An LFP battery is a type of EV battery chemistry. People like it because it tends to be safer and can last a long time compared with some other battery types.
They’re referencing their previous car: a Mini Cooper five-door hatchback. It’s just background on what they drove before switching to an electric car.
Concept
no vetted lease with the no fringe benefit tax
They’re talking about a leasing arrangement where the tax treatment is better—specifically, it avoids a tax called fringe benefit tax. That can make the EV cheaper to run month-to-month compared with other options.
The Dodge Journey is a family car type that’s meant to fit passengers and luggage. In the podcast, it’s brought up because they’re talking about where someone started with cars and how they progressed over time. It’s part of the speaker’s personal car story.
ADAS are driver-assist features that help you drive—things like keeping in your lane or helping avoid crashes. They can make commuting and road trips less tiring.
NMC is another kind of EV battery chemistry. It’s commonly used when manufacturers want more energy (often meaning more range), but it can age and charge differently than LFP.
The Tesla Model 3 is a popular compact electric car. Here it’s mentioned as a reference point—like a baseline the host compares other EVs to for how the software and tech feel.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV. The host is using it along with the Model 3 as a baseline to compare other EVs, especially for the software and tech experience.
The Audi S5 is a sportier version of an Audi car. It’s meant to be more powerful and more fun to drive than the standard model. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because it was one of the speaker’s earlier cars.
The Kia EV3 is an electric car model. In this conversation it’s part of the early set of EVs the host tested while figuring out what they liked and didn’t like.
The Alpina B10 is a luxury sedan that’s been tuned to feel more powerful and sporty than a standard version. It’s mentioned because the conversation is comparing different cars the speaker has looked at or driven. It’s basically being used as an example of a performance-focused luxury car.
The Galaxy EX5 is an electric car model. The podcast mentions it while talking about different EV options and which one might fit the buyer. It’s part of the comparison process for choosing an EV.
Elexio is a car name that comes up while the speaker is talking about cars they looked at. Since this is an EV podcast, it’s likely part of comparing electric options. The episode doesn’t give enough detail here to say more than that it was on their list.
The Polestar 2 is an electric car brand/model the host tested. It’s mentioned as part of the broader set of EVs they compared once they moved beyond Tesla.
The Volvo EX30 is a small electric SUV. The host mentions it as part of the broader range of EVs they looked at while comparing brands.
Car
Geely EX5
The Geely EX5 is an electric car. The speaker says their family liked it for comfort features, but they personally didn’t like how it drove because it felt too soft and not very “driver-y.”
Car
Skoda
Skoda is mentioned as the brand the speakers are driving this weekend. The speaker claims they could “feel” it was a European car because it’s “tuned,” emphasizing that chassis tuning and ride/handling setup can make cars feel distinct even when they’re all trying to be comfortable.
Driving dynamics are how a car feels when you’re actually driving it. It includes things like steering feel and ride smoothness, and that’s why the speaker didn’t want the Geely EX5.
A head-up display shows important driving info on the windshield. That way you don’t have to take your eyes off the road, and the way it’s positioned can make it look clearer or more “real.”
Concept
HUD depth / apparent distance
They’re talking about how a windshield display can trick your eyes a bit—making the information look like it’s farther away than it really is. That can affect whether it feels easy and comfortable to read.
Augmented reality projection overlays helpful directions or warnings on what you’re already seeing through the windshield. It’s like “digital arrows” on the real road view.
The Hyundai Kona is a small SUV/crossover. In EV form, it’s a popular car to test because it’s easy to drive in cities and it’s designed for everyday charging.
Off-street parking matters for EV ownership because it usually enables home charging. Without a driveway/garage, you may rely more on public chargers, which can be slower and less convenient.
A Dodge Charger is a car model that’s usually known for performance. In this podcast, it’s mentioned because a deal includes a home charging setup, so you need an electrician to install it properly. That’s about charging your car at home, not about how the car drives.
The Sealion 7 is an electric car model. The podcast mentions it because the speaker is deciding between different versions (variants) and wants to make sure the right one fits. They’re also thinking about other factors before choosing.
The Subaru WRX is a sporty version of a Subaru car. It’s designed to be fun to drive and usually has all-wheel drive for better grip. The podcast mentions it because the speaker used to own one before switching to another Subaru.
The Volkswagen Golf is a common, everyday car model. People like it because it’s practical and generally easy to use. In the podcast, it’s brought up as a car that sold really well when it was being discussed.
The Nissan Skyline is a car model that’s known for being sporty. The podcast brings it up because it has a reputation that attracts drivers who want performance. It’s being used as an example of a car that draws attention.
Buying a used electric car is a bit different because the battery’s condition is the big thing to worry about. If the battery is worn out, the car can cost more later.
It’s a check that tells you how worn out the EV battery is. For a used electric car, that matters a lot because a badly degraded battery can be costly to fix.
Government subsidies are money the government provides to lower the cost of something. Here, they’re talking about whether EV sales depend on those incentives or whether the cars are good value even without them.
FBT stands for Fringe Benefits Tax. It’s a tax rule that can affect how much it costs when your employer provides a car, and for EVs it can make them cheaper for employees to use.
A novated lease is a way to get a car through your employer. Instead of paying the lease yourself, the employer manages it and you often pay using salary deductions, which can make the car cheaper—especially when EV tax rules help.
Incentives are rewards or cost reductions meant to get people to do something. In this case, the hosts are saying incentives can make more people seriously consider EVs.
A fuel crisis refers to a period when fuel availability and/or prices become unstable or unusually high. In EV discussions, it’s often cited as a driver for consumers to consider EVs because electricity can be cheaper and more predictable than petrol or diesel.
A hybrid uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor/battery. The hosts are comparing hybrids and petrol cars to EVs based on cost after incentives.
Charging infrastructure is the network of charging points (home chargers, public fast chargers, and everything in between) that supports EVs. If it’s planned and expanded alongside EV adoption, it reduces “range anxiety” and makes EV ownership feel practical for more drivers.
A charging network is basically the map of EV charging stations you can rely on. If there aren’t enough chargers in the places people drive to, long trips become harder.
OEM just means the car maker—the company that builds the EV. They often have to coordinate with charging providers and government so drivers can actually charge the cars.
NRMA is an Australian motoring group. Here they’re mentioned as an example of an organization helping install EV chargers in places where it previously wasn’t common.
Private charging is when a business installs EV chargers for its own guests or customers. The idea is that you can charge while you’re there, not just at public stations.
Residual value is basically what the car might be worth later. If a company constantly discounts cars, it can make the car seem worth less in the future too.
Trade-in means you give your current car to the dealer and use its value to help pay for the next one. If the car holds value well, the trade-in is usually better.
Brand
Ezeka showroom
They’re talking about going to a Zeekr dealer/showroom. The point is that seeing the car in person helps you understand why it’s priced the way it is.
They talk about how EV brands build excitement early—before most people can actually see or buy the cars. The conversation centers on social media and forums and how that turns into customer feedback.
They’re talking about how electric cars are showing up in more public places, so people notice them. They also say people do a lot of research online before going to a dealership.
The hosts describe a shift where customers learn about an EV’s engineering and features online before visiting a dealership. That changes the dealership role from “teaching the basics” to validating what the buyer already researched.
Dealer partners are the local shops that sell the brand’s cars. The company is coordinating with them when deciding how to expand in a country or region.
An owner group is a community of people who already have the brand’s vehicles. The segment frames it as something the company actively manages—keeping owners engaged through events and feedback sessions.
The handover experience is what happens when you pick up your new car—like getting a walkthrough and making sure everything is set up. They’re saying it matters to them.
The Range Rover is a luxury SUV, meaning it’s built to feel comfortable and high-end. The podcast mentions it because people often connect it with wealthy buyers. It’s mainly being used as an example of a premium car type.
“Powertrains” just means the car’s drivetrain setup—what kind of engine/motors it uses and how it moves the wheels. They’re saying they can offer different kinds to suit local buyers.
Term
NVES penalties
They’re talking about a government rule (NVES) that can add extra costs if you don’t meet certain requirements. They say they’ve earned enough credits to avoid passing those extra costs onto customers.
Here, “credits” mean some kind of government-approved allowance you earn by meeting requirements. They’re saying those credits help them bring in a wider variety of EVs without extra penalty costs.
The Zeekr 7GT is an electric car. The speaker says they’re excited to drive it, which is why it’s mentioned in the conversation. It’s basically part of their shortlist of EVs they want to try.
A “shooting brake” is a car shape that mixes a sporty coupe look with extra space like a wagon. It’s often chosen by people who want style plus some practicality.
The Kia EV5 is an electric car made by Kia. The podcast mentions it because the speaker is interested in it and likes what it offers. It’s part of the discussion about which EVs they’re considering.
Long wheelbase means the car’s wheel-to-wheel distance is bigger. That usually gives more room inside, especially for rear passengers, but it can make the car harder to park.
The Tesla Model S is an all-electric car made by Tesla. People often mention it because it was one of the first EVs that felt very “future-tech” inside.
Early mover advantage means the first company to do something can get a head start. In EVs, that can translate into people thinking of that brand as the “techy” one.
“Granny charger” is a slang term for a slow EV charging setup, usually using a standard household outlet. It’s often used as a backup or for overnight charging, especially when higher-power home charging isn’t installed.
“Born” is mentioned as one of the cars the speaker has had. The podcast doesn’t explain what it is in this snippet, so we can only tell it’s part of their personal car list. There aren’t details here about what the car is like.
LIVE
This is Two Blokes talking electric cars with Steven Fenwick and Trevor Long thanks to NRMA Insurance and Uniden.
Great heavy company, NRMA Insurance helping Australians protect what matters most for a hundred years and many more to come.
They're also one of Australia's largest insurers of electric vehicles.
Shout out to my uncle who just bought an Addo 3 and insured it with NRMA Insurance, what a legend.
And of Uniden smart dash cams. If you own a car, you should have a dash cam.
It's really that simple. There's nothing to do with electric cars, but if you're just about to buy an electric car,
make sure you've got yourself a dash cam so that you've got that peace of mind, which is what we always say.
And all we ask of these sponsors who make sure this show is free for you to watch or listen to wherever you are,
all we ask is that you consider them. So if you are looking to buy a dash cam, please consider the Uniden range.
They've got a huge range in all price points. And when your EV, when your car comes up for insurance renewals,
just make a call, go online, get a quote from NRMA so that they can see that this support is doing something for their business as well.
Steven, we've got a big show. We've got a bunch of calls to get to.
We do, yes, some great chats today. We can't wait to look forward to it.
We can't wait to speak to them if you want to be one of those people next week or in the weeks ahead.
We are also going to talk to the head of marketing and strategy essentially at Zika Australia, Andrew Stamatakis.
Stamatakis.
Stamatakis.
Stamatakis. I'm reading it going on. I'm going to stuff it up.
There he is, Andrew. Thanks for joining us later in the show, but I've stuffed that up at very start.
But no, Andrew, I met him in Melbourne at the Motor Show.
I just spent some time in China with Gilly and Zika, saw some cool stuff.
So we'll ask him about that.
We're going to talk about the federal budget last week and how it impacts EV because there's been some legislative changes,
which you could see as negative, but it'll be interesting to see how the car brands are looking at it.
And also, I think we just want to understand from Zika, how?
Yeah, where did they come from?
They've done such, they're so visible now and they've done a great job building up a company.
It's like a fullback.
Taking a kickoff and just running straight through them and trying to score a try.
It's like, what is happening here?
All that to come here on Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars.
Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, lovely to have you company.
And keen to get your thoughts on the world of EVs, wherever you're at in the EV world.
If you're about to buy one, you just bought one, you've been driving one for years.
Share your thoughts, share your knowledge and help educate, educate and inform other people along the way.
Steven, let's take some calls.
047-657-657.
Send us a text or a WhatsApp.
Thanks to Vodafone.
We'll get you on the show.
Anthony's on the line.
Good day, Anthony.
Good day. How are you?
Yeah, really good, mate.
Where are you out in the EV world?
You're in the market and you've done some serious test driving, I see.
Yeah, I've just come out of a deep, deep rabbit hole.
I think I looked at 22 cars, a Test Road 15.
Slow down, slow down.
You looked at 22, you Test Road 15.
Anthony, you are one car away.
You're one car off the record, mate.
From the Two Blokes Talking Tech.
I heard that, yeah.
Record.
And I don't know if I'll get there because I've put a deposit down there.
Oh, okay.
You've got the 15, you're two away from a record.
Just for the sake of it, yeah.
Two more, two more.
One more would equal two more would take over.
Yeah.
For the record, Penelope, episode 25 joined us and she'd driven 11.
And then she joined us again, episode 55.
She'd driven another five.
So 15, 16 cars in total, you would need to Test Drive two more.
But I don't know that it qualifies if you Test Drive them after you've placed a deposit.
I'm just going to call it out right now, Anthony.
So what did you, let's start with where you ended.
Where did you start?
No, no, where did you, I want to go the other end.
Where did you end?
What have you put money on?
Oh, you're going to jump right to the end.
Yeah, we'll get back to the start.
Yeah.
Okay.
I've put a deposit on the new Zika X.
Hey, we are.
We are about to talk to the marketing manager of Zika.
So this is fascinating.
I want to know how you ended up at the new X because we drove the X, premium, smaller style car.
It felt, it felt expensive, but the newer model is slightly reduced in price with more features.
So what was it that got you over the line?
I mean, that was a big selling point.
It came in well under my budgets.
The size probably was exactly what I was looking for.
That sort of small SUV, around four and a half meters, the premium feeling.
And then mostly to balance the LFP battery.
So they introduced that new golden battery, I think it's called, and then we will drive model.
And that was kind of the seal that for me.
So, okay.
Now that we've, Trevor's read the last page of the book.
Let's go back to the beginning.
What didn't make the cut?
Yeah.
Well, how long have you been at it for a start?
I know it's been a while by the sounds of it.
And so where were you coming from as well?
So I had a Mini Cooper hatchback five door petrol car for, I think just almost 11 years, actually.
Put it on the market in February, expecting it to take a while to sell manual gearbox.
And it sold within two weeks.
I kind of thought it, I assume, you know, I had in my mind a couple of cars, but I hadn't really made my decision up.
But yeah, anyway, it went and then my journey began sort of in February.
So it's been, it was about three months.
Can I ask what was it that made you think, right, I'm getting an EV, what was it?
Well, my son is just about to turn 14 and he was getting a little bit too big for the backseat of a Mini.
And then, of course, the no vetted lease with the no fringe benefit tax that, you know, I could do through no vetted leasing.
It was basically when I did the calculations going to end up roughly the same cost of running an EV.
So financially, a great decision.
It was about money and that made it logical.
Yeah, and also, you know, about the time, I think, when you need to move out of the small hatchback cars when you get teenage kids.
So can you give us a little run through of the kind of cars, the journey?
Where did you start and how did you get to where you ended up?
Because, you know, obviously you looked at a lot of cars.
I'll have to go through my nose because it's a reasonable story.
I'll try to be quick. So yeah, it was look, I guess my criteria was I had a budget around 60,000.
I wanted something still small because I live in a city, Sydney, but as I said, big enough for a teenager in the back.
And so I was looking around that four and a half meter and my wife kind of was keen to get something a little bit easier to get in and out of.
So the small SUV sort of made sense.
Mini was pretty premium solid filling car and I wanted something similar to that.
But also something with decent software and good ADAS system and something I could take on the occasional three to four hour trip down the Canberra or just out of Sydney.
And as I said, the LFP was sort of a preference.
Although I think I could have dealt with NMC.
I just wasn't sure how long I'd keep the car given I had the last one for 11 years.
LFP might just be less to worry about.
So anyway, when you did your first one, what was the first car you test drive and was that the first time you ever drove an EV?
I'd hired Tesla's before.
So I've been over in the US on work a few times and taken a Tesla for a weekend, Model 3 and Model Y.
And that was kind of my benchmark, I guess for software and technology.
I had mixed feelings about the fit and finish, but I think the US models are a little bit weaker than the Australian ones.
I had a number of friends with Tesla and big advocates for them, but obviously they don't have a compact SUV shape.
So it was kind of the benchmark that I guess I had for dynamics.
But my first cars were the Kia EV3, MG S5 and the BYD Atto 2.
And that's where the journey began.
That's when I started testing those with those three.
And where did you, how far out of the ordinary did you go?
Because obviously there's a lot of cars on the market now.
Across the 11, what did you say, 14 cars, how many different brands are there?
Like how wide did you spread your...
So after that, then it went much wider.
So I did look at the Zika then at the pre-updated all wheel drive model.
Both the smart cars, the hashtag one and three, I think they're called.
Geely EX5, Leapmotor B10, GAC AONV and the UT as it was that same dealer.
Renault Scenic, Hyundai Alexio.
I think they were the ones who drove and then I looked at the Polestar 2 Toyota BZ4X, BYD C1, C1, Volvo EX30 and the Q85.
I was trying to type them out as you went. I've lost track.
So bottom line, I mean, let's be really, let's be really rude to the car companies.
What was the worst of them?
Well, they were, I don't know.
That's one that's clearly, they are all positives and negatives and that was the hard thing.
Nothing hit everything.
So it was always like figuring out what the compromises were and then which ones I could deal with.
I don't know, like make a cool one, which was worse.
I mean, like we landed on the Geely EX5 was what my son and wife loved because it was like the luxury of it.
The massage seats, you know, the big opening roof.
But for me, like it was just too soft and floaty to drive, especially coming from the Mini.
And I test drive it three times.
But in the end, I was like, I need more of a driver's car.
It's a really interesting thing because I don't know that enough people appreciate how different cars feel.
And do you know what? Some people, some people don't feel it.
Some people don't have that.
But like we just got into Skoda's.
We're both in Skoda's this weekend.
I got it instantly and went, this is, I can feel this is a European car.
It's tuned.
I can feel the ride.
It's so much different to many other cars on the road.
Yeah.
And you obviously, despite the overwhelming love from your partner and your son, the Geely didn't make it just because you didn't like the driving dynamics.
I mean, that's fair.
That's right.
That's totally appropriate.
Would you say that was your second choice before the Zeke or was there something else?
That, no, it wasn't the second choice.
It came down to the Alexio.
The Alexio, I thought was a better version from a driver's perspective.
Oh, the Hyundai.
It was another, yeah, the Hyundai one, the new one.
It was $10,000 more.
I had that last week.
It's made in, it's not made in Korea.
It's made in China.
I didn't realize it.
It's made in China.
Yeah, that's right.
And can I ask you this?
Were the seats comfortable?
Because honestly, in the Alexio, it felt like it was squeezing me from the side.
I don't know, I'm a big human, but.
So what had like the wing seats?
It wasn't like sports seats, but I just, but what I did love, I'll tell you this, what I did love, mate, was the head up display, Stephen,
because unfortunately you didn't get to drive it because I went away and you had the Mercedes you loved.
Was the head up display was down the bottom of the windscreen.
And it was a reflection as all head up displays is, but it had this depth to it.
So it made you think it was kind of far further into the screen than what it was.
It had a really good look.
I really liked that.
And I think that's what the new BMW and Neuer class windscreen is going to look like.
That, that was the sense I got from.
Did you like that?
I didn't notice the seed thing, but I think the problem with test driving cars is like, you know, you've got max half an hour.
Most of the dealers in Sydney are in the inner city streets, especially on a Saturday, you get stuck in traffic.
So you just, you know, driving 20 days an hour around in traffic, you don't get a good feel of the seats.
The heads up display, I liked it.
I think that I like those ones that with that full augmented reality projection on the windscreen, but I think that Alexio had a more practical one.
I drove the Kona as well, actually.
Anthony, you said, you said that you, you said you live in the inner city.
Yeah, that's right.
What's your, what's your charging situation that you have off street parking or how's it going to go?
I have off street parking.
I have a PowerPoint in the garage.
And I don't use the car every day.
So I'm okay with that.
But the Zika, you know, pre-order deal comes with a charger.
I just need to get the electrician to wire it up.
Yeah.
Well, mate, your honor, what's the timeframe for delivery if you put your money down?
Well, they said June, but I'm realistically thinking July, August.
I did put my money down with condition of test drive because you can't test drive the newest models.
So there is a chance that I drive it and somehow something goes wrong and I withdraw and get my money back.
And then I continue my search and maybe I can hit the record then.
Only under those circumstances are you entitled to the record.
Well, mate, keep us informed when you take delivery, when you've got the charging sorted.
We want to hear from you and let us know what it's like, mate.
All right, guys.
Wonderful to hear from you.
Thank you so much.
There you go.
Ended up on the record.
And we are so close to chatting to someone, to Andrew from Zika about where that company's at.
There you go.
There's a lot of people who are going down that path.
Hey, Zika, and we, in the sales figures last week, they also did very well.
So they're doing something right.
One of the things we'll talk to Andrew about is just how.
I mean, with the greatest respect.
Yeah.
They've come out of nowhere.
Yeah.
They are a bolt from the blue.
So we'll find out about that.
We're taking your calls, though.
0477657657.
Great to have you come.
Nice talking electric car.
Stuart's on the line.
G'day, Stuart.
How are you?
Thanks and well.
Really, really good here.
You're in the market for an EV, and you're tossing up.
I am, yes.
You've narrowed down the model, but you've got a bit of a question about which variant to buy.
Correct, yes.
So I was looking at C-Line 7, but I'm not too really too sure which variant will fit me.
And also, I've got other things I've got to think about as well,
because I've got to actually, I've got to, I've had a stroke,
so I'll have a left foot accelerator for my car.
So the other thing I've got to take into account is the conversion cost as well.
So that's sort of my mind.
Have you, have you, have, is that, have you asked the con,
is there a couple of places that do converse?
Or do they feel like it's more expensive on an electric car than a petrol?
It's about the same price, I'd say.
Okay.
About $5,000, I think, roughly around there.
They said so.
Oh, right.
Yeah, it's not too bad, but it's still the cost of the factory.
And what are you debating, mate?
I'm debating between a C-Line 7 and the up-and-coming Addo 3 Evo.
Because I used to own a WRX, but I own a Forester now,
so I would like something that's got a bit of punch to it, you know what I mean?
A bit of performance.
Yes.
Yeah.
And you get the most expensive cars.
Yeah.
I mean, you know, it's, it's, it punches what it's all about.
And I think their, their decision to bring out an Evo is because they want to widen that Addo range.
Like they, they're selling in great numbers.
You think about Volkswagen, right?
When Volkswagen had the Golf, sells great, good car.
Then you add in the, the R32, the GTI.
You start to really entice people who love the car into something that does a bit more.
So I feel like that's exactly.
Now I, I, I'm loath to use those words because it's probably, you know,
not going to be true hot hatch, but they are talking 0-100 in 5.5, which is pretty cool.
There's a big difference in size, though.
Wouldn't you say between the C-Line 7 and the Addo 3?
Yes.
Is that not an issue for you?
Oh, it'll fit in my car ports.
I don't mind the small car.
Cause I used to have the small, the double RX is not huge, but I'm like the small cars, you know, cause I get,
the thing is I believe that C-Line 7 is quite large and take a lot of room, my garage.
Yeah.
That's only, you sure have.
So anyway, it'll fix, but you know.
So have you, what other cars have you test driven?
Have you been, have you, what's caught your eye apart from the C-Line 7?
There is the Zika 7.
7.
The Zika 7.
Are you talking about the Zika 7 X or the 7 GT?
Both.
I was looking at both.
Cause dude, I was in China a few weeks ago and that GT is a stunning looking car.
Like it, I'll be honest, it has a Ferrari look to it.
Like if you got that thing in hot red, like it's, it's not a, you know, one of the, I don't know,
more recent Ferraris with a rear seat, you know, one of those kind of Ferraris.
It's, it's just got styling to it.
It's got a real, real, real back into it.
Really nice looking.
Yeah, sure.
Everyone was drawn to it.
So, but you know, price wise, are you willing to expand your budget a bit?
Cause I feel like the, the 7 X and the 7 GT are going to be above the C-Line 7.
That's for sure.
Oh yeah.
I think my, my budget I think is probably maybe around $65,000.
I was really, that's my budget.
And so I can go a bit more, but you know, that's my price range basically.
I mean, I think in the end with the greatest respect that the 7 GT and the 7 X will probably,
if you want a little bit of performance, we'll probably push you out of your price range.
And you know, look, even, even the, the performance version of the C-Line 7 is really,
it's going to top you up into the mid 60s, 70 grand on road really.
I think you're better off waiting for that 803 EVO.
I know.
That's my point.
I'm going to wait for this.
The parents are going to come out in a couple of months, but you know, that's,
I'm happy to wait that long.
Yeah.
And so what's, I know you, you obviously look for an EV.
Is this the, what, what made you decide?
Okay.
Now's the time to pull the trigger on an EV.
Well, because I have a solar system and I have a battery as well.
I thought, I don't want no brainer for me.
So I thought Miles will get an electric car.
Okay.
Well, that was going to be my next question.
You're charging a situation.
It seems like it's pretty much sorted.
I'm ready for charging.
I just need to get the, the warbox basically and done.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
It's sorted.
And how many of you driven, mate?
What's, is it hard if you did the test drives because of your left foot acceleration?
Yeah, I know.
That's the thing.
I had, I had only had to let the driver do it and the dealer do it, but you know,
it's not the same.
You know, cause I, yeah, so that's my issue.
Cause I'm sort of, I have to maybe get someone that I can trust and knows how to drive a
car properly or how I would like to drive it.
That's a good point because, because what, what do you do on a test drive?
Right?
You go, I was a fit, feel good.
Where's the cup holder?
And then you go, Hey, listen, let's just give it a quick squirt.
And then like I remember, and I've told this story before with my BMW,
when I bought it in Perth, go through a roundabout, you know,
like a little bit more spiritual as you might normally.
And so you need to find a mate who has the same test drive with you.
That's right.
And give it.
And you give it a go.
That's the thing I need to find someone.
Yeah.
They'll actually drive it like how I would like to drive it and test how I'd like to
test it.
So that's my issue is that I can't really, well, I can drive a normal car,
but it's not really simple.
You know what I mean?
Something like cross leg over.
It's not convenient for me to do that.
So I'm a bit of a conundrum basically.
So that's why it's very hard for me to buy a car.
Hmm.
Yeah.
Well, I think, I think you've done enough homework though.
You've driven a few.
Yeah.
You sort of know the, what, what you're, the best important thing is you know what you
want.
You know, you've got boxes to tick and you know what you want.
So our advice would be to keep, keep trying other, have you tried other brands?
Have you, have you looked at it like wider than, than BYD and Zika?
Have you seen others that caught your eye?
Has that made one of the Teslas maybe suit you?
Yes.
I've seen Teslas as well.
Okay.
But then that's probably some of them are a little bit out of my price range.
You know what I mean?
I mean, they can get the, I mean, we looked at the second hand market as well.
Yeah.
But that's my, I'm worried about, you know, I usually think about how, how good is the
battery going to be?
How has it been abused?
That sort of stuff.
Yeah.
That's, I know a lot of them.
But then it's, it's not like any other second hand car really, isn't it?
That's right.
And I think our advice there is to anyone looking at a second hand EVs, don't buy a second hand
EV if it doesn't have a battery health report included like pickles and others are doing.
So I feel like you've got the knowledge.
I feel like you know what you need and you're probably in a situation where you want to wait
out for that EVO and find a good mate to take you for a fang.
Look, I'd volunteer if we were local, mate.
I'd take you for a fang for sure.
Yeah, we'd come and give you a ride.
Just fly out here.
It's not far from you guys.
All right, mate.
Great to hear from you and good luck with the journey.
Thanks very much.
Thanks for your time.
Cheers.
No worries.
There you go.
I mean, that's a fascinating one because you and I and most people listening don't have
to think about, you know, a different setup to your car.
Remember what's Wolfie's mate, Damien Tomlinson, the war vet, you know, who's had two amputations
and he drives an Audi.
And I remember looking at it and he's driving a lovely Audi, but it's been fully equipped
for hand throttles and hand brakes and stuff.
And you're like, that's an expense.
And how do you test drive those cars?
Well, there's Stuart.
He's got to find a mate who can go, mate, this feels good.
This feels good through the roundabout.
This feels good, you know, the way you want to drive it.
And I don't know, the sales reps at electric car places would definitely give it a punch
for you.
Wouldn't they off the line?
Maybe.
They'd let you feel that.
Well, they'd want to impress you with the car, wouldn't they?
So you think they would?
They would give it a bit of a tickle, would they?
You'd hope so.
All right, let us know if you want to chat EVs.
Send us a text or a WhatsApp 0477657657.
We'll get you on the show.
And as we were just talking to a caller who'd put money down.
Yes.
On a Zika X.
And we said to him, mate, perfect timing.
We have Andrew Stamatakis, the owner of the Zika X.
Head of digital integrated marketing communications and strategy at Zika Australia joining us
on the show.
Andrew, g'day.
G'day, dense.
Mate, we've sold another car.
I mean, he'd already bought it.
He'd already put his money down, but we told him he'd done the right thing, obviously.
Before we get into the story of Zika, because we have questions, we're fascinated by the
success of the brand here in Australia over the last 18 months or so.
Federal budget last week.
There was a lot of talk about the EV incentives.
How important is it that the government sticks with that incentive, at least in the way that
they have so far?
Yeah, I think what's good for the industry is that we have certainty now.
And that's what we were lacking before.
There was a lot of speculation in the market about, will it extend?
Won't it extend?
Will it change?
How will it change?
And that speculation is hard for companies to forward plan.
I mean, for us, we welcome the government's decision to give us some certainty over the
next two years.
I mean, for us as a brand, where our cars are currently priced, that works well for us,
but we're not relying on government subsidies to sell our cars.
We're quite proud of the packaging and the pricing of our cars.
But even without that, they stand on their own as incredible value, but we welcome the
government's decision to give us some certainty in the next couple of years.
Just for numbers for you, we've done some digging into the hundreds of callers we've
had on this show over the last couple of years.
At least 38 callers have specifically called out the FBT and novated leases as part of
their decision.
And at least a dozen of those callers have said it was the reason they started looking
at EVs in the first place.
So you really can't argue with the fact that these kind of incentives, as simple as they
are, quite frankly, really do drive people's interest.
And then you pair it with other factors like the fuel crisis and, hey, presto, it's a big
win for the industry in terms of really convincing some people to consider an EV.
It's great that people are really savvy and they're looking into that.
I mean, when you couple those incentives along with the pricing of cars like ours, it's
no brainer.
Why would you buy a hybrid or a petrol car when you can get these EVs on the FBT on
novated leases that are cheaper?
Which is great to the government, as I said, has given us that surety over the next two
years.
Can the government do more?
Do you reckon, Andrew?
Is there enough?
I know the FBT is one thing, but is there enough incentive?
Is there enough planning of infrastructure and charging stations?
Are they doing enough to really drive up EV take up?
I think the government's certainly on the right track.
They're working with a lot of institutions to understand where our charging infrastructure
needs to be, and we're confident that the government will be able to meet that demand
as EV adoption increases.
I think what's important is it's an information game, right?
So consumers, when we talk to them and we say, look, the majority of EV owners are charging
at home, and that takes out the public charging infrastructure.
That's not really all that relevant unless you're doing your once annual trip around the
country.
And if you are, there are a decent amount of charges around the eastern seaboard and the
southern parts of the country right now.
So I think the charging infrastructure is still front of mind.
But what I say to people is, do you have a petrol station at your house?
No, you have to go out and find a petrol station.
But if you have to do that with an EV, it's seemingly too difficult.
When you start to break that down, people go, actually, I don't have to charge my car
every day.
I'm not going to be running out of electricity on the M4 motorway.
None of that is the case.
I just played devil's advocate for a minute on that.
I think that we've looked at the sales numbers over the last couple of months and they've
been extraordinary and they're excellent, driven probably by fear and concern, but also
just a shift.
But I wonder whether the rural regional expansion of the charging network is happening at the
right rate when you consider how fast the car sales are happening.
Because, yes, it's once a year, maybe twice a year for people, but the problem is those
trips all happen together.
And if we get to places in rural New South Wales, rural Queensland, Victoria, Western
Australia where there is only one charge and that's great.
But for those big trips, I feel like, Andrew, we do need, as an industry, I know the government's
got a role to play, but don't you think the industry itself selling the cars needs to
ensure that the broader infrastructure play, the broader charging network is bigger and
better?
I mean, that's certainly a consideration and we do work closely with government to understand
how we can support as an OEM.
I can't talk for other OEMs, but it's certainly something that we're engaging in.
And I know Arena does great work to unlock money for institutions to put charging infrastructure
out there.
We're starting to see as well.
We meant NRMA is a great example in the big four parks.
They bought EV chargers in the mountains.
That was never a thing before.
We're starting to see hotels and motels putting EV chargers as part of their proposition for
people to book accommodation there.
So it's not necessarily always just a public charging infrastructure.
There's also private industry that can benefit from that.
Our dealerships are putting charging infrastructure and when we expand our dealer network, we
want charging to be part of that proposition.
So the reason to go to our car dealerships is not just to buy a car or service a car.
It could also be to charge a car if you're passing through it as well.
So I think a blend of government and private industry is certainly the key and we will always
be ready to work with government and other institutions to get public charging infrastructure
out there.
Okay, let's talk about Zika, Andrew.
The company, we've only known about it for less than a couple of years and you seem to
have sort of gone zero to 100 in like an EV really fast.
How have you done that?
What do you put that down to this brand that no one had ever heard of is now among the
top selling EVs in the country?
It's such a good problem to have isn't it?
When you're pushing a product out there, there's a few things that you want to do.
You want to make sure it's priced correctly.
You want to make sure it's the right quality and we've nailed that.
Absolutely.
Now that the styling, the cars look incredible.
You know, they're well built.
They're safe.
But also how we package that car and bring it to market and price it is key.
We're not asking consumers to pay brand tax for something that shouldn't cost that much.
We're pricing it to the market.
A lot of brands will come out and put their cars too expensive and there's many brands
that do that and then they have to go and constantly discount them, which messes with
the residual values.
For us, if you price the car correctly in the first place, you have some surety on that
price over the long term, which helps customers with their residual values and that is something
that is key for people that are acquiring EVs.
How much is this thing going to be worth in three years time when I want to trade it in?
Well, for us, pricing it correctly in the first place helps that proposition.
I think it's a blend of the cars look great.
They're built well and you get behind the wheel and drive it.
I challenge anyone go out there towards their dealership, get behind the wheel and see the
difference, feel the difference.
You get behind the wheel and you go, something, what's the catch here?
There is no catch.
It's just a great car for the price.
We've discussed that a bit that a lot of people with a five or 10 year old car going to a
car dealership full stop today will be blown away by how much more is in the car.
But then when you go to a new brand dealership like Ezeka showroom and you get to get behind
the wheel, don't even drive it, just sit in there and you realize, oh my gosh.
And these things are selling everywhere.
I was in rural New South Wales on the weekend and I saw seven X's.
And I thought to myself, this car is really taking off.
And I think our point, our question about how did you do it is not a joke.
It's to say, I think there's analysis that needs to be done here.
Stephen, I remember we took a call from someone asking about the seven X and we were like,
oh, it's coming at the end of the year and it's just kind of been rumored.
But it hasn't even been in showrooms.
There was a buzz.
I don't know what that is.
And is that YouTube, is that the Chinese market infiltrating here in such a way that families
of Chinese owners know about it and the word spreads?
Genuinely, how were you able to create the buzz for a brand that didn't exist?
That's, I think, what everyone should want to untap.
When you look at our product, we have safety pedigree from Volvo.
We have luxury pedigree from Polestar.
We have performance pedigree from Lotus.
We have EV engineering and technology from the Geely Holding Group.
When you blend that together, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out.
This car, when it comes, is going to shake things up.
And as soon as that hit, the global press and started to trickle through YouTube
and it started to hit the Reddit forums and the Facebook forums, we see those forums.
We look at those forums.
We get a lot of customer feedback from that.
We knew that we were onto something big here.
So what we wanted to do is get people to experience it.
So across shopping centers, even the T3 domestic airport right now, the Qantas terminal,
there's a car there.
We are putting cars where they're not generally cars are.
We want to capture people's intent that maybe aren't even looking.
They go, what's that car?
I mean, I was at Rouse Hill Town Center recently and the car was sitting outside of the Woolworths.
Not the most luxurious location, but my goodness was that car swamp with people going,
I've never seen this before.
What is it?
Oh, Zika.
And they got behind the wheel and that is when this thing is incorrect.
How much is it?
Wow.
And I'm thinking, Jesus, we could probably charge 20K more on this.
But it's a combination of the global business doing an incredible job blending the right
parts of their holding group together to form that car.
And then look, the reality is, guys, these days, people walk into a car dealership.
They know more about the car than the people selling it.
They have done an incredible amount of research.
And that is 15 years ago, you'd go to the dealership to learn about the car.
Now, you can know more about the car and how it's engineered before you even set foot in that door.
So because of that information being disseminated online, people are just more engaged and more confident about the product.
And they go in and they sit behind the wheel and it validates all the research they've done.
Yeah.
You said earlier, and we did mention the rapid growth of Zika and you said a good problem to have.
How have you handled that fast growth?
I know a lot of businesses who experience really sharp growth, their business grows under the weight of it and they can't handle it.
But so how are you guys coping with this sudden success and sudden interest in the brand?
Well, we're all sleeping a lot less than we were before.
What we're doing is we're being very humble about this because we are very blown away and very appreciative of customers buying into our brand,
dealers buying into our brand and we love that and we appreciate that.
So we do a lot of work reaching out directly to customers to understand how can we improve.
We work with our dealer partners to understand if we were to expand, how do we expand, where when does that happen?
How do we do it in a sustainable way?
So we're not chasing short-term growth for the sake of it.
We are looking to build a significant brand that's going to be in the Australian market for decades to come.
And in order to do that, we have to make big decisions like how do we keep our owner group engaged?
So we're running events with owners.
We just took them to an oyster farm last week.
We've got some stuff happening with Vivid in the coming weeks.
We're constantly keeping customers engaged.
We invite them for feedback sessions on a regular basis to talk directly with our executives.
We take feedback straight to HQ with our R&D division.
So we're doing that at great time and expense because we know that it's this feedback that's going to help us grow.
And working alongside our dealer groups means that we've got an engaged dealer network.
And by the way, the ones we've got now are incredible and we're so blessed to have them because they are also sleeping a lot less.
And we're just working around the clock to get cars out to people.
But we don't just want to chuck in the keys and go, see you mate, enjoy the car.
We want to give them that good handover experience.
We're not perfect guys.
We know that we have to improve and we accept that and we are constantly working on that.
So for us, it's being humble and being aware that we've got a lot of work to do because we want to be the biggest in the market in order to do that.
We have to put aside any ego and go, how do we meet the customer demand?
How do we meet dealer demand?
And how do we put a network in Australia in the right areas that means that the profitability of these dealers is long term and customers get what they need as well?
Well, on that, I think it's really important that we address what you would describe as an elephant that floats around this studio, which is dealer feedback.
We haven't had, I'll be honest with you, we haven't had specific negative feedback about Zika dealers at all, but we've had a lot about some other new brands.
And I want to, I'm not trying to tell you how to suck eggs, but I think you're saying all the right things about listening to your owners and reading the forums and all that kind of stuff.
I want to stress to you how important that is because from what we've heard and frankly, it went kind of not viral.
It went, it overtook our show for several weeks because one domino of someone saying something about a brand led every other person who'd had that experience to call in.
And it can be quite a negative approach because while you've got beautiful cars, great prices and all those things, if the dealership experience is poor,
it can have a genuinely negative experience.
So I think that it's good to hear that you're not trying to expand too quickly, but I would just pause and say to you, it's critical that you keep that dealer experience close and close to the brand.
No, I think what I'm saying in response to dealers is I'm not trying to give you marketing spin.
Like genuinely, we treat this seriously, every dealer principle has the managing director's phone number.
At any point in time, if they're unhappy, they can call Frank and have a chat with him.
We are so approachable and exposed to these guys that we're not showing away from negative feedback.
We understand that when you've got Australia's best-selling medium SUV right now, according to the segment, we know that, sorry, humble brag,
but when you've got those milestones in the market, we just hit 1,000 deliveries for the first time in our history, we know that there's going to be growing paints.
So we're not naïve to that. We know that there may be people out there that are unhappy, but what we are doing is we are making every executive available to dealer principles.
We have customer focus groups happening regularly and we hear that feedback and we take it very seriously.
Every fortnight, we have a leadership meeting across the business and we are talking directly about customer feedback and dealer feedback.
This is not something that this is not marketing spin. This is how we live and breathe.
I've been in the industry for a little while and I understand that there are dealer councils that are quite adversarial in nature,
where dealers are deeply unhappy with OEM and not being kept in the loop with decision-making. That's not the case with us.
Everything is done in collaboration because we know that we can't make the mistakes of other legacy brands and then build effectively what they've got, which is dysfunctional.
So what we want to do is do it completely different and build it sustainably alongside them. If they win, we win.
I know Zeke has a success story in Australia. How do we compare to other regions in the world?
Are we punching above our weight in terms of the number of customers and sales per capita? How are we doing?
I wouldn't be around for too much longer if I started talking about sales from other regions, but let's just say our voice at the table is larger than others.
Nice. Well played.
Yeah, well done.
I think people who, well, I can say it, think Range Rover, think Eastern suburbs, wealthy individuals are going to look at this thing and go,
wow, that's beautiful. You've got an exciting future ahead as well, not just the cars that are currently on the slate.
I mean, when I saw that for the first time, I thought, I'm going to see a few of those rolling around too, Rick.
Yeah.
If I was a legacy luxury brand, I would be very concerned with products that we've got coming out and we know the positions.
But hey, look, at the end of the day, our product can be great, but our customer experience and our dealer experience has to be good as well.
Otherwise, there's no point. We've got great products, so HQ has done an incredible job and we're very fortunate that in the current state of NVES in Australia,
we're able to bring these cars in. We built up enough credits that we can have a diversified mix of powertrains to suit the Australian market,
and we can do that with that penalty. We don't have to charge NVES penalties to customers because our mix is correct.
So we're very fortunate to be in that very privileged position, and I think as you look in the coming years, our product mix is just going to get even more exciting.
I mean, personally, when I saw the 7GT for the first time, I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one of those.
I'm going to start a change level petition to have one as a company car because we need more shooting brakes and that style of car in Australia, so I can't wait.
Yeah, mate. You've got a great road map coming.
The 7GT, as I said, Steven earlier in our call early, it's got this kind of, as you said, shooting brake style,
but there's just something, whether you call it a squash 7X or whatever you want to do. It's a gorgeous looking car.
You've got all the right points. You're saying all the right things. We're hearing all the right things as well, which is important.
Those two things are matching up. And to everyone listening, we have Andrew's number.
So if we hear bad things, Zeke will know about it.
And the thing is, mate, we won't sugarcoat it because people have opinions, and that's what's great about talkback, is being able to hear from real people.
And the credit to you and everyone involved in the brand right now is we don't have anything negative to say to you because we've only had positive experiences, genuine advocates for your brand.
You are building a genuine community for your brand, and that's something you should all be very proud of, mate.
So congratulations and here's to a long and successful future.
Thank you very much. Really appreciate that.
No worries at all.
That's Andrew from Zeke and yeah, we'll keep him in the loop. Don't you worry about that.
Yeah.
Two blokes storing electric cars.
That was a bit dad-dancy.
You're missing out if you're not watching this show.
It was a bit dad-dancy that last one, wasn't it?
Do you know when you're doing these ones?
It wasn't quite Trumpy because it was Thumbs.
No, I don't think so.
I think you're right. Missing out is what I'm saying.
If you're not watching this show.
All right, back to call us 0-4-776-576-576.
If you've got a question, send us a text or a WhatsApp.
We'd love to have you on the show.
Michael's on the line. G'day, Michael.
G'day, boys. How are you doing today?
Really good, mate. Where are you at?
You've bought a model? Why, mate?
Well done. You're a Tesla man.
I did. I am finally a Tesla man.
My wife and I were talking about it for probably the last year or so.
We always said that our next car was going to be a Tesla.
Yep.
Both the cars we currently have are under five years old.
So we'll think in like maybe in five years time or so.
And then as soon as the fuel prices went up, we were like, let's just go for it.
So we actually pick it up tomorrow.
Hey, congratulations.
What are the current cars, mate? What are you going from?
So we've got a 2020 Subaru XV, which we're keeping,
and we're selling a 2021 Mazda CX-8.
I feel like last week we had a Mazda disappeared into the electric world.
Was Tesla the one and only brand you looked at, mate?
It sounded like you were doing Tesla through and through.
Was there any other brands in contention?
We did look. I was considering one of the keyers.
Okay.
The keyer EV5, I think it was. Yeah.
I'm a person that loves tech,
and I think just the tech in the Tesla can't be beaten at the moment.
I am a bit of a Elon Musk fanboy as well.
So that helped get it over the line.
None of the big Chinese brands appeal to you.
We just spoke to one of the bosses of Zika.
You didn't consider Zika or Geely or BYD or anything like that?
To be honest, when we bought it, we ordered it,
I think about mid-March.
I hadn't heard of Zika at the time.
My wife's friend has one,
and my wife said it's absolutely beautiful inside,
like very luxurious.
Yeah, we didn't consider any Chinese options, to be honest.
Right. Fair enough.
So you've had the Tesla since March?
No, picking it up tomorrow.
Oh, sorry.
Picking it up tomorrow.
But you bought it in March.
Wait a couple of months.
Right.
Yeah.
Okay.
Is it just the standard Y or the, what's it called?
Long wheelbase.
Just the standard one, just the base model one.
You know that's Trevor's favorite Tesla, right?
Yeah, the model Y.
Hey, I haven't said it for a long time.
There's only two of them.
Well, it's the frog now.
You obviously got the new looking, the new model.
The frog, not the toad.
Yeah.
So you mentioned, I know what you mean about the whole tech feel,
because I used to drive a Tesla myself.
I had a Model S back in the day,
and it did feel like it was the techiest thing in the world.
Which is a mad thing to be saying,
given the beautiful screens and everything in your Mercedes now, isn't it?
But still.
I was coming from a Mercedes Benz.
No, but even when you now went into a Mercedes Benz with the greatest screens,
it's still amazing and genuine that the Tesla fits in your head
as being the high tech car.
It still had, like, I can remember at the time,
it had that mystique to it,
and the real feel of a Tesla was different feel to any other car.
Yeah.
It sort of, that sort of less is more.
That massive screen, it really, there was a feel to it
that I don't think any other brands could replicate.
Being an early mover advantage,
being Tesla one of the first brands,
I think that makes plays a huge part.
If you're picking it up tomorrow,
what's the plan for charging at home,
or how do you plan to charge?
So we did buy a granny charger,
because we do go camping and holidaying a fair bit.
So bought one of them.
We did also install one of the Tesla wall chargers.
Nice.
My wife, she'll be the main one using it.
She drives about 40 to 50 Ks each way to work.
Yep.
And she's the kind of person that will drop the car home
with, like, 10, 20 Ks left in the petrol tank.
And I've never beat a big risk taker,
so I thought we'll just install the faster charger.
Yeah, fair call.
Just in case.
Yep.
I bet you she never gets to 10% on her phone battery, mate.
Well, I said to her, I said,
you can't take the risk with the EV.
It's just, it's not worth it,
because then you got to pay for tow truck and, you know,
you're better off just to charge it up every night.
Every night, mate.
Good thing is, that's right.
The charge is at home.
Well, however.
Just plug her in.
Yeah, however often we need to.
Just do it as a habit every day.
Charge it overnight.
Well, especially with the,
we've signed up for the AGL EV plan.
Right.
And like the overnight charging is dirt cheap.
Yeah, that's good.
I'm on over.
I've got that as well.
That's the one you want.
Yeah, that's really good.
Mate, what's,
How exciting.
Where's the first place you're going to take it,
your campers,
do you think you'll go camping quickly and soon?
Do you enjoy the camp?
We are.
Yeah, we're based in Melbourne.
And so we pick it up tomorrow.
Saturday, I'm going with my dad just for an overnight trip
down to Anglesey,
which is along the Great Ocean Road.
Nice.
Lovely drive.
We'll take it there,
give it a bit of a test drive
and just check out charging along the way, I guess.
Hey, what color?
What color did you get, mate?
It was going to be...
We've got the Stealth Grey with the black wheels.
So we've nicknamed it the Dark Knight.
You're one of those guys who'd name your car as well.
Are you?
Trevor does that too.
Kevin the Kia?
Yeah.
Bobby the Bourne?
I've had five or six cars
and each of them has had a name.
So I'm going to continue that trend.
Dark Knight, I love it.
Well played.
Well, mate, enjoy that drive down the Great Ocean Road.
Enjoy the car.
Despite it looking like a frog,
it's still a beautiful motor vehicle.
And your...
It is in the eye of the beholder trip.
Well, that's what my wife says all the time.
You'll love it, mate.
Congratulations.
Yeah, thanks, boys.
No worries at all.
Thanks for getting a touch.
Have a good one.
Yeah, cheers, mate.
Thank you very much.
Good on you.
Yeah, I mean...
So you ordered it back in March, getting it tomorrow.
Wow, that's so cool.
How exciting.
I still remember the day I got my Tesla.
Yeah.
It was my first EV.
Yeah, that was an amazing time.
Yeah, I know what he's...
I know how he's feeling.
You know what he's feeling.
Well, if you have that new car feeling
or you're pensive waiting for that new car feeling,
we'd love to hear from you.
0-4-double-7-6-5-7-6-5-7.
Send us a text.
Save it in your phone as the two blokes.
And when it comes to mind that you want to talk about
or ask about EVs, send us a text or a WhatsApp.
0-4-double-7-6-5-7-6-5-7.
Steven, let's do it all again next week.
I will make it...
I'll put it in my diary and I'll be right here.
I would hope that it's already in your diary.
It is, yeah.
Okay, see you, mate.
Bye-bye.
About this episode
Zeekr’s rapid rise is traced to real-world visibility, online buzz, and a feedback loop that feeds R&D—plus pricing discipline that protects residual values. Alongside the Zeekr/Zika chat, callers share what actually drives their decisions: LFP vs NMC preferences, family space, and how home charging (and AR HUDs) changes day-to-day confidence. The hosts also dig into Australian incentive clarity and charging infrastructure—questioning whether rural rollout matches how fast EV sales are growing.
This week Andrew Stamatakis from Zeekr Australia joins us to talk about the recent Federal Budget changes to EV subsidies and what it means for consumers, plus - how is Zeekr doing so well here?
We take your calls on buying a Model Y and what to decide when it comes to performance vs function.
AND, do we have a new record for the number off test drives? Anthony joins us to challenge Penelope's 16!
Get in touch, thanks to Vodafone on 0477 657 657
