Car news, 7th March ’25: Efforts to ‘undermine’ emissions regs slammed, Chinese brand’s Audi Q6 e-tron rival and more

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Thanks for joining us this Friday March 8th 2025. Polestar slams FCAI’s agenda, peak at updated Xpeng G9, lack of interest sees electric supercar axed, Volvo EX60 teased and more. 

Browse this issue:

• Electric car brand slams efforts to ‘undermine’ emissions laws 
• Chinese brand’s next big EV: Xpeng G9 is coming to Oz 
• No one was interested in this electric supercar
• Volvo EX60 2026: Next-gen BMW iX3 rival teased
• Slick and sophisticated: 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron review

Electric car brand Polestar slams efforts to ‘undermine’ emissions laws

• Electric car specialist Polestar has slammed the Federal Chamber of Automobile Industries (FCAI) for trying to “undermine” the government’s new vehicle efficiency standard (NVES) in comments made about slow EV sales in February. 

• Polestar’s comments follow the Sino-Swedish brand withdrawing from the FCAI in March last year. The brand is a sales minnow compared to Tesla, which also withdrew from the peak body. 

• Australian boss Scott Maynard said: “Over 85 percent of global car markets have a fuel efficiency standard in place to deliver improved health outcomes and reduce ownership costs. We must stay the course to see these benefits realised in Australia.”

Chinese brand’s next big EV: Xpeng G9 is coming to Oz

• New Chinese brand Xpeng’s next big model has been updated at home. The Xpeng G9 is bigger than the G6 that’s on sale here, closer in vibe to a BMW iX or Audi Q6 e-tron with battery sizes up to 93kWh and rapid charging thanks to 800V electrics. 

• Australian importer TrueEV has confirmed the G9 for our market, likely following the X9 people mover. 

• Xpeng is one of a number of new Chinese names looking for success in the market, but is aiming at a more premium level than BYD. Think of names like Tesla and Zeekr as rivals for Xpeng.  

No one was interested in this electric supercar

• Maserati has officially canceled its MC20 Folgore electric supercar project, says UK outlet Autocar. 

• Based on the mid-engined V6-powered MC20, the project was shelved due to insufficient demand for the vehicle — especially in the key expansion market of China. 

• Instead, Maserati is likely to look into a revitalisation of the MC20 in the future, tweaking the V6 and other aspects. 

• Maserati is not the first brand to ease up on electric vehicles. Lotus recently recommitted to combustion engines with range extenders, and Porsche has also recently walked back pure electric plans. 

Volvo EX60 2026: Next-gen BMW iX3 rival teased

• During the new ES90’s reveal, Volvo dropped a hint at its next big seller, the all-electric EX60. Like the XC60, it’s a mid-size SUV, though it will have to fight off the new BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 e-tron when it launches some time in 2026. 

• The sneak peak of the clay model doesn’t show very much, only revealing a similar aesthetic direction to small EX30 and large EX90 in the taillights and tailgate shaping. 

• The EX60 is expected to debut the new SPA3 platform, a modular platform — not unlike BMW’s CLAR — that will support many vehicle sizes. Battery packs will be incorporated into the structure to boost stiffness and cut weight.

Slick and sophisticated: 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron review

• Founder Tom Baker takes the magnifying glass to the new Audi Q6 e-tron in upper-mid Quattro guise on its Australian Debut. 

• There were questions from Tom about the pricing, expensive options, average efficiency and the Q6 e-tron’s tight back seat room.

• Baker praised the handsome and digestible looks, strong performance, and stunning ride quality. The cabin’s new snappy media system and sturdy build quality also impressed but we’re left wondering: who’s the customer in Australia?

Watch the YouTube video: Link to watch here.

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Monday 10th March at 4.30pm Sydney time.