

The downside of relying on an iPhone is that the Alexa app needs to be running in the background before the Echo Auto will connect. Worse yet, ask Alexa for directions and she tries to launch Apple or Google Maps – but you need to tap an onscreen notification to get started, meaning it’s not really hands-free.

Things go a lot more smoothly on Android, assuming you’ve granted all the permissions during set-up. You can talk to Alexa even when the app isn’t running in the background, and asking for directions launches Google Maps with no extra fuss. Another, albeit pricier, option worth considering for Android users is Motorola’s MA1 Android Auto adapter.

Preview	Product	Price
	Adhesive Car Mount for Echo Auto (2nd Gen)	$ 9.95	Buy on Amazon
	Adjustable Car Vent Mount for Echo Auto (2nd Gen)	$ 13.95	Buy on Amazon

Alexa can also be reluctant to respect your choice of non-Amazon services. For example, despite setting my preference for Spotify, when I asked for music Alexa kept calling on my Amazon Music account. Amazon also has its own calendar, address book, shopping list and other personal information management tools, requiring you to dive into a lot of settings if you want to use such features but favour Apple or Google’s tools for managing your day-to-day life.

The fact that Alexa is totally dependent on your phone also means that everyone who drives your car needs to set it up on their phone in order to work. In some ways, a completely standalone device would be more practical, but in other ways, it makes sense to tap into the power of your phone.

Who is Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) for?

If your home is full of Amazon Echo speakers and you live an Alexa-centric life, then adding the Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen) to your car probably makes a lot of sense. The redesign makes it much easier to tuck the hardware out of the way, while ensuring Alexa is always there when you need her.

But if you’re on Team Apple or Team Google, which is more likely if you live in Australia, then the hassles of getting Alexa to play nicely when your non-Amazon services of choice might be more trouble than it’s worth. Considering that the Echo Auto requires your smartphone to be in the car anyway, it’s probably easier to mount your phone on the dash and talk to Siri or Google Assistant hands-free when you hit the road.

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Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review: effortless cleaning at your fingertips

I have to confess that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a device that I will probably struggle to live without. This is because it’s a robot vacuum cleaner and mop system that actually does what I need it to. And when that happens, I don’t have to do as much work.

The S8 is Roborock’s latest range of robotic vacuum cleaners and was introduced at the beginning of this year. It has recently become available for sale in Australia, offering three models to choose from: the S8, the S8+, and the S8 Pro Ultra.

The key differences are as follows: the standard S8 is just the robot vacuum cleaner and a charging dock, the S8+ comes with an auto-emptying dust dock, and the range-topping S8 Pro Ultra includes an auto-emptying dust and mop water base station. The S8 Pro Ultra also features a more advanced VibraRise 2.0 mopping system, which vibrates at twice the frequency (3,000 times per minute) of the S8 and S8+. Additionally, it lifts 5mm upwards when cleaning carpets.

Essentially, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is designed for homes that have both carpet and hardwood/tile flooring types, allowing it to clean both surfaces during the same trip around your home. The auto-cleaning base station enables the S8 Pro Ultra to tackle many cleaning sessions without intervention. It seamlessly goes about its day, whether it’s vacuuming or mopping, and you only need to empty the dirty mop water and dust containers every so often.

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If you have a smaller home, don’t need it to mop, or don’t mind emptying its dust or mop water containers each time, then the S8 or S8+ with the auto dust dock may do the trick.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra specifications

Suction power	6000Pa
Cleaning Modes	Vacuuming, Mopping
Navigation Technology	PreciSense LiDAR, Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance
Mapping and Path Planning	Yes
Auto-Emptying Dust Bin	Yes
Mopping System	VibraRise 2.0, 5mm Carpet Lift
Battery Capacity	5200mAh
Runtime (Approx.)	Up to 180 minutes
Charging Time (Approx.)	6 hours
Control and App	Yes
Voice Control Support	Yes (Alexa, Google Assistant)
Maximum Cleaning Area	300 meters squared
Dimensions (L x W x H)	350 x 350 x 96.5 mm
Weight	4.2 kg
Price (RRP)	$2,699
Warranty	2-year local manufacturer’s warranty
Official website	Roborock Australia

Maintenance-free docking system

Let’s delve a little more into the accompanying RoboDock Ultra, as it can do more than you might expect. This is where your little robot vacuum parks itself when it’s not in use, and it will automatically return here for a recharge or when the job is done. To support regular cleaning and reduce maintenance, it also has self-washing, self-drying, self-emptying, self-refilling, and self-cleaning capabilities – so it pretty much takes care of itself. I think it’s great that it even dries the mop head using warm air once it’s finished, which can prevent mould and unpleasant odours.

The RoboDock (left), the dock without robot vac showing mop cleaning system, and removing the clean water tank for a refill

If you use it frequently, Roborock suggests that you may need to empty the dust and dirty mop water containers approximately once every 6-8 weeks, but this timeframe varies depending on your usage.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra cleaning performance

The S8 Pro Ultra comes with new features designed to clean your floors better than previous models. Firstly, it has powerful suction at 6000Pa (Pascal pressure units) and a new DuoRoller Riser brush consisting of two rubber brushes that spin towards each other. This design helps reduce hair tangles and the need for frequent cleaning. The ability to rise up into the robot’s body gets it out of the way when traversing across your home or when mopping.

In fact, both the mop head and spinning brushes can be raised automatically, providing options that many other robot vacs can’t. When vacuuming, the mop will raise out of the way; when mopping, the brushes will move out of the way; and when returning to the base station, both will move out of the way. Finally, when the mop needs to dry, it will lift away from the floor as well. Otherwise, the wet mop will drag over your carpet.

Sensors for seeing things

To map your home, avoid obstacles, and prevent falls down stairs or other cliffs, the S8 Pro Ultra is equipped with a range of smart sensors. This includes the PreciSense LiDAR navigation system, which uses light to create a detailed map of your home. In my experience, it did a great job figuring out the locations of my walls and doors, including soft surfaces like curtains and sofas. While it could see through glass shower walls and sliding glass doors, it still considered them barriers and didn’t attempt to drive over them. If needed, you can adjust this via the app.

Top view with LiDAR sensor pop-up

Front sensors

Hood up showing onboard dust container

DuoRoller Riser brush and VibraRise 2.0 mopping system

Next, the S8 Pro Ultra includes Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance, which uses 3D structured light and infrared imaging to detect and navigate around obstacles, regardless of whether it’s day or night. According to Roborock, it can identify 42 different types of objects. However, it doesn’t matter if it sees a sock or a power cable; as long as it avoids them, that’s what matters.

Smarter app control

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is controlled through an app that serves as your gateway to many features and settings. This includes configuring up no-go zones, editing your floor map, creating custom cleaning routines, checking the recharge level, and monitoring the S8’s filter, sensor, and brush conditions.

I particularly liked that the map automatically suggests no-go zones, such as areas with stairs or balcony doors. It’s also incredibly convenient to operate remotely. So, if you’re away on holiday and want a clean floor when you return, it’s just a tap away.

The Roborock App is where you can view your home Map (centre), along with making settings for cleaning and mopping intensity (right) among other things

You can also set up your cleaning routine, adjusting suction power, mopping intensity, and even choosing to vacuum and mop simultaneously to save time. Alternatively, you can opt for a deep cleaning routine by vacuuming first and then mopping. Or you can set up a vacuum-only cleaning or solely focus on mopping. A routine I like to use is ‘After Meals,’ where the robot only vacuums and mops in the kitchen and dining room.

Advanced features

For homes with multiple levels and stairs, the S8 Pro Ultra supports multi-level mapping, making it effortless to navigate different floors. Just place the robot down, and it will recognize the floor and handle the cleaning accordingly. It supports up to four floors, and once done, you put it on its dock to charge.

Speaking of charging, the new S8 supports fast charging and is claimed to be 30% faster than previous models. It can generally cover about 300 square meters, but it’s smart enough to return to its base for a charge and then resume cleaning from where it left off. The app also offers a clever feature where you can choose off-peak times for recharging to save on your power bill.

The S8 Pro Ultra managed a range of different floor types including carpet, tasseled rug, hardwood. It can also switch between mop and vacuum modes during the same cleaning run

It should also be mentioned that all of the data that is captured including your house map, is protected to a TUV Rheinland certification, which is a standard for ensuring that ‘Internet of Things’ devices follow effective safety practices.

While other robot vacuums cleaners may have other things like a roving security camera feature or voice activated spot cleaning, nothing essential is missing from the S8 Pro Ultra’s features list.

How well does the S8 Pro Ultra clean?

The S8 Pro Ultra has been a great addition to my flat. With rugs, carpet, wood, and tiled floors, I tasked the S8 with mopping and vacuuming my entire space every couple of days. I have a cat, so there’s pet hair to contend with, along with several obstacles such as office and dining room chairs, a low coffee table with rails running from leg to leg, and a tasselled rug, among other things. Overall, the S8 Pro Ultra managed to accurately map my home, and there was only one occasion where it got stuck and couldn’t return to its base.

Setting the S8 Pro Ultra to mop bathrooms and kitchens on a schedule helps prevent dirt build up and keeps your chores to a minimum

When it comes to vacuuming, the 6000pa suction is quite powerful, and I was surprised by how much dust and fur it picked up and deposited into the auto-emptying bin. As it can see in the dark, you can run the vacuum overnight using reduced suction mode. This option is surprisingly quiet and ideal for those with a busy household during the day.

Mopping is useful for general dirt and small spills, but even though it vibrates 3,000 times a minute and applies six Newton-meters of pressure, it can’t surpass a good old hand-held mop and some elbow grease when it comes to stubborn dried-on dirt. I found that the best combination was occasionally mopping by hand and then letting the S8 Pro Ultra mop the floor regularly to keep it sparkling.

Is the S8 Pro Ultra worth the money?

The S8 Pro Ultra is priced at $2,699, which is at the top end of robot vacuum cleaners. It has the latest cleaning technology and many useful features. However, the best part of the S8 Pro Ultra is that with the auto-emptying dock, I really didn’t have to do much else. This truly is a hands-free cleaning system, and depending on your available free time and budget, it can certainly pay off in the long run.

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While Dyson has recently released its first robot vacuum cleaner (in Australia), priced at around $2,399, and there are other automated vacuum and mopping robots such as Ecovacs’ Deebot Omni, priced at $2,499, neither offer the same level of hands-free performance for mixed floor types as the S8 Pro Ultra. The Deebot Omni has an excellent mop system but is more suitable for homes with predominantly hard flooring, as its mop heads do not raise out of the way for cleaning carpets. On the other hand, the Dyson is very technically advanced but does not include mopping features at all. One of the few other robot vacuums to automatically lift its mopping head out of the way is the Roomba Combo j7+ that retails at $2,199.

So, if you want to spend less time cleaning and return to fresh and tidy floors after a hard day at work, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is the robot vacuum for you.

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Super Mario Bros Wonder shown during whimsical Nintendo Direct

Within the space of 24 hours, Nintendo announced and then aired a presentation loaded with upcoming game announcements for the Nintendo Switch. Prime among them was Super Mario Bros Wonder, a new dreamlike 2D platformer with weird and wonderful power-ups.

It wasn’t the only game in the Mario universe to feature throughout the Nintendo Direct either. There’s also a remake of Super Mario RPG coming this year, reimagining a Super Nintendo classic that never officially reached Australia. Plus, Nintendo teased a new Princess Peach game for next year, a remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon, and more tracks coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In short, there’s a lot of Mario-themed stuff to look forward to.

Even if you’re not into the moustachioed hero, many other delightful-looking games emerged from the presentation. From Pikmin 4 to Persona 5 Tactica, and more remaster than you can poke a stick at, there was something to suit most tastes. It also added to the massive list of games announced at Summer Game Fest 2023. Hooray for video games!

Super Mario Bros Wonder lets you play as… an elephant?

As Nintendo’s final reveal of the presentation, Super Mario Bros Wonder left a strong impression. It looks spectacular, taking the 2D gameplay of classic Mario games and leaving behind the New Super Mario Bros template. Perhaps the beloved Italian plumber has finally taken one too many mushrooms because the Wonder footage included some of the most surreal imagery the already-imaginative series has produced.

With psychedelic-looking visual effects, bizarre enemies, and talking flowers, there’s a lot to take in. Easily the strangest part of the trailer was seeing Mario transform into an anthropomorphised elephant, replete with his signature red-and-blue outfit. It’s abilities like this and warped level design that looks set to propel Mario’s zany adventures into the future. He’s been a Tanuki, a bee, and even taken direct control of a T-Rex, so why can’t Mario be an elephant as well?

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More than that, Super Mario Bros Wonder lets you play four-player local multiplayer sessions. Which, if you’re familiar with other games in the series, promises for fun mayhem with friends. Other than Mario, you can play as Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Daisy in a race to the finish. We don’t have long to wait, as Super Mario Bros Wonder launches on Nintendo Switch on 20 October 2023.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder: The next evolution of 2D side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. games is headed to Nintendo Switch.
• Jump into the next evolution of Mario side-scrolling fun
• Classic Mario side-scrolling gameplay is turned on its head with the addition of Wonder Flowers! These game-changing items trigger spectacular moments you have to see to believe.
• Witness pipes coming alive, wreak havoc as a giant spiky ball, and see even more unexpected events called Wonder Effects.
• Choose from familiar characters including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi and Toad. Transform into Elephant Mario to use your trunk to trounce enemies with a surprising new Power-Up!

$ 79.95

Buy on Amazon

Other June 2023 Nintendo Direct highlights

It would be easy to list nearly everything shown in the Nintendo Direct, especially if you’re into Mario games and Japanese-made RPGs. Other than Super Mario Bros Wonder, one of the other major games featured was Pikmin 4. This time around, we saw new footage about the gameplay, including a new Pikmin variant that can explore at night. It looks utterly delightful and isn’t far away either, dropping onto Nintendo Switch on 21 July 2023. As a treat, Nintendo also added Pikmin and Pikmin 2 to the eShop today, with a physical release set for 22 September.

Another highlight came in the form of a new look at the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. If you’ve finished the game, you’ll know that the story went to some wild places, particularly for a Pokemon game. This alone should whet appetites for the DLC that expands on the fascinating Paldea region, with even more critters to collect.

If you’re looking for your next party game, look no further than WarioWare: Move It! A continuation of the weird spin-off series packed with goofy micro-games, this latest entry uses the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con’s motion controls to get you out of your seat and mimic whacky on-screen action. It’s out on 3 November 2023, just in time to grab it as a silly way to break the ice during Christmas parties.

Preview	Product	Price
	Pikmin 4 - Nintendo Switch	$ 69.00	Buy on Amazon
	Super Mario RPG - Nintendo Switch		Buy on Amazon
	Pikmin 1+2 - Nintendo Switch	$ 69.79	Buy on Amazon

Sonic Superstars also featured after its original reveal at Summer Game Fest, plus several indie games impressed, including 3D platformer Penny’s Big Breakaway and a Nintendo Switch release of Vampire Survivors, one of 2022’s best games. The Super Mario RPG remake looks like a gorgeous retelling of a cult classic, while Persona 5 Tactica keeps the popular Phantom Thieves in action.

This only scratches the surface of what Nintendo showed, so it’s worth watching the full presentation to catch up on everything. If nothing else, Nintendo certainly made a lot of Mario fans happy.

Read more gaming news on GadgetGuy

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BYD Dolphin Dynamic Australias cheapest EV by slim margin

Within the space of a week, Australia suddenly has two electric vehicles under $40,000 to choose from, with the recent announcement of the BYD Dolphin Dynamic.

In a cheeky bit of competition with fellow Chinese-owned manufacturer MG Motor, BYD has priced its fully-electric hatchback at $38,890 before on-road costs. For reference, the MG4 Excite 51 announced earlier in the week costs just $100 more at $38,990.

Officially revealed at a press conference in Queensland, further details about the car, including battery specifications and estimated range, will be revealed at a launch event at Sea World tonight.

BYD Dolphin Dynamic Australian details

At this stage, only one version of the Dolphin is coming to Australia: the Dynamic. It has a 2,700mm wheelbase, which is almost identical to the MG4 Excite. Although yet to be confirmed, publications like Drive report that the BYD Dolphin Dynamic will have a 44.9kWh battery powering up to 340km of range. It’s slightly less than the MG4 Excite 51’s estimated 350km range and the motor isn’t as powerful.

What BYD is banking on, however, is the Dolphin Dynamic’s broad set of features. On the inside, there’s a 12.8-inch touch infotainment screen that electronically rotates to landscape and portrait configurations depending on preference. It also has Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, sat-nav and wireless charging, in addition to various USB and charging ports. Heated seats even come standard.

On the safety front, the BYD Dolphin Dynamic includes seven airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance, among other features.

When it comes to storage, the comparisons between the Dolphin and the MG4 Excite are neck-and-neck. With the rear seats up, the Excite holds a slender lead with 363L compared to 345L. However, the roles reverse when the seats are folded down, with the Dolphin claiming 1,310L of space, more than the Excite’s 1,117L.

If you value aesthetics when choosing a car, the Dolphin includes all metallic colour options at no extra cost. Meanwhile, the Excite costs $700 more if you want anything other than white.

EV incentives bring price down further

On hand for the announcement was Luke Todd, CEO of EVDirect, the official Australian distributor for BYD. He pointed to increasing government incentives as a big reason to consider an EV.

“We are proud to introduce an EV of such high quality and safety that is now within reach for more Australians,” Todd said. “With state government rebates as high as $6,000 in Queensland, this makes the Dolphin Dynamic as low as $32,890 plus on-road costs.”

“In some instances, this positions it at a lower price point than similar petrol-powered vehicles, a circumstance that has been unprecedented until now.”

Todd referenced the recent rebate increase in Queensland which doubled from $3,000 to $6,000 earlier in the year. It’s one of the most generous subsidies in Australia, coming as part of the Zero Emission Vehicle Rebate Scheme for EVs up to $68,000.

Each state has different incentives and rebates on offer, so it’s worth checking what applies to you. The more expensive but impressive Cupra Born launched in Canberra because the ACT leads the way in EV adoption. Nearly one in five cars sold in the nation’s capital were EVs. There are also Federal incentives, with tax breaks and FBT exemptions available for eligible EVs.

For now, we eagerly await further details about the BYD Dolphin Dynamic arriving in Australia. Keep an eye on the company’s website, as the affordable EV goes on sale at 8 pm AEST tonight (22 June) ahead of Q4 deliveries.

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MG4 Excite 51 first EV cheaper than $40k in Australia

One of the brands pushing for affordable electric vehicles in Australia, MG Motor has arguably outdone itself with its latest announcement. New to the company’s EV range, the MG4 Excite 51 costs just $38,990 before on-road costs.

According to the company, the new EV has a reported range of 350km WLTP (the standardised method of measuring vehicle efficiency). While this puts it below plenty of other models on the market in terms of range, the MG4 Excite 51 is by far the most affordable to date. It’s expected that the incoming BYD Dolphin EV will swoop in with an even cheaper price this week.

MG Motor has previously focused on electric SUVs, but the MG4 is the company’s first all-electric hatchback. The 51 is the cheapest and has the shortest range well. To save on confusion, MG Motor is discontinuing the ZS Excite EV model, an electric SUV, although the ZS Essence and Long Range series will continue in addition to new MG4 hatchback models under the same naming convention.

MG4 Excite and Essence EV range details

As the name suggests, the MG4 Excite 51 uses a 51kWh battery, while there is a 64kWh Excite model that comes with a reported range of up to 450km WLTP. This latter configuration costs $44,990 before on-road costs.

Meanwhile, you also have the choice of the MG4 Essence, which also uses a 64kWh battery, albeit producing a slighter shorter 435km WLTP range along with its $47,990 price tag. The tradeoff here is that the Essence contains more onboard smarts, like emergency lane assists and blind spot detection system, and a beefier speaker array. For $55,990, you can get a long-range Essence equipped with a 77kWh battery that should last for up to 530km.

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For charging, the 64kWh battery is compatible with charging speeds of up to 140kW, so you can top up the battery from 10-80 per cent in 26 minutes when using a 150kW DC rapid charger. On the other hand, the 51kWh battery goes from 10-80 per cent in 40 minutes via a 50kW charger.

With the MG4 range, MG Motor used its new Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), built on a rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution and thin battery platform. The company claims that the MSP produces a low centre of gravity and efficient space use, yielding strong road handling while maximising storage space.

A look at the MG4’s interior.

MG4 range specifications

Here’s a quick rundown comparing each MG4 EV model with one another. From a sheer dollar-to-kilometre perspective, the 64kWh Excite is arguably the best value of the lot. Although this doesn’t factor in personal factors like your driving habits and how many chargers you have nearby. For inner-city drivers, range may not be the most important factor, particularly when you can enter the EV market for less than $40,000.

	MG4 EV Excite (51kWh)	MG4 EV Excite(64kWh)	MG4 EV Essence(64kWh)	MG4 EV Essence(77kWh)
Price starting from plus on-road costs	$38,990 MSRP ‘Excite’	$44,990 MSRP ‘Excite’	$47,990 MSRP ‘Essence’	$55,990 MSRP
Power (kW)	125	150	150	180
0-100 km/h	7.7 seconds	7.9 seconds	7.9 seconds	6.5 seconds
Transmission / Drivetrain	1-speed auto / RWD	1-speed auto / RWD	1-speed auto / RWD	1-speed auto / RWD
Combined WLTP range (km)	Range of up to 350km	Range of up to 450km	Range of up to 435km	Range of up to 530km
Rapid charging from 10-80% 50kW rapid charger (mins)	40	60	60	TBA
Kerb weight	1655	1648	1672	1748
Gross vehicle weight	2083	2113	2123	2209
Max tow weight	500kg	500kg	500kg	500kg
Overall length	4287	4287	4287	4287
Overall height	1504	1504	1516	1516
Overall width + mirrors	2060	2060	2060	2060
Overall width – mirrors	1836	1836	1836	1836
Wheelbase	2705	2705	2705	2705
Boot capacity (seats up)	363 litres	363 litres	350 litres	350 litres
Boot capacity (folded)	1177 litres	1177 litres	1165 litres	1165 litres
Turning circle	10.6 m	10.6 m	10.6 m	10.6 m

Competition is driving (if you can excuse the pun) better value in the Australian EV market. You can certainly splash out and buy a fancy Polestar or get a sporty Cupra Born for closer to $60k. There’s even a powerful Ford Mustang Mach-E EV SUV on the way. However, that’s outside the realm of many Australians currently feeling the effects of tough economic factors.

Deliveries of the MG4 Excite 51 start this August, with more details about ordering one available on the company’s website.

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