2023 is set to be a great year for Australians who want to buy electric cars that aren’t SUV shaped, as Chinese manufacturers MG, Ora and BYD plan to bring 3 hatchbacks to Australia priced in the $40,000-$60,000ish range.
MG 4
The MG 4 is winning plenty of awards and praise in the UK as a disrupter, offering a serious challenge to much more expensive competitors such as the VW ID3 and Cupra Born.
The standard version features a range of 350km and Aussies will be hoping the Trophy extended range 435km WLTP version will also be sold here to provide a more affordable long range option compared to more expensive cars like the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3. Depending on which variants are available pricing is likely to be $47,000 – $57,000.
If you’re planning on attending the Fully Charged Live EV show in Sydney this March (I’m hoping to be there) it looks like there’s a good chance you might be able to see the MG 4 there, as hinted by a promotion at the end of the last Youtube episode of the show.
Ora Good Cat / Funky Cat or ?
Ora’s new hatchback looks very much like a Mini and is called the Good Cat or Funky Cat depending on where it’s sold overseas. The name might be different in Australia due to a dispute with Aussie industrial and mining vehicle maker CAT.
Pricing will begin here at about $57,000 here if Ora repeats their UK strategy and launches a fully kitted out special edition here with the same 311km WLTP range. A more affordable version should be available in the UK soon.
BYD Dolphin / Atto 2
This car will probably be sold with a different name to it’s Chinese one of Dolphin and the rumour is the price will be around $40,000 when it’s launched in Australia later this year.
Specifications are unknown for our version but the range will probably be around 300km WLTP for the standard version or up to 400km WLTP if we get a long range option.
