The EV jargon, decoded.

1. Range — what WLTP actually means

The range figure on every spec sheet (including ours) usually comes from the WLTP lab cycle. It's the best tool we have for comparing cars against each other — but it's a lab number. In Australian real-world driving expect roughly 80–90% of WLTP around town, and less again at 110 km/h on the highway, in extreme heat or cold, or towing.

The useful question isn't "what's the biggest range?" — it's "is the range at least double my biggest normal day?" If you drive 60 km a day and can charge at home, almost every car in our comparison is more than enough.

2. Home charging — where 90% of charging happens

If you have off-street parking, you'll do nearly all your charging asleep. Two options:

• A normal powerpoint (the "granny charger") adds roughly 10–15 km of range per hour — fine for small daily commutes.
• A wallbox (7 kW) adds roughly 40–50 km per hour — a full overnight charge for any car on the market. Installed cost is commonly in the low thousands depending on your switchboard.

No off-street parking? An EV can still work — think about chargers near home or work, and weight DC charging speed more heavily in your comparison.

3. DC fast charging — the road-trip number

The kW peak in our table is the car's claimed maximum on a DC fast charger. Rough translation: an 80 kW car (entry BYDs) does a 10–80% top-up in ~45–60 minutes; a 150–175 kW car in ~30 minutes; the 800-volt cars (IONIQ 5/6, EV6) in closer to 18–20 minutes on a charger fast enough to feed them. If you road-trip a lot, this number matters more than headline range.

4. Running costs — the quiet win

Charged at home, an EV typically costs the equivalent of well under $1 per litre — overnight EV tariffs and solar can push it lower still. Public DC charging costs more (often comparable to cheap petrol), which is another reason home charging is the killer feature. Servicing is generally cheaper too: no oil, no spark plugs, fewer moving parts, and brakes that last longer thanks to regen.

5. Batteries & warranties

Every EV sold new in Australia carries a separate battery warranty — typically 8 years / 160,000 km with a guaranteed capacity floor (often 70%). Real-world degradation on modern packs is slow; the battery outliving the warranty is the norm, not the exception. LFP batteries (most BYDs, base Teslas, some MGs) are happy charging to 100% daily; NMC packs prefer an 80% daily cap — the car manages this for you.

6. Rebates & incentives — check, don't assume

Australian EV incentives are a moving target: state rebates, stamp-duty and registration concessions come and go, and the federal FBT exemption for novated leases has been the biggest effective discount for many buyers. We deliberately don't bake incentives into our prices — check your state's current scheme and your payroll's novated options before you decide, because they can swing the real cost by thousands.

7. How to actually choose

• Set the budget first — it eliminates more cars than any spec.
• Be honest about your driving — daily kilometres and how often you genuinely road-trip.
• Sort by what matters to you in the comparison tool — range for the country, DC speed for road-trippers, price for the head.
• Shortlist three, test-drive two — seats and screens decide more purchases than spec sheets do.
• Verify the variant — the "from" price and the longest range are usually different variants of the same car.

All figures in this guide are indicative and general in nature — not financial or purchase advice. Specs, prices, tariffs and incentive schemes change; confirm details with manufacturers, your electrician, your energy retailer and your state scheme before deciding.