January 19: EV tax refund process commences for affected Victorians

The Victorian government has begun issuing refunds to vehicle owners who paid the state’s ‘unconstitutional’ zero- and low-emissions vehicle road-user tax.

“We are writing to eligible customers directly in January 2024 to advise them of how to apply for their refund,” said VicRoads.

To accept the refund, owners must claim it on the VicRoads website by June 30, 2024, using a QR code printed on a letter sent to the registered address of the low or zero-emissions vehicle.

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A communication from VicRoads to affected owners, sent this week, confirms a cheque including the refund amount and “all card payment fees and interest” will be posted in the mail “as soon as possible” once it has been accepted.

In November, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the refunds would amount to around $7 million, which will be returned to owners of electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

Our earlier story, below, continues unchanged.

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November 29: Victoria to refund $7 million after High Court declares road-user tax “invalid”

The Victorian government has confirmed it will refund vehicle owners who paid the state’s ‘unconstitutional’ zero- and low-emissions vehicle road-user tax.

Treasurer Tim Pallas told reporters the Allan Labor Government would hand back approximately $7 million to electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen vehicle owners who paid the tax, with funds to be received in the coming months.

“The advice is we should be repaying those bonds,” said Pallas.

“We’re now going through the process of identifying who it is we need to rebate, and we’ll go through the process of making those returns.”

The decision follows a landmark verdict by the High Court of Australia in October, which declared Victoria’s zero-emissions vehicle road-user tax as “invalid” and unconstitutional.

Pallas said that while “there isn’t an obligation to pay interest”, a “relatively small amount” of interest will be paid on the funds.

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“What is not a relatively small amount is a reimagining of the constitution by the High Court. That is going to cause very substantial problems for every state. We have put this on the agenda to discuss at the upcoming treasurers’ meeting on Friday.”

Shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell told The Age [↗] the Victorian government should refund taxpayers before Christmas.

“The government has known since October that this tax is not a legal tax,” he said. “Why the waste, why the delay?”

Victorian Greens treasury spokesperson Sam Hibbins said the state needs to improve electric vehicle policies, including tighter fuel efficiency standards and re-introduced zero- and low-emission vehicle subsidies.

“We don’t have the sorts of fuel efficiency standards like other countries have, and that’s why it’s so important that the state government now look actually how to make electric vehicles more affordable, not more expensive.”

In June, the Victorian government confirmed its $3000 EV rebate would expire at the end of the 2022/23 financial year, though EV and PHEV owners still receive a $100 registration discount.

The High Court’s landmark finding impacts plans of other states – including NSW, South Australia and Western Australia – to levy a similar charge on zero- and low-emission vehicle drivers.

Tesla isn’t only dominating its EV rivals when it comes to sales; it’s also hosing its ICE-powered competitors as well.

Fresh from a strong 2023 in Australia that saw finish the year in sixth overall, the Tesla Model Y has now become the first ever EV to nab the title of Europe’s best-selling vehicle.

The Model Y edged out 2022’s best-seller, the Dacia Sandero, by a decent margin thanks to 254,822 registrations compared with the Dacia’s 235,893.

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The Volkswagen T-Roc rounded out the podium in Europe’s 2023 sales race with 206,438 registrations.

Beneath the top three followed the usual mix of hatches and small SUVs that have traditionally been Europe’s strongest sellers: Renault Clio (202,942), Peugeot 208 (194,376), Opel Corsa (188,662) and VW Golf (184,279).

Unlike Australia, there isn’t a single dual-cab ute in Europe’s list of top 20 best-sellers.

Amazingly ever member of Europe’s top 10 recorded growth over the figures they achieve in 2022 — expect for the Peugeot 208 which was down slightly — however none of them could match the Tesla’s explosion in sales.

While the Dacia Sandero records a sales jump of 17.5 per cent per cent over 2022, the Tesla Model Y was up by 85 percent.

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Further underscoring the Model Y’s impressive result is the fact that it’s the only EV to feature inside Europe’s top 30 best-selling cars.

While other models do include EV variants, the Tesla Model Y is the only EV-only contender. Europe’s next best-selling EV is the Tesla Model 3, which finished 33rd.

Value was a key reason for the Model Y’s success in Europe. Tesla introduced substantial price cuts throughout 2023 and is clearly keen to retain value as a core Model Y attraction into 2024 given more price reductions were announced in several European countries earlier this week.

Hyundai’s new electric Kona is here, finally, and it presents as a more thought-provoking option than any would’ve thought when I first drove it way back in November 2023.

At that time, Hyundai still hadn’t landed on a price for the new Kona Electric, and a safety rating had also not been awarded. We now have both, and boy, what a pickle. Let’s talk about it.

Pricing: $54,000 before on-road costs.

The price? Strong. I had felt it would need to land from around $55,000 in order to be competitive with the popular $48,000 BYD Atto 3 – and ideally even less than $55k.

They’ve managed that, announcing in early January that the 2024 Kona Electric is priced from $54,000 before on-road costs, and that’s actually $500 cheaper than the smaller, less advanced previous model. Frankly, that’s a rare event, and Hyundai deserves kudos for understanding the size of the challenge before it.

Safety: Strong, but the optics…

Now we come to safety. We’d expected a five-star rating, and the tone from Hyundai suggested they did as well.

Instead, it’s a four-star rating – one that, in Europe, came with a savage rebuke: “[The Kona] scrapes by with four stars – in reality [it is] lucky to avoid three stars.”

Euro NCAP’s disappointment likely lies in what it has largely described as a ‘bare minimum’ effort from many carmakers when it comes to active safety systems.

In reality, the Kona range missed out on five stars in Australia because it is missing AEB junction crossing assist – the system that detects vehicles approaching an intersection at a perpendicular angle to the Kona.

Everything else is there, and the Kona also passed all impact tests, achieving scores equivalent to a five-star result in the categories of occupant protection in the event of a crash.

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So, that’s the pricing and ANCAP story – details that weren’t available when I started on this review in November, and indeed they’re missing from the printed version of this story, sent to print in early December. A collector’s item!

What it means for Hyundai is that they can’t brag. They’re short a key marketing ingredient. A four-star score is good, but in a world of short attention spans, the Kona’s key rivals can loudly proclaim five-star safety, and Hyundai can’t.

Storm in a teacup? For many buyers, probably. With a four-star rating, the Kona joins the new Honda HR-V, new BMW i4, new Grand Cherokee, new Peugeot 308, new Citroen C4 and new Fiat 500e – along with a couple of Opel models tested for New Zealand.

Ultimately, it’s buyer’s choice, but you’d hardly be buying a death trap. As a parent myself, the Kona’s ANCAP result wouldn’t deter me.

Now, on with the review I wrote in November, revised to take in the above new information.

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2024 Hyundai Kona Electric review: Australian first drive

If the price is wrong, interest in the latest electric Korean could be swept away by China’s already successful BYD Atto 3 – along with the smaller, cheaper but just as compelling BYD Dolphin, MG 4 and GWM Ora.

Strike that. Even for budget-focused buyers, interest in the new Kona Electric would be more than warranted.

Don’t misunderstand: Whatever the Atto 3, BYD Dolphin, MG 4 and GWM Ora might lack in polish or prestige, they each present a strong value argument for dollar-driven Aussies. The Atto 3 in particular is very popular.

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Hyundai is all too aware of that risk, and it shows. Unlike many Euro brands (so it seems), Hyundai isn’t here to be forgotten.

As I noted in the fresh opener of this story, the Kona Electric is very likely priced below where they would’ve otherwise put it – even despite the fact that bigger and more advanced Ioniq 5 now starts from just $65k.

Like any other product, but more so because of the sheer size of the spend, so much of a vehicle’s assessment and appeal comes down to its price. “Great value”, “not bad for the money”, and “I expected more for the asking price” all roll off the tongue when weighing a purchase decision.

Hyundai’s Australian arm told us at the launch event that it was working with Korean HQ to get the numbers right, which sounds a lot like it’s more worried than its global leadership when it comes to competitive pricing in our crowded market – and that many Australians are drawn to a price tag well before they think about quality and features.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• Interior quality, comfort, space and storage
• 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric boot space
• Technology in the cabin
• What is it like to drive?
• How is it on fuel?
• How safe is it?
• 2024 Kona Electric warranty and running costs
• VERDICT
• Specifications

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How much is it, and what do you get?

The 2024 Hyundai Kona electric starts from $54,000.

That’s a sharp price for an EV from any legacy brand, which Hyundai now qualifies as, but it’s even better when you consider what came before it: A smaller, less feature-packed runabout that cost $54,500.

Even better is that the Extended Range model is a full $2500 cheaper than its equivalent spec in the previous range.

There are effectively three configurations of the Kona Electric.

The base Kona Electric Standard Range comes with a 48.6kWh battery pack, 99kW/255Nm motor and front-wheel drive, followed by a base Kona Electric Extended Range with 64.8kWh battery, 150kW/255Nm motor and again front-wheel drive.

The line-up is led, for now at least, by the Kona Premium Electric – Extended Range only. The base variants ride on 17-inch wheels and the Premium gets 19s.

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? Even in sans-suffix Kona form, the Kona Electric is very well appointed.

It gets dual 12.3-inch displays in the cabin for suitable wow factor, along with Bluelink connected services with over-the-air updates, plus dual-zone climate control, integrated navigation and live traffic, rain-sensing wipers, LED lighting at both ends, an interior ‘vehicle to load’ (V2L) power outlet, heat-pump cabin heating, batter conditioning, a wireless phone charger and wired Apple Carplay and Android (wireless is promised to come as an update soon).

The entry model rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and – get this, dear reader – a temporary spacesaver wheel is included. No ‘can of goo’ and compressor here! What a time to be alive, seeing a spare wheel as a rare treat…

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? Stepping up to the Kona Premium Electric…

…adds 19-inch alloys, ‘leather’ trim (combination leather and synthetic), powered/heated/ventilated seating, a heated steering wheel, head-up display, Bose eight-speaker audio, Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), a wide glass sunroof, and a powered tailgate.

The Extended Range options also come with an official 750kg braked tow rating with a max tow-ball weight of 100kg, but the Standard Range has no official rating.

Hyundai’s SmartSense safety suite is also featured in both trim grades, detailed further down in the safety section of this story.

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Interior quality, comfort, space and storage

Although short on soft-touch surfaces, the new Kona’s cabin is a pleasant and well-configured home on the road.

Stepping into the new Kona Electric, you’re immediately greeted with a modern and sensible design. The bright, fast and huge 12.3-inch screens tell you, irrationally or not, that you’ve spent wisely. Even better, the steering wheel and dash wear a familiar range of critical function and convenience controls, which – in this age of cost-cutting under the guise of style and simplicity – is feeling more and more like a rarity.

Unlike the first-generation Kona, this new model was developed as a properly practical small SUV on the large end of the segment, its longer wheelbase well-suited to carrying a family of four in better than reasonable comfort.

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The new Kona shares its platform with the i30 Sedan and Kia Niro, but its dimensions differ somewhat, with a wheelbase of 2660 millimetres – 60mm longer than before, but still 60mm shorter than the related vehicles.

Overall length grows by 150mm to 4355mm, and width is up 25mm to a new 1825mm. Hyundai says this results in a second row that offers 77mm more legroom and 11mm greater headroom, making it a segment leader in these dimensions.

For context, the popular Toyota Corolla Cross rides on a 2640mm (-20mm) wheelbase and measures 4460mm in overall length (+105mm), with an identical 1825mm width.

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Comfort in both rows is good, with firm but supportive seats, cloth-trimmed in the entry model and ‘leather’-upholstered in the Kona Premium. Occupants in the front get well-bolstered backrests, along with a laidback “zero-gravity weightless posture” Relaxation position in the Premium to rest while charging. Owners of the entry EV model miss out on powered seats, however, with that function exclusive to the Kona Premium.

That longer wheelbase, along with scalloped front seatbacks and a flat rear bench, means adults in the second row have fairly generous leg and knee space. Toe room under the front seats is likewise good, while the flat floor means any middle passenger will only be squashed from the hips up. Take your victories where you can get them… and the rear seats recline, too.

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Storage in the Kona’s cabin is plentiful. The front row offers a cubby beneath the HVAC controls for 15W fast and cooled wireless phone charging or bits-and-pieces, while the cup-holder rings can be retracted to create a large open storage area – thanks in great part to the gear shifter moving to a column behind the steering wheel. The centre console has no deep closed cubby, however, and lifting the armrest reveals only more open space.

There’s a long slim bench above the glove box, although its hard-plastic surface makes it fairly useless for storing anything while driving. The glovebox itself is deep, however, and the door bins are likewise large with plenty of space for a one-litre drink bottle and other items besides.

Occupants in the second row get a pair of small cup-holders in the fold-down centre arm rest, decent door bins and a map holder in the front seatbacks.

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2024 Hyundai Kona Electric boot space

The new Kona Electric offers a decent 407 litres of boot space with the 60:40-split folding rear seats upright, expanding to 1241 litres when laid flat.

This area is a touch smaller than most rivals in the small-SUV segment, but Hyundai is eager to remind that its second-row legroom is best in class, and the EV’s rear space is identical to that of the petrol model – meaning there is little compromise in opting for electric over combustion.

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Access to the boot is also made easier than in the previous model, thanks to a wider opening and a lower lip at the floor.

There’s also a 27-litre storage area under the bonnet – room enough to store the charging cable, shoes, wet gear or a small backpack.

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Mini matchup: Boot space

Technology in the cabin

Hyundai has come a long way with its in-car technology, with an infotainment system now comfortably at the head of the class for feature richness, simplicity and power.

The new system boasts four times the computing power and 15 times the display processing power of Hyundai’s previous system, seen in the current Tucson and Santa Fe among others. The specifics of that are irrelevant to most users, except to say that touching and typing on the display feels like using a high-end Apple or Android tablet, with rapid responses to input and speedy transitions between pages.

Controls for the Kona’s most frequently used features are almost all physical switches and dials, including the HVAC, media, cruise control and camera controls.

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Hyundai’s Bluelink connected services platform is also featured, allowing remote status monitoring and control of key features like charging times and limits, door locks, windows, climate control, lights, horn, and trip planning. In this latest generation, Bluelink also enables over-the-air updates for safety, braking, performance, driver assist and mapping.

Both rows get 27W/3A rapid-charge USB-C charging ports, while the second row also has a V2L outlet for powering thirstier devices like a laptop or, if you’re inclined, a coffee machine.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both featured and operate smoothly, but for now they remain a wired feature. Hyundai says it has a vehicle in Australia right now, testing with wireless connectivity, and hopes to roll out an OTA update in the coming weeks or months.

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What is it like to drive?

There’s little hiding the Kona Electric’s weight if you enjoy spirited driving, but most of the time you’d scarcely notice.

With its larger design and big floor-mounted battery packs pushing it to a new 1690kg kerb weight in Standard Range form, compared to the previous Kona Electric’s 1535kg – and the 1335kg weight of the regular new petrol Kona – this latest EV is indeed a hefty one. Again, some context: the VE Commodore, in its standard form, also weighed 1690kg.

Hyundai’s drive route through regional Canberra took in plenty of winding roads, which is where you’ll most easily notice the Kona Electric’s weight as its traction system and you at the wheel work to combat physics. There’s not a lot in it, though, and being noticeable isn’t the same as being concerning – especially with the helpful regenerative braking system, allowing you to slow your entry into corners without touching the brake pedal.

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Of course, the Kona Electric wasn’t designed to be driven in anger, and with most buyers it never will be. Ride and comfort is overall good in the entry model, with its region-specific (but not Australian-tuned) suspension package and 17-inch wheels wrapped in a thick 60-profile Kumho rubber helping it maintain composure across most surfaces.

The Premium’s 19-inch wheels and 45-profile tyres sacrifice some of this comfort for style points, but not by much – and it does look the business in that higher spec.

Steering is responsive and accurate in turns, with a good and confident straight-ahead feel on the highway. Enthusiasts will lament the lack of feedback, but this is increasingly common in newer cars with electric steering, and not something most motorists will detect.

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Acceleration is delivered quickly without unleashing too much torque off the line (there isn’t loads on offer anyway), while braking is strong and easily modulated with good top-of-pedal feel. Brake regeneration is also on board to reduce reliance on the brake pedal while also feeding energy back into the battery, and the highest level – i-pedal –can just about completely cut the brake pedal out of the picture, once you get used to it.

Wind and road noise, a more prominent companion with the otherwise silent motoring in electric vehicles, is well enough damped and seems no worse than with other affordable-end EVs. Only a back-to-back test would say for certain, but upgrading to higher-quality tyres on your first replacement would only help.

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• What is a Powertrain or Drivetrain?
• Power vs torque
• Car suspension explained
• Automatic transmissions (‘gearboxes’) explained
• Chassis control systems explained
• Car vs Ute vs SUV: How the vehicle you buy should guide the way you drive
• What is the WLTP emissions and range test?

Officially, the Kona Electric claims an efficiency rating of 14.2kWh/100km in the Standard Range, down slightly from the 14.3 of its predecessor.

Launch events are far from the ideal for a realistic measure of the claim’s accuracy, but after two hours of mixed urban, highway and spirited driving in the hills, I returned 16.8kWh/100km – suggesting the official figure should be comfortably achievable. We’ll test this further in our upcoming week-long booking. (Keep an eye on whichcar.com.au/hyundai/kona)

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The Extended Range lists 14.7 on the 17-inch wheels and 16.7 on the 19s, showing what a difference can be made with wheel diameter and a slightly less luxurious fitout.

The 99kW Standard Range lists a WLTP-certified driving range of 370 kilometres, while the 150kW Extended Range lists 505km with the 17-inch wheels and 444km for the 19s.

The Kona Electric’s 400V electric system is slower than the 800V system offer with Hyundai’s more expensive EVs, resulting in a fastest-possible charging time of 10-80% in “approximately” 45 minutes on a 100kW+ DC charger. This is plenty for daily driving, but could prove frustrating on road trips – particularly when time is of the essence.

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Mini matchup: Efficiency

How safe is it?

As covered above, we didn’t know at the time of testing that the Kona range would be given a four-star rating.

Why? Well, because it comes bearing strong active and crash safety credentials, with seven airbags including a front centre airbag, and a suite of advanced driver aids under the Hyundai SmartSense banner.

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Key among those features is Lane-Change-Side that can manage steering during lane changes, along with Forward Attention Warning for driver monitoring, using an in-cabin infra-red camera to detect the driver’s face, head position/direction, and eye tracking/opening/closing state.

Others include blind-spot collision monitoring and avoidance, lane-keep and lane-following assist (monitoring and acting on forward vehicles and line markings), rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and active cruise control with stop-and-go – which includes a Machine Learning (AI) system to learn the driver’s patterns and habits for tailoring its controls to their preferences.

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Four stars aside, damn those beeps…

A note to ANCAP & Euro NCAP: I can’t help but wonder if driving people to madly disabling alerts isn’t undoing the benefits of their intended function.

As with all cars featuring these types of systems, properly assessing their capability requires a lot of closed-road conditions – but what I can tell you is that, for whatever the extent to which these systems can protect you, they’re bloody annoying in the meantime.

With all of its active safety systems running, this Hyundai throws more beeps and boops at you in one trip than R2-D2 does in all of Episode 4 – and I can’t help but wonder if driving people to madly disabling alerts isn’t undoing the benefits of their intended function.

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To its credit, Hyundai’s commitment to safely accessible controls and visible displays is commendable.

Where some brands – like Tesla and now Volvo with its small EX30 – aren’t bothering with a dedicated driver display or even a head-up to display, the Kona has not only its two huge 12.3-inch screens, but also a giant 12-inch head-up display. No chance of missing the speed limit or any visual alerts.

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2024 Kona Electric warranty and running costs

The new Kona Electric is covered by Hyundai’s 5-year / unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and 8-year / 160,000km battery warranty.

These terms are now fairly standard for the Australian car market, with only a few offering less than unlimited kilometres, and again only a handful offering better than five years on the vehicle.

For servicing, Hyundai offers a ‘lifetime’ pricing list, which runs up to six years. Each visit will cost $520, with no big-hit ‘major service’ in the entire run. The first scheduled service is at 24 months / 30,000km, second is at 48 months / 60,000km, and third is at 72 months / 90,000km for $520.

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VERDICT

As with the previous Kona Electric, which was a popular offering for much of its life, there’s a lot to like with this new generation.

Line the new Kona up alongside BYD’s very popular Atto 3 and you might see the little details that make the Hyundai look and feel like a more complete package developed by a company more experienced with western markets.

The trouble is that, like wine-tasting, those little details are largely inconsequential and even undetectable for many buyers. That’s just human nature, but it could mean there may not be enough in the Kona’s details to distinguish it as a better buy. The Atto 3 also has the advantage of a longer wheelbase, which could be enough to grab family buyers – along with its 5-star ANCAP rating.

Still, just as premium German brands have long had the edge over volume-selling brands when it comes to brand cachet that may or may not deserved, some buyers could be drawn to the Kona Electric simply out of regard for the now familiar and trusted Hyundai badge over the newcomer BYD – with its tiny dealer network and a still largely unknowable reputation that will take years to establish.

Time will tell, on both fronts.

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JANUARY 19: Kona Electric driven in Australia

Hyundai’s new electric Kona is here, finally, and it presents as a more thought-provoking option than any would’ve thought when we first drove it way back in November.

JANUARY 9: Australian pricing announced

The new-generation 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric will be sold in Australia with a more affordable entry price than the model it replaces.

Hyundai Australia has confirmed the second-generation Kona Electric small SUV is set to start from $54,000 before on-road costs – down $500 from the entry-level grade of its markedly smaller predecessor.

The Kona Electric will be offered in two grades – Electric and Electric Premium – with Standard Range or Extended Range options. The entry model is available with Standard Range or Extended Range batteries, while the Electric Premium is limited to the Extended Range setup.

For context, the Chinese-built BYD Atto 3 – arguably the Kona Electric’s biggest rival in Australia and the nation’s third best-selling EV – is priced between $48,011 and $51,011 before on-road costs for the standard and extended range variants, respectively.

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The 2024 Kona Electric Extended Range is priced at $58,000 before on-road costs – down $2500 from the equivalent first-generation model.

The Kona Electric Standard Range features a 48.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack, a 99kW electric motor, and a single-speed reduction gear powering the front wheels, with a WLTP-rated 370-kilometre driving range. It supports a 100kW maximum DC fast-charging speed.

Opting for the Extended Range sees a larger 64.8kWh battery and 150kW electric motor, which enables a 505-kilometre WLTP-rated driving range for the base Kona Electric on 17-inch wheels or 444km for the range-topping Kona Electric Premium on 19-inch wheels.

The range-topping Kona Electric Premium Extended Range is listed at $68,000 plus on-road costs – up $4000 over the previous Kona Electric Highlander Extended Range. A standard-range flagship variant will not be offered in Australia at launch.

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The brand has confirmed all variants of the Kona Electric will be fitted with a space-saver spare wheel in Australia, a first in the small E-SUV segment where it competes against the BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV, Kia Niro EV and Peugeot E-2008.

Standard equipment largely matches respective versions of the internal-combustion Kona line-up, though the base Kona Electric also features a full-digital instrument cluster, built-in satellite navigation, rain-sensing wipers, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

Kona Electric-specific equipment includes a heat pump, a battery conditioning system, an internal vehicle-to-load power outlet, regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, while the Electric Premium adds a Kona-first windscreen-projected head-up display.

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As with other electric Hyundai vehicles, the Kona Electric is covered by the brand’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a separate eight-year/160,000-kilometre warranty for high-voltage components, including the lithium-ion battery pack.

Following the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 electric vehicles, the second-gen Kona Electric now only requires servicing every 24 months or 30,000 kilometres – capped at $520 each for the first three dealer services.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is now available in Australia. Stay tuned for our local drive impressions on Friday, January 19.

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2024 Hyundai Kona Electric pricing

Prices exclude on-road costs.

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2024 Hyundai Kona Electric features

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric Premium features

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A positive reaction to the use of digital licences as part of a trial in Ballarat has been an encouraging sign, according to top university RMIT.

The pilot program began in the middle of 2023, following rollouts of digital licences in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia – showing that Australians are willing to adopt the technology, despite privacy and “information honeypot” concerns.

According to Dr Arathi Arakala, Lecturer in Mathematics and a member of RMIT’s Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation, “The take-up demonstrates that Victorians are eager to adopt the new ID technology where their licence is digitally accessible via the Victorian Government’s dedicated phone apps.

“Victims of identity theft and fraud have reported stolen of lost driver licence cards as the most common identity document used by perpetrators.”

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The digital licence will be integrated into the Victorian Government’s myVicRoads and Victoria Service apps, although further testing will be required before any rollout in 2024.

“We hope common attack points will be studied and fixed before the full rollout this year.

“If the phone is lost or stolen a user can get the licence revoked and a new licence number can be applied for. These new credentials will reflect in real time on the Victorian Licensing Registry database.” Dr Arakala added.

The concerns about the ability to fake digital licences can be addressed with the inclusion of a timed QR code that refreshes every couple of minutes, similar to VPN tokens or other two-factor authentication methods. The South Australian digital licence uses a similar barcode system, along with a function that displays the current date over the licence photo when the user shakes their device.

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Dr Arkala does detail some other limitations or concerns with a digital licence as well.

“Some of the challenges of having everything on a mobile phone extends to the digital ID too. For example, low battery, severely damaged phone screens and poor network connection could hamper the use of the digital licence. In those situations, a user can always fall back on the physical licence.

“The digital driver’s licence is a great step toward a more secure and convenient licence system.”

What happens when a Ford F-150 Raptor meets an electric F-150?

Developed in conjunction with Vaughn Gittin Junior’s RTR, the same outfit Ford tapped to create the 2020 Mustang Mach-E 1400, the Ford F-150 Switchgear may be the ultimate combination off battery-power and rough road capability.

Inspired by the 2016 F-150 RTR Ultimate Fun-Haver project (yes, that’s what they called it), Ford Performance pulled the covers off the one-off demonstrator it says is a test bed “pushing the boundaries of what’s expected from electric trucks”.

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The F-150 Lightning Switchgear – named for its ability on sealed surfaces and the rough stuff – starts its metamorphosis with carbon front guards, bedsides and bumpers.

Boasting 37-inch Nitto Ridge Grappler all-terrain tyres on 18-inch wheels – the same size as that on the headlining F-150 Raptor R – the Switchgear’s wild stance is bolstered by wider front and rear tracks.

The extra space accommodates a complete custom suspension setup – double wishbones up front and a multi-link rear with unique control arms and anti-roll bars.

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They’re accompanied by Fox 3.0-inch diameter bypass valve shocks, while there’s also limit straps to help manage suspension and wheel travel.

Steel rock rails and front skid plate have been added, while the custom bumpers also help enable with greater front and rear departure angles.

A chase rack and two-spare wheels have also been fitted behind the cabin, Ford saying that the changes allow the electric F-truck to go where no electric off-roader has before.

The job is finished with a striking electric-themed livery, with more details expected to be revealed as Ford wheels the electric off-roader out for promotional duties.

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The F-150 Switchgear will make its first public appearance on January 25 at the King of Hammers off-road race in the Johnson Valley, California, as the latest of an array of extreme Ford Performance demo cars.

This includes the SuperVan 4.2 it raced at Pikes Peak in 2023 – boasting a 1020kW electric powertrain – which will be driven at Mount Panorama at the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour GT3 event in February.

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By the way…

the SuperVan is on its way to Australia for a starring scene at Bathurst.

Personal details of Nissan customers published on the dark web

Nissan Australia has confirmed the personal details of its customers obtained during December’s cyberattack have now been published to the dark web.

The Akira ransomware gang has claimed ownership of the attack and says it took over 100GB of sensitive information that included “stuff like NDAs, projects, information about clients and partners etc”.

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In a statement made to its public website, Nissan said it was aware information taken in the data breach has now been published online.

“We are now aware that some data was accessed in the incident and posted on the dark web,” said the statement. “We are working urgently with our global incident response team and cyber forensic experts to understand what information was accessed and the types of information that was posted on the dark web.

“We are deeply sorry for any concerns this has caused for those who have been impacted.”

The cyberattack occurred on December 5 when hackers hit Nissan’s businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

As well as stealing sensitive information, the attack heavily impacted Nissan’s dealer network for a period of time by locking employees out of their email and other internal servers.

Nissan has urged customers to be extra vigilant online and to update their existing passwords and enable multi-factor authentication to minimise the risk of further breaches.

“Where we identify customer data has been accessed in a manner which gives rise to a risk of serious harm, we will contact you in accordance with our legal obligations, including to let you know what information was involved and what support is available to you,” added Nissan’s statement.

“We have already notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre, and the relevant privacy regulators and law enforcement bodies, and we are keeping them updated on our investigation.”

Our original story continues below.

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December 7, 2023: Nissan Oceania is currently investigating a cyber incident. The full extent of the event is unknown, but the company has warned customers to be vigilant of scams over the coming days.

It is not yet clear what kind of data may have been obtained during the cyber attack or how many customers are affected. A statement issued to Nissan’s Australian and New Zealand websites promises its global incident response team is on the case.

Nissan has notified both the Australian and New Zealand Cyber Security Centres of the incident for potential assistance from those bodies.

The situation is developing, but as Nissan’s vehicles cannot be taken control of by third parties, the cyber incident is likely targeting personal information.

This year, Nissan has sold 36,718 vehicles in Australia and around 3000 in New Zealand. This cyber attack has not affected dealer contactibility, so those who need service or assistance can still call or email their local Nissan dealer.

Large-scale cyber crime has been on the rise, with three large breaches in 18 months including Latitude Financial Services with 14 million customers affected in April 2023, Medibank with 9.7 million in December 2022, and 9.8 million Optus customers in September 2022.

Updates will be added as more information comes to light.

Launched in Q2 of 2023, the Subaru Crosstrek – formally the XV – has the option of two hybrid variants.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek lineup includes five options: three with petrol engines (named the 2.0L, 2.0R, and 2.0S) and two hybrids (referred to as Hybrid L and Hybrid S).

Like all Subaru SUVs, the Crosstrek stands out in its size category by offering all-wheel drive (AWD) as a standard feature, providing it with superior off-road capability.

With not many AWD hybrid small SUVs on the market, let’s see what the starting hybrid Crosstrek option offers.

Pricing & Features

The first of the two hybrid options, the L variant comes in at $38,590 before on-roads are added.

Standard specs include 17-inch alloy wheels, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a 4.2-inch drivers display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a wireless phone charger.

To add to the offering are rain sensing wipers, six speakers, LED headlights and black roof rails.

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Powering the vehicle is a 112kW/262Nm 2.0-litre e-Boxer four-cyclinder petrol engine, paired to an 12.3kW/66Nm electric motor.

Subaru states that the standard Crosstrek petrol model achieves a combined fuel economy of 7.2 litres per 100km, whereas the e-Boxer Hybrid version lowers it to 6.5 litres per 100km. The fuel tank has a capacity of 63L for the petrol model, which is relatively spacious for its segment, while the hybrid model holds 48L.

Safety

Sitting towards to top end of the range of the line-up, the Crosstrek comes packed with safety.

Nine airbags, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and departure warning and automatic emergency braking all come on the Crosstrek range.

Additional safety includes blind spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors and a driver monitoring system.

Though it hasn’t been assessed yet by ANCAP, it would come as a surprise if it didn’t receive the top five-star score.

It’s predecessor the XV scored the maximum rating in 2017 and all other key models hold a 5-star rating.

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Key Rivals

The Crosstrek Hybrid L faces competition from other compact hybrid SUVs:

• Honda HR-V
• Toyota Corolla Cross
• Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

As the world starts to move towards electrified options, Subaru is covering their bases with hybrid options.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid L is a compelling option for those looking for a compact SUV that combines eco-friendly driving with off-road capability– something not many competitors aren’t able to match.

If you’re seeking a vehicle that aligns with a sustainable lifestyle without sacrificing versatility and reliability, the Crosstrek Hybrid L is certainly worth a look.

The results are in: this rebodied 1971 Ford GTHO Phase III just sold for $350,000

UPDATE: After sitting at around $250,000 for most of the day, a late flurry of bidding saw this rebodied Electric Blue GTHO Phase III sell for $350,000 when the auction closed just after 4:30pm today.

In total, 52 bids were placed.

Compared to previous auction sales, the price could be considered low (GTHO Phase IIIs were swapping hands for more than $1 million in 2021), however considering current market conditions – and that this is a rebodied car – the result isn’t unexpected.

What do you reckon, did the buyer score a good deal for one of Australia’s most iconic vehicles? Have your say in the comments below.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged.

Last week it was a mighty HSV GTS-R W1 that sold for big bucks at auction but today it’s the turn of arguably Australia greatest motoring icon — the Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III.

One of just 300 GTHO Phase IIIs built by Ford, this 1971 example is finished in Electric Blue and is tipped to rake in big money with bidding already eclipsing the $250,000 mark.

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The auction, which is being run by Collecting Cars, ends at 4:30 (AEST) today meaning there’s just over five hours left to claim a piece of Aussie motoring history.

A ‘Yellow Glo’ GTHO Phase III currently holds the record for an Aussie car at auction after it sold for $1.3 million in September 2021.

Built in July 1971 at Ford’s Broadmeadows production plant, this GT-HO Phase III carries the build number 170 of 300 and is just one of 11 examples finished in Electric Blue. According to Collecting Cars, it is also just one of two Electric Blue examples to have a black vinyl interior and matching ‘minor options’ which include a tinted band on the windscreen and the 36-gallon ‘Bathurst’ fuel tank.

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Further underscoring the GT-HO’s rarity is that just 100 of the original 300 examples built are believed to still be in existence.

This particular car, which has an unwarranted odometer reading of 6003 miles and has been recently rebodied and restored, is powered by Ford’s famous 5.8-litre ‘Cleveland’ V8 paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and 3.25:1 Daytona limited-slip rear differential.

Collecting Cars says a recent dyno test rated this Phase III as producing 291hp (217kW) at the rear wheels, which is only marginally down on Ford’s official claim of 300hp (220kW) when the car was brand new.

Ford said the the Phase III would hit 0-100km/h in around 6.4 seconds, while the standing quarter mile was completed in 14.4sec using the standard diff ratio.

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Infamously known as the world’s fastest four-door production car, the GTHO Phase III made headlines around the nation after it clocked 228km/h during a Wheels road test with Mel Nichols at the wheel in October 1971. The image of the the Phase III’s speedometer, shot by photographer Uwe Kuessner, is equally famous among enthusiast circles.

Built as a homologation special, the Phase III was more powerful than a regular XY Falcon GT and also featured upgraded brakes and suspension to ensure it latest the distance at Australia’s most famous endurance race at Mount Panorama.

Driven by Ford hero Allan Moffat, the Phase III took victory at the 1971 Bathurst Hardie-Ferodo 5000 and also took overall honours in the 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship.

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Fraught beginnings

Things got off to a bumpy start for this particular GTHO Phase III after it was involved in a bingle on the same day it was purchased. Bought by the excellently named ‘Mr Streeter’ from Fisher Ford in Queensland, Ford is understood to have assisted with the repairs after the first-day smash.

Offered for sale in Queensland in the 1990s, the car remained up north until 2005 when it was purchased by a collected in New South Wales.

How much will it sell for?

We’ll update our story after the auction ends at 4:30pm but the current bidding sits at $265,000 with around five hours left to run.

Phase IIIs have a history of fetching huge money with several examples changing hands for more than a million dollars in recent years. As previously mentioned, a Yellow Glo example sold for $1.3 million in September 2021.

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A closer match for today’s auction piece is found in February 2021 when another electric Blue Phase III, this time with 17,340km on the clock, sold for $1.15 million.

Those prices were achieved at the height of the pandemic-fuelled classic car boom, however, and it’s unlikely today’s car will get close to those figures.

An interesting comparison will be to see how it fares against last week’s HSV GTS-R W1, which sold for $363,000.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric N Line has been confirmed for Australia.

Hyundai Australia has announced the sportier-looking Kona Electric will arrive here later this year. It is currently unclear if the N Line will be offered as an option pack, like the petrol and hybrid, or as a separate variant.

Compared to the standard Kona Electric, the N Line adds unique 19-inch alloy wheels, different bumpers, side skirts, N Line badging, black side mirrors, and an optional two-tone black roof.

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Inside, it features red details on the dashboard and steering wheel, part-Alcantara sports seats with red contrast stitching, an N Line badge on the front headrests, black headlining, and metal pedals.

While it is the first Hyundai electric vehicle to receive the N Line treatment, the Korean brand has already unveiled its first electric performance car under its ‘N’ sub-brand – the Ioniq 5 N.

In the United Kingdom, the Kona Electric N Line will be offered in two variants – N Line and N Line S – both featuring the range-topping 64.8kWh battery and 160kW/255Nm front-mounted electric motor, which is downrated to 150kW/250Nm for Australia.

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Hyundai has not detailed if the N Line’s revised styling will impact the driving range of the extended-range variant, which is listed at 444 kilometres for variants with 19-inch wheels under the WLTP test cycle.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric N Line will commence production for Europe in February ahead of its Australian launch later this year.

The standard 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is arriving now in Australia, priced from $54,000 before on-road costs.

A rival to the BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV, Kia Niro EV and Peugeot E-2008, the Kona Electric is available in two grades – Electric and Electric Premium – with the choice of a 99kW/250Nm motor matched to a 48.6kWh battery, or the extended-range 160kW/255Nm motor and 64.8kWh battery.