New EV releases for Australian Market: Mazda and Fiat

Australians are becoming spoilt for choice with electric vehicles (EV), now with two new EVs that have just hit the market.

Car manufacturers Mazda and Fiat have recently released their new electric and hybrid models, the Mazda CX-60 and the 500e from Fiat.

These two new cars are quite different from each other, despite being electric - so let’s get into the specs.

What makes the Mazda CX-60 interesting is that it’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and it’s a first for Mazda. It’s essentially an electric and fuel car combined, giving you the option to use battery or petrol as a power source as you drive.

The Mazda CX-60 is an upmarket mid-size SUV, with prices starting at $60,400 going up to $88,100. In EV mode, it can travel up to 76 km at speeds of up to 100 km/h and is powered by a 355V, 17.8 kWh onboard battery.

The 500e from Fiat is a self proclaimed Italian icon, and the specs don’t lie. While a bit smaller than the CX-60, it is powered by an impressive 42kWh battery pack. Oh, and how far can it travel by a single charge? Just a breezy 311 km range.

The 500e from Fiat is an EV, not a PHEV, so there is no option for it to be powered by fuel. Prices start $52,500, not including on road costs.

The arrival of these cars is in time with the expanding options of electric vehicles in Australia. Over 30 new or updated EVs are set to release over the next two years, according to automotive site WhichCar.

With new models on the market and more to come, it seems Aussies will increasingly be asked to make the switch to electric.

There’s no hiding the fact that EVs tend to be more expensive than fuel alternatives, but there is a silver lining in their future cost savings on fuel .

If you are interested in alleviating some of the upfront costs of an EV using a car loan, check out some of our editor’s picks for best car loans - or compare car loan providers down below.