Car news, 06 June ’24: battery ‘passports’ to become mandatory on EU electric cars, Mitsubishi Australia outlines plans for electrified future, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Thursday, June 6th 2024. Notably in car news today: the Volvo EX90 will be the first electric vehicle to contain a battery passport, which will soon be mandatory in the EU, and Mitsubishi Australia has committed to a lineup of BEVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids by 2030. 

Browse this issue:

• ‘Battery passports’ to be mandatory in EU on new electric cars from 2027 
• Mitsubishi outlines plans for Australia in its journey toward 2030
• McLaren set to build its own SUV
• Ineos to launch bespoke service for its models 
• Reviewed: 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 

Battery passports to become mandatory on all electric cars in the EU from 2027

• Volvo’s latest model, the EX90 large electric SUV, will be the first of its kind to offer a ‘battery passport’, a system that can tell the owner how the battery of the EV has been produced, where its precious minerals were sourced from, and more. 

• It’s set to become mandatory for all EVs in the European Union from 2027, and is likely to trickle down to Australia with time.

• The system will work by allowing stakeholders in the battery production process to share information about how the battery was assembled and what materials were used.

• It’s also set to make battery recycling programs easier and, just like it is for a traditional passport, each movement is tracked. 

• Volvo will kick things off thanks to five years of development with Circulor using blockchain technologies, which also ensures ethical battery material tracing. 

Mitsubishi outlines future plans for Australia with diverse range of powertrains

• Mitsubishi Motors Australia has confirmed it will bring fully electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains to Australia by 2030. 

• As the New Vehicle Efficiency Scheme (NVES) looms, Mitsubishi has stated it is prepared and will work to expand its lineup in Australia in the coming years to meet the new targets. 

• What’s likely to debut in the next couple of years will be the replacement of the popular ASX small SUV, as well as a plug-in hybrid version of the brand’s Triton ute and the possibility of a hybrid or electric Delica people mover. 

• An electrified Triton makes sense, as Mitsubishi will need to now battle with Chinese rivals such as the upcoming Ford Ranger PHEV, as well as GWM’s recently-launched Cannon Alpha Hybrid, the latter of which is the first of its kind in the Australian market. 

• Although Mitsubishi has put a firm timeframe of 2030 for its electrified mix, expect to see the first new products and enhancements debut as early as 2026. 

McLaren wants to develop an SUV

• British supercar maker McLaren is going to build a hybrid SUV, as the brand competes with the likes of other high-end performance automakers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. 

• According to reports from Road & Track Magazine, McLaren is in the development phase of building a higher riding model, but it doesn’t necessarily want to call it an SUV.

• McLaren’s chief executive officer, Michael Leiters, told the outlet that “we believe there is a second stage [to McLaren’s development]” and referenced a ‘shared performance vehicle’, rather than a sports utility vehicle. 

• McLaren’s boss told R&T that “I think the smart way is with technology partnership.. To create synergies… but not lose anything which is core to McLaren and the DNA of our brand”.

• Could something be brewing between McLaren and a more long-standing SUV maker? The Volkswagen Group could be the answer and could pitch a McLaren SUV against the likes of the Lamborghini Urus and Ferrari Purosangue. 

Want a completely bespoke Ineos four-wheel drive? The brand is making it happen

• Ineos, the builder of the Grenadier off-roading SUV, has announced it will open a new bespoke service called the Arcane Works program, allowing buyers to customise their new Ineos in any aesthetic way they like. 

• An almost unlimited level of customisable materials is set to become available for customers, from interior trim to exterior features.

• The customisable Ineos products follow in the footsteps of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, as well as high-spec Land Rover Defenders, at the luxury end of the off-roading SUV segment. 

• The one-off special program is set to take the stage at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK

Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid reviewed

• Chasing Cars production specialist Tom Place’s review of the 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross was published, including his thoughts on Toyota’s popular small SUV a year on from its launch on Australian roads.
  
• Place found the Corolla Cross to be particularly pleasant thanks to an overall relaxing drive, enticing hybrid frugality and cheap servicing.
  
• However, Place also found the Corolla Cross to have a loud, clattery engine, a cheap-feeling interior and the fact that it can’t quite match its bigger sibling, the RAV4 midsizer.
  
• Place concluded his review by saying that although the Toyota Corolla Cross can’t match the style and sophistication of rivals such as the Hyundai Kona and Nissan Qashqai, Toyota’s small SUV remains to be an impressive and proven option for Australian buyers.

READ: Link to written review

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Friday 7th June at 4.30pm Sydney time.