Overdrive Podcast Radio Program Issue 26 -2021

Overdrive: Tax Breaks for electric cars; Station wagon comeback?; Installing your own speed humps

Hello and welcome to Overdrive a program that broods over the world of cars and transport. I’m David Brown. The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)

News

  1. NSW State government pushes electric vehicle tax reform (1:12)
  2. Rex breaks records in Australia (2:24)
  3. Genesis is expanding in models and sales (3:21)
  4. Can the station wagon make a comeback? – Peugeot Unveils the 308 SW (4:23)
  5. Bus lounges help make public transport more effective (5:32)

Interviews

  • Tim Robson from MG gives some frank opinions on their success and their approach to electric vehicles (7:01)
  • Guido Shenken from Genesis prestige vehicles discusses their fast-improving model range (15:57)

Motoring Minute

Quirky News

  • And Brian Smith covers the unusual subject of residents installing their own speed humps on public roads. (22:14)

Motoring Minute

 

NSW State government pushes electric vehicle tax reform

 

The NSW government’s latest budget contains some measures to encourage the take up of electric vehicles.

Stamp duty has been eliminated on electric vehicles up to $78,000 from September 2021 and then for all EVs including Plug In Hybrids from July 2027.

$151 million will be invested in EV charging infrastructure.

Electric vehicles will have access to transit T2 and T3 lanes and there will be some cash rebates for customers.

A road user charge of 2.5c/km for EV and a 2.0c/km for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles will be applied from July 2027 or when EVs make up at least 30 per cent of new car sales.

Genesis is expanding in models and sales

Genesis G70 2021

The Korean luxury car brand Genesis currently makes only small sales in Australia but its percentage growth this year is enormous. They currently have only 3 models on the market.

Guido Schenken their PR manager in Australia says there are more on the way.

We’ve just launched our updated V70 sedan in June and that’s going to follow shortly in July with our second SUV, GV 70, which we’re really excited about. I think we’ve already taken 100 pre-orders on that car before it was physically seen by any of the customers.

We have three EVs launching in the first half of 2022, all of which will be coming to Australia. So the first one will be a fully electric version of our jehadi sedan. And the next two I can’t talk about yet because they haven’t been globally announced. [00:06:24][16.8]

Can the station wagon make a comeback? – Peugeot Unveils the 308 SW

The all-new Peugeot 308 SW, to be launched in Australia in 2022.

SUVs have overshadowed the market for station wagons in Australia.

Stations wagons have had a range of images from the stodgy family car to the sportwagon.

Their sales have plummeted to the surprise and disappointment of many car enthusiasts who want the practical room and the sedan like feel and handling.

Subaru led the way in creating cars that look and felt like a station wagon but also had all wheel drive.

Now Peugeot has announced with fanfare their 308 SW (for station wagon). But we won’t get it here in Australia till 2022.

‘Rex breaks records in Australia

Left to right – Sam Wolff, Sales Manager, Llewellyn Subaru; Mark Biegel, 50,000th WRX customer; Clayton Faflik, Subaru Regional Manager QLD.

The high-performance Subaru WRX was first launched in Australia in 1994

Now total sales in this country have passed 50,000.

With a turbo charged all-wheel drive set-up and a highly successful rally pedigree, it became a prime example of a “hero car” that gave creditability to all of Subaru’s models and fed many young person’s dreams.

Its competitive success helped justify its unusual exterior design.

A new model is due soon.

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on iTunes or Spotify. OR our Facebook site OverdriveCity

Originally broadcast 26 June 2021 across Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) and Torque Radio affiliated commercial radio channels and has a weekly audience of over 430,000.

 

 

 

About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto