Electric vehicles coming to Australia in 2022

The last 12 months confirmed something: The ball has well and truly begun rolling on electric vehicle (EV) uptake in Australia.

By the halfway point of 2021, Australians had purchased more battery electric vehicles (BEVs) than they had in all of 2020. Factoring in increased popularity of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) saw EVs nearly double their new-car market share by the end of the 2020–2021 financial year.

Add hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to the mix in a record-breaking April 2021 and EVs comprised nearly one in every 10 new passenger, SUV and light commercial cars sold during the month.

More big players began offering EVs during the year, with others set to debut their electric car models in Australia in 2022. While we don’t have our crystal ball handy, we think it’s a safe bet that more electric cars available in Australia – combined with new government EV incentives and additional charging infrastructure – should mean a great year for EVs in Australia in 2022.

RELATED: Every electric car available to buy in Australia

Electric vehicles coming to Australia in 2022

2022 Audi e-tron GT

The second of the German brand’s electric models to arrive in Australia, the 2022 Audi e-tron GT sports sedan shares its underpinnings with the Porsche Taycan electric car.

Powered by an electric motor on each axle with combined outputs of 350kW (390kW in boost mode) and 630Nm of torque, Audi claims the all-wheel drive e-tron GT will sprint from zero to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds.

An 85kWh-capable battery pack will take the 2022 Audi e-tron GT up to 488km on a single charge, with Audi claiming the model’s 270kW charging capacity allows for a five to 80 per cent charge in just 22 minutes.

When will the 2022 Audi e-tron GT arrive in Australia?

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT will arrive in Australia in early 2022, following lengthy delays which saw the model’s initial third quarter 2021 launch pushed back.

2022 Audi RS e-tron GT

Wearing the RS badge befitting of Audi’s top sports variants, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT builds on the standard e-tron GT with more performance and upgraded suspension.

Power is upped to 440kW (475kW in boost mode) and torque climbs to 830Nm, sent through a quattro all-wheel drive system. The brand claims these propel the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT from a standstill to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds – 0.8 seconds faster than the standard e-tron GT.

Utilising the same 85kWh-capable battery pack as the standard variant, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT will also have a 488km driving range and 270kW charging capability.

When will the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT arrive in Australia?

Like the standard version it builds upon, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT has had its Australian delivery pushed back to early 2022.

2022 BMW i4

Two versions of the 2022 BMW i4 electric mid-size sedan will roll out of the brand’s Munich plant bound for Australia: a base i4 eDrive40 and the flagship, sporty i4 M50 – the first electric car to be tuned by BMW’s famed M division.

The base 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 is driven by a single electric motor powering its rear wheels, outputting 250kW and 430Nm. The big boy 2022 BMW i4 M50 receives two beefed-up electric motors, bumping outputs to 350kW and 700Nm (400kW and 795Nm during an overboost function that lasts 10 seconds) and equipping the model with all-wheel drive.
 

Both variants come with an 80.7kW battery pack capable of 200kW charging. In eDrive40 guise, the i4 will cover 590km on a single charge, while the i4 M50 can cover 510km.

Pricing has been set at $99,990 and $124,900 (before on-road costs) for the models respectively.

When will the 2022 BMW i4 arrive in Australia?

Both trims of the 2022 BMW i4 are due to land in Australia in the first quarter of 2022.

2022 BYD Dolphin

BYD is one of the newest players trying to enter Australia’s EV market, with the 2022 BYD Dolphin set to be the third of three models slated for release in 2022.

The BYD Dolphin hatchback (previously referred to as the EA1) will target a sub-$30k price tag in its cheapest guise, which would render it Australia’s cheapest BEV.
 

Available in three variants, the Dolphin comes with battery packs ranging from 30.7kWh to 44.9kWh, providing between 301km and 405km claimed range.

When will the 2022 BYD Dolphin arrive in Australia?

The 2022 BYD Dolphin is still expected to arrive in Australia during 2022, despite delays to an originally slated quarter one 2022 delivery timing.

2022 BYD Han

Although it won’t receive the ‘Han’ nameplate in Australia, the 2022 BYD Han sedan will be the second off the lot for Chinese brand BYD in Australia, following its Yuan Plus SUV and followed by the Dolphin small car.

Expected to come in under the $50k mark, the 2022 BYD Han currently sells with dual electric motors, four-wheel drive and a 76.9kWh battery pack good for a 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds – however the model that will reach Australian shores will be an updated (and possible further improved) version.
 

BYD claims a driving range of 605km, however this is calculated on the very optimistic NEDC standard, meaning real world range will likely be less than this.

When will the 2022 BYD Han arrive in Australia?

The 2022 BYD Han (or whatever it ends up being called in Australia) is expected to arrive during 2022.

2022 BYD Yuan Plus

The first model expected to launch in Australia for BYD, the 2022 BYD Yuan Plus SUV is expected to come in under the $40k mark. Much like the Han, the Yuan Plus will be renamed for the Australian market.
 

Technical details remain scarce for the model, however reports suggest a single electric motor will provide 150kW and 310Nm, with a targeted range of 400km–500km.

When will the 2022 BYD Yuan Plus arrive in Australia?

The 2022 BYD Yuan Plus has a more concrete Australian release date than the other two BYD models it will precede, with deliveries of the electric SUV expected to begin in April 2022.

2022 Cupra Born

Spanish performance car maker Cupra will return to Australia after a more than 20-year absence, offering the sporty 2022 Cupra Born all-electric hatch as one of its initial offerings.

Sharing its underpinnings with the Skoda Enyaq (and a host of other Volkswagen Group electric vehicles in the pipeline), the 2022 Cupra Born will output 110kW or 150kW (with a 170kW ‘e-Boost’ option) across variants. Max torque remains the same for all at 310Nm.
 

Driving range will vary between 340km to 500km across 45kWh, 58kWh and 77kWh battery options – however the 0-100km/h sprint slows by almost half a second for models fitted with the larger, heavier 77kWh option.

When will the 2022 Cupra Born arrive in Australia?

Being the first electric model the Volkswagen Group plans to bring to Australia, the 2022 Cupra Born should make it here during 2022. Pricing is expected to begin a hair over $40k – topping out at around $60k for higher spec models.

2022 Kia EV6

The 2022 Kia EV6 medium SUV will be available in three trims when it arrives in Australia, the highest of which will occupy electric flagship status for the Korean brand.

Available at launch will be a base model and GT-Line, with a full-blown GT model arriving after. Kia offers both base and GT-Line variants with 58kWh and 77.4kWh battery packs in other markets delivering between 125kW and 239kW – the latter offering all-wheel drive versus the base model’s rear-wheel layout – so expect similar figures for Australia.
 

The 2022 Kia EV6 GT gets a power boost to 430kW (with 740Nm) and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds thanks to a larger 77.4kW battery option. Models optioned with the larger battery pack also have a claimed driving range of up to 528km.

When will the 2022 Kia EV6 arrive in Australia?

At launch, the 2022 Kia EV6 will be offered in base and GT-Line guises in early 2022, while the GT should land towards the end of the year.

Just 500 examples of the base and GT-Line versions will be imported to Australia over all of 2022 due to global demand.

2022 Polestar 2

Built by the performance electric subsidiary of Volvo, the 2022 Polestar 2 will be offered to the Australian market in three tiers.

Standard and long range versions will use a single electric motor driving the front wheels. In standard form, a 64kWh battery pack provides 165kW and takes the vehicle up to 440km on a single charge. Long range models receive a larger 78kWh battery good for 170kW and a 540km range.
 

Dual motors and all-wheel drive can be optioned on long range trim, upping power to 300kW, however reducing the 78kWh battery’s driving range to 480km in the process.

When will the 2022 Polestar 2 arrive in Australia?

Expect delivery of the 2022 Polestar 2 in early 2022, following Polestar opening reservations for the model in late 2021.

2022 Skoda Enyaq iV

While not yet officially confirmed, the Czech brand could introduce its first all-electric model to the Australian market sooner rather than later with the 2022 Skoda Enyaq iV SUV.

Local specification of the model(s) would be revealed closer to launch, but in Europe five variants of the electric Skoda Enyaq are available spanning two battery packs: 58kWh and 77kWh.
 

Performance across the range increases from the base Enyaq 60’s 132kW, 310Nm and a 507km driving range, to the Enyaq 80X Sportline with 150kW, 310Nm and a 684km range.

When will the 2022 Skoda Enyaq arrive in Australia?

Although possible, a 2022 release date for the 2022 Skoda Enyaq remains optimistic. Volkswagen-owned Cupra plan to bring the Born – another electric offering in its stable – to Australia as its first full EV, followed by the Enyaq.

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid

You may recognise the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid from our Electric Cars Coming to Australia in 2021 list, however it makes another appearance here due to undisclosed delays.

While its estimated arrival may have changed, the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid’s ridiculous performance figures have not.
 

The USA-based manufacturer claims the Plaid’s 90kWh battery pack and tri-motor setup generates a whopping 761kW and is able to propel the sports sedan from standing to 100km/h in just 2.1 seconds. Further to this, Tesla also estimates a 637km driving range, though real-world testing has resulted in figures closer to 550km.

However, supercar performance comes with a price, and the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid comes in at $232,393 drive-away. A pretty penny, but still a far cry short of the price of some internal combustion engine-equipped supercars the Plaid embarrasses in a straight line.

When will the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid arrive in Australia?

While the brand’s Australian website lists a late 2022 delivery for the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid, 2023 is possibly – and probably – the safer bet.

2022 Tesla Model Y

The 2022 Tesla Model Y small SUV will close out the brand’s Australian line-up and its cheeky schoolboy nomenclature (S, 3, X and Y).

Early reports suggest two battery packs will be offered across three trim levels in Australia, giving 2022 Tesla Model Y buyers a choice between a 62kWh battery in Standard Range variants and 83kW in Long Range trim.
 

Tesla estimates a driving range of up to 480km for Standard Range and 505km for Long Range models.

All versions of the 2022 Tesla Model Y will have a 1600kg braked and 750kg un-braked towing capacity and dual-motor all-wheel drive. Australian-delivered models will be limited to five seats, whereas other regions will receive a seven-seat Model Y.

When will the 2022 Tesla Model Y arrive in Australia?

As is becoming commonplace for new models from the US-based car maker, the 2022 Tesla Model Y has had its Australian delivery delayed.

Unlike the delayed Model S Plaid, Tesla’s Australian website now lists no estimated time of arrival for the 2022 Tesla Model Y, though a first half 2022 release still seems likely.