Today in Cars: V12s Hang On, EV Standards Under Fire, and China’s SUV Arms Race

I flicked through the headlines over my first coffee and got one of those “car world in two directions” mornings. On one side: Aston Martin doubling down on 12-cylinder thunder. On the other: a very modern headache—EV chargers falling over when the phone network sneezes. In between, China keeps flinging boxy off-roaders at the horizon, Lexus retires a city crossover, and Suzuki turns the Jimny into a cheeky team-colors special. Let’s jog through it.

EV Infrastructure: When One Telco Drops, Everyone Feels It

A major Telstra outage in Australia has sparked loud calls for mandatory EV charger standards. The gist: if a mobile network hiccup can strand otherwise healthy chargers, the system needs sturdier guardrails. Think universal roaming, clearer uptime reporting, OCPP compliance, and—crucially—offline payment fallbacks so you can still juice up when the internet goes bushwalking.

I’ve done enough regional runs to know the pain. A few owners have told me they’ve learned the sacred art of “turn it off and on again” at highway stops. That shouldn’t be part of owning a modern car. A standard that demands redundancy—and makes networks publish honest reliability data—would cool a lot of range anxiety in one go.

Stateside Side Note: Cheap Fuel Promises, Few Details

Across the Pacific, talk of a “Freedom Fuel Network” promising cheap gas is swirling. Details are vague for now, which is precisely the point: energy messaging is getting punchier while infrastructure reality (EV or ICE) remains stubbornly practical. If you’re budgeting for road trips, hype doesn’t fill tanks or batteries—networks do.

China’s Big-Box Off-Road Moment

GWM says it’s not sweating BYD’s surge—calling its compatriot “amazing,” then calmly getting on with business. That tracks with what I’ve seen from GWM lately: slightly slower headline moves, but relentless product cadence and aggressive value packaging.

2027 GWM Tank 300L: Longer, PHEV-Only, and Looking Serious

• Longer take on the popular Tank 300
• PHEV-only powertrain for the 300L
• Framed as a proper off-road tool with the promise of instant electric shove
• Not yet confirmed for Australia
• Target timing around 2027

Electric torque can be a gift on trails—quiet, immediate, and less drama than a peaky turbo. If they get the calibration right, this could be a sweet spot for weekend warriors who commute during the week.

First Taste Category: GWM’s Ora 5 SUV

GWM’s electric-focused Ora brand now has a small SUV on the cards, and early drive notes suggest the usual Ora calling cards: a tech-forward cabin and an easygoing urban demeanor. From my time in other GWMs, steering typically skews light and friendly, and ride quality finds its feet at city speeds before firming up on coarse-chip highways. Expect value to be the sharp end of the pitch.

Geely’s Galaxy Cruiser 700: Defender Vibes, Big Talk

Geely is rolling out the Galaxy Cruiser 700, a squared-off SUV that leans hard into the neo-Defender silhouette and, by the sound of it, throws some serious punch. Exact numbers aside, the message is clear: China’s off-road game isn’t playing small anymore. If pricing undercuts the obvious Western targets (it often does), this segment’s about to get interesting.

Luxury and Legacy: Keeping Twelve Alive, Saying Goodbye to UX

Aston Martin Delays EVs to Keep the V12 Singing

Aston Martin is pushing back its EV timelines to extend the life of its V12. Purists will cheer—the brand’s 12s have a way of turning fuel into goosebumps. In the interim, expect hybrids and plug-ins to do the heavy lifting on emissions. The broader read: sports-luxury marques are finding that their customers still want theater, and batteries aren’t quite ready to deliver the same soundtrack.

Lexus UX Production to End, Replacement TBD

Lexus is winding down the UX. No confirmed successor yet. The UX was always a handsome, city-sized gateway into the brand—silky controls, slick infotainment, and a boot shaped more for weekenders than house moves. With small premium crossovers still printing sales, I’ll be watching how Lexus fills the gap; the playbook could swing hybrid, electric, or a bit of both.

Culture Corner: Painted Pride and One-Off Daydreams

Suzuki Jimny Maroon Special

Suzuki Queensland has rolled out a Maroon-themed Jimny even after a State of Origin stumble. It’s peak Jimny: cheeky, Instagram-ready, and guaranteed to draw a thumbs-up at the servo. Don’t overthink it—this one’s about vibes.

The Best Cars Built Once

A salute to the rarest of the rare: one-off builds. The kind you catch under soft light at a concours and never forget. They don’t always move the sales needle, but they often foreshadow design cues and tricks that filter down years later. It’s car culture’s R&D lab with better tailoring.

Motorsport Minute

Alesi is heading back to Super Formula at Fuji under a car-sharing arrangement. It’s a clever way to bank top-level seat time in an ultra-quick single-seater series. If you’ve watched Super Formula in person, you know—these cars are properly rapid, and the competition is knife-fight tight.

What It All Means

• Infrastructure maturity matters as much as battery chemistry. Redundancy beats hype.
• Chinese brands are making the boxy 4x4 boom louder—and cheaper.
• Enthusiast marques will stretch ICE charisma as far as regulators allow.
• Lineups evolve: Lexus trims the small-crossover tree to grow something new.

Quick FAQ

• Why are there calls for mandatory EV charger standards in Australia?
  A recent Telstra outage exposed how network-dependent many chargers are. Mandated standards could require offline payment options, common protocols, and transparent uptime reporting.
• Is Aston Martin canceling its EVs?
  No. EVs are delayed while the brand keeps its V12 in play and leans on hybridization in the meantime.
• Will the GWM Tank 300L come to Australia?
  It’s not confirmed yet. The model is planned as a longer, PHEV-only off-roader with global intent, but Australia remains a question mark.
• What’s happening to the Lexus UX?
  Production is ending. Lexus hasn’t announced a direct replacement, so we’re in wait-and-see mode.
• What is the Geely Galaxy Cruiser 700?
  A new, boxy SUV from Geely with Defender-like styling and bold performance positioning, launching first in China.

Final thought? Today’s car market is a split-screen: V12s and vinyl gloves on one side, software standards and silent torque on the other. If the industry nails the boring bits—payments, protocols, uptime—the fun stuff will only get better.