The past two years have been basically wiped out by some virus, so 2022 should be the time of our lives, right?
Well, the lingering effects of the pandemic have strained the auto industry this year, be it delays, rising costs and prices, stock shortages – you can name it.
Here, auto expert the group shares their biggest disappointments from this year. do you agree?
Alborz Fallah
The biggest disappointment this year, an election year, was the refusal of one of the two major parties to make the move to repeal the luxury car tax (LCT) or their outdated and unnecessary ADR rules. I.
These things make cars expensive and make it unreasonably difficult for organizations like ANCAP to try to justify their existence when it serves no real purpose for Australians.
This is an area where auto expert will seek to bring more light in 2023, hoping to inspire change.
Paul Maris
Affordable EVs Still Not a Thing
We’re constantly promised comparable prices, but at least in Australia, the affordability of EVs is non-existent.
There are plenty of expensive or high-end electric vehicles out there, but almost none can capture the largest share of SUV or dual-cab sales in the lower end of the market.
If EVs are going to take off, battery prices need to come down (this year they’re more expensive than last year) and more affordable products for families to buy, along with operational infrastructure. motion.
Anthony Crawford
There are more than one number, like new NISANZ.
Sadly, it doesn’t offer the same magical feeling that my original 240Z gave me every time I looked at it, let alone behind the wheel. It’s not a total disaster, but there’s something missing here with the latest recipe.
But the biggest disappointment for me in 2022 is still lack of active EV charging infrastructure across Sydney (if not the entire country), especially in my own Northern Beaches area.
For example, there are still no fast chargers or even fast chargers anywhere near the peninsula, so I find myself shopping at the East Village Shopping Center in Zetland (20km away), where there are two fast chargers (always one active) and one fast charger, and in general, only need to wait 10-15 minutes to plug in, if available.
For electric vehicle owners who live in a standalone home with a garage, parking or even a driveway, it shouldn’t be a big deal as you’ll only need to plug it in often, otherwise, every night. But for electric vehicle owners who live in apartment complexes, charging your electric vehicle can be much more difficult due to Body Corporates’ slow response to the transition from internal combustion engine cars to PHEVs and BEV.
They’ll need to get ahead here, as there are almost 30 or more new EVs confirmed for 2023, while another 20 will drop by 2022, and that doesn’t include plug-in hybrids – there are plenty of them. many of them on the way.
Scott Collie
Delay on delay, with one side is marking agent
This isn’t really anyone’s fault, but the fact that hotly anticipated cars are constantly being pushed back to Australia is getting very tiresome.
Are from Toyota bZ4X SUV arrives Mazda CX-60even with lotus emirate thrown inwards for good measure, the goalposts appear to be constantly shifting ahead of frustrated punters.
From the chip crisis to the war in Ukraine, there are plenty of reasons why – but in the end, Australian car buyers are the losers.
Mike Costello
Maybe there’s been a bit of a bias lately here, but I’m really disappointed in LDV importer Ateco for its price. Australia’s first electric utethe eT60which feels a little more opportunistic.
Here we have a Chinese brand, famous for its cheap pack horses, which is dominating the broader market and offering the first electric car in the country.
Sure, the dual-cab market won’t shift away from diesel overnight, but many fleet operators are interested in battery-powered vehicles.
However, at $92,990 before the road, it’s more than double the price of the T60 diesel, plus it equates to ‘just’ AU$76,000 in New Zealand, just RWD, yes. limited range, cheap inside, lack of features, and as such could really deflate a nascent market by presenting a false dawn.
James Vuong
“Not For Australia” and the difficult attitude of customers
With so much of the news I write these days mostly product-related, it’s not fun to have to write “not for Australia” so many times this year. It even became an ongoing joke with fans – I see all the comments about “NFA” and “Third World of Automotive” and I get it.
Having worked behind the scenes at one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, I fully understand that bringing a car to Australia is more than just pushing a button or turning a faucet.
However, in what is arguably one of the world’s densest and most widely competitive new-car markets, it seems odd that most manufacturers are playing the imitator by bringing in new things. same old and less interesting products available in the global portfolio.
I want to see more weird and wacky stuff, more colors, more textures, more engine choices!
With that said, I need to see better vibes from buyers and commenters – We need more choices. We need to stop abbreviating or complaining about things when it has a place and a purpose. I’m talking about idling start/stop, I’m talking about mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, more assistive features. That is a long list.
I understand that everyone is entitled to an opinion, but we should all be on the same page when it comes to consumer choice and getting more products and technology in Australia than benefits. to our buyers and our emissions reduction efforts.
However, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions will not be achieved only by electric vehicles and we need better access to different fuel-saving products and technologies if we are to appeal to everyone. Participants. Everything from idle stop-start technology and the 48V MHEV system makes a difference, even if it doesn’t seem important enough to some or the operation throttling causes too much of an inconvenience. .
Australia is on track to sell more than 1 million new cars by 2022, just imagine if each car was brought to market with some form of powertrain technology that would save 5-10 grams of CO2 per kilometer – that’s 5-10 tons of CO2 without creating an atmosphere based solely on this year’s new car sales.
We also need better fuel quality, even if that means paying a little more per liter. We also need to require manufacturers to supply our market with the latest, most efficient internal combustion engines and electrification products at various price points so that we do not risk ro leave behind different segments of the population.
You can’t pick and choose to do your job when it’s convenient. Remember when people laughed at you if you drove a Prius a decade ago? Well, if we had adopted hybrid technologies and reduced emissions by then, we probably wouldn’t be where we are now.
William Stopford
Lack of availability of EVs from mainstream brands
European, Japanese, Korean and American brands should be more careful.
Chinese brands are making serious inroads into the nascent electric vehicle market in Australia, and their cars are being sought after by a new group of buyers who are less loyal to established brands. name and willing to seize the opportunity with an unfamiliar brand if the price is right. / or technology is right.
While companies like Hyundai can only bring in a few ioniq 5s Coming to Australia and Volkswagen’s first electric cars not until 2023, Chinese brands such as BYD and MG are rushing in and grabbing market share.
If you are an electric car user and no longer worry about resale value and brand reputation, what will you do? Buy a calm one Leaf Nissan or expensive Kia NiroOr bet on a high-priced Chinese EV with a long warranty period and a longer feature list?
If the establishment is not careful, they will wake up to find that the Chinese have dominated the mainstream EV market. MG is already one of the top 10 brands and GWM isn’t far behind, and that’s mostly on the rear end of internal combustion vehicles.
With countless Australians enthusiastic about electric vehicles and not loyal to any particular brand, Chinese carmakers will only continue to thrive locally.
Quick Jack
NISANZ
I wanted to really like the Nissan Z because it’s a brand new twin-turbo V6 sports car due in 2022, but unfortunately I can’t connect to it.
I have fond memories of driving the 350Z Roadster around private land at 20km/h when I could only see through the wheel. It was really thrilling because the family friend who carried it allowed me to step on the gas a little and let it slide the rear wheel on the gravel road.
Fast forward to this year, I was a little disappointed when I jumped into the new Nissan Z and realized that it wasn’t all I had in mind.
Sure, it looks nice on the outside and has enough power to kick in, but I found the internal switchgear moved from the 370Z incredibly annoying. I also found driving the Z a bit awkward because of the noticeable turbo lag and near-zero engine noise. It’s definitely a few and keeps me on my toes though.
I’m looking forward to when Nissan reveals the more engaging Z Nismo, which will hopefully bring me back to my rosy childhood memories.
Derek Fung – Journalist
The manual is in serious jeopardy
When I sit in the middle of busy traffic at rush hour Mini Countryman WILL In the guidebook that I recently rented, it occurred to me that the story of the manual transmission is like the one in Shakespeare’s plays.
They have been created and enjoyed by the masses. Now, they are mostly loved by a handful of enthusiasts, and largely hated by teenage students forced to learn about them.
Although my heart was filled with sadness when the first guidebook failed in the face of public indifference, and now with our impending environmental doom, I remain forever grateful. because I have lived in the fragile land of human history, where I can enjoy joy easily and affordably. bring.
Have a lot of disappointments? Share yours in the comments below!
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