Tesla Model Y, BYD Atto named in finalists for News Corp Australia Car of the Year Awards

The 25th running of News Corp’s automotive awards reflects the once-in-a-century transformation in the car industry. See the list and vote for your favourite.

In a sign of the times, three electric vehicles have been included in the list of eight finalists for News Corp’s 25th annual Car of the Year awards.

Their inclusion reflects a seismic shift in focus of the car industry in the past couple of years.

The industry is undergoing a once-in-a-century upheaval and the leading car makers are pouring all their research and development dollars into electric vehicles.

As a result, new petrol and diesel-powered vehicles are being launched with engines that have been carried over from previous generation models.

The chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, Behyad Jafari, said the shift to EVs was obvious.

READ THE FULL DETAILS OF THE FINALISTS

“Investment in petrol engines has dried up and all the passion, excitement and money is going into developing electric cars,” he said.

“This is important for customers to consider. Are you going to buy the technology on its way out, or give yourself the exhilaration of driving electric,” he said.

Vote for your favourite car below:

This year’s Car of the Year judging coincides with a marked shift in government policy on electric vehicles.

In August, the Federal Government released a discussion paper on strategies to encourage the take-up of electric vehicles.

The paper flagged the introduction of an enforceable CO2 emissions target for new vehicles aimed at attracting more EVs to the local market.

When he released the paper, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, said “serious action” was needed to curb transport emissions.

“After a decade of denial and delay, an era of demonisation of innovation, after years of frustration … we now have a chance to give Australians access to the world’s best transport technology,” he said.

EVs feature prominently in this year’s field of finalists for Car of the Year. Picture: Thomas Wielecki.

The government’s strategy has drawn sharp criticisms from some quarters, with critics suggesting that EVs, with their range limitations, are ill-suited to Australia’s vast distances and buyer tastes.

Australia’s two best-selling vehicles, the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, are both powered by diesel and there are no electric alternatives.

Ford’s locally developed Ranger ute and Everest four-wheel-drive wagon will fly the flag for traditionalists at the awards.

The pair of Fords are a triumph for the Australian car industry, prematurely declared dead several years ago.

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More than 2500 Australian designers and engineers work on the Ranger/Everest program, delivering a vehicle that is sold in more than 180 across the globe.

Ford President Andrew Birkic said the company would deliver five EVs by 2024 but diesel remained a good fit for vehicles such as the Ranger and Everest.

“We spend a lot of time getting to know how our customers use their vehicles and we know how important capability is for pick-ups and large SUV owners – from towing a boat or caravan, to hauling a full load, to being able to travel vast distances across Australia. Australians have embraced the Next-Gen Ranger and Everest for exactly these reasons,” he said.

Increasingly, though, it is electric vehicles that debut the latest and greatest technology for car buyers.

Carmakers are pouring more resources into electric vehicles. Picture: Thomas Wielecki.

Tesla’s Model Y, which stunned by becoming the country’s number one selling SUV in September, can be tweaked by over-the-air updates, removing the need to return the dealership.

You can also check on its vital signs remotely via your smartphone, while its cameras scan the exterior when it’s parked.

The Tesla will face stiff competition from Australia’s cheapest EV, the BYD Atto 3, and Kia’s impressive EV6. Priced at roughly $45,000 driveaway before government incentives and rebates, the Atto has 420km of range and a hi-tech cabin.

The Chinese BYD brand may be unknown to Australians but it recently overtook Tesla as the biggest seller of EVs.

The Tesla Model Y has proved a hit with SUV buyers. Picture: Thomas Wielecki.

Toyota, which pioneered hybrid vehicle technology two decades ago, has come under fire from environmental groups for being slow to develop electric vehicles.

But Australia’s most popular brand argues it can do more to save the planet in the short term by selling tens of thousands of petrol-electric vehicles at prices people can afford. At less than $40,000 driveaway, its new Corolla Cross is a strong contender for Car of the Year.

Sales and marketing vice president Sean Hanley said the brand’s hybrid sales were “making a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions today”.

Ford’s new Aussie-developed Ranger ute is among the finalists. Picture: Supplied.

“Toyota remains committed to providing consumers with a more sustainable future supported by affordable, practical options, including all powertrains; and customers ultimately will decide between EVs, hybrids, and FCEVs.

“Importantly, Toyota is not limited to a single technical solution in helping our customers on their journey to zero emissions based on their individual circumstances, ensuring we leave no-one behind.”

Nissan’s X-Trail SUV and Subaru’s BRZ sports car round out the finalists.