Cars dominate Everything Electric 2026

Car makers dominated this year’s Everything Electric exhibition in Sydney (September 18-20) and many brands chose to debut new models at the event, reflecting skyrocketing consumer interest in EVs.

Among the vehicles unveiled at Everything Electric 2026 were the super-sleek Zeekr 7GT station wagon, the much-anticipated Chery Stockman ute, the Geely Battleship 700 and an electric version of the MGU9 ute.

More than a dozen brands bought floorspace at this year’s event, with electric vehicles taking up well over half of the Dome at Sydney Showground.

“The traffic is very huge, even better than I expected,” said senior vice president of MG Motor Australia, Felix Jiang. “I think it’s because EV acceptance is much higher and because of the gasoline prices! EVs changed the game.

“Also, there are more and more new products coming to the market and most of the customers are already experienced with some EV product. So acceptance is definitely going up and I think it’s a good chance for the market to change.”

Not surprisingly, newer Chinese brands made up the bulk of the marques on display, with established marques such as MG, GWM and BYD rubbing shoulders with newcomers including Forthing and Farizon.

The old guard didn’t lack representation, either, with Hyundai, Subaru and Genesis showing off their EV and hybrid products to interested visitors.

The majority of these manufacturers were represented in the test drive area, where prospective EV owners could book in to go for a spin around the streets of Sydney Olympic Park.

The car brands absent from the 2026 Everything Electric exhibition were almost as noteworthy, with neither Tesla nor Kia putting up a stand at this year’s event.

While Mazda didn’t have a stand, either, it engaged in some low-cost guerilla marketing, driving a signboard truck advertising its EVs around the streets of Sydney Olympic Park.

Perhaps the most eye-catching display belonged to GWM, which had the powertrain and running gear from a Tank 500 exposed and accentuated with neon lights.

Other vehicles at Everything Electric 2026

Cars were not the only electrified transport on display at Everything Electric, with electric motorbikes, mopeds and even a personal hydrofoil vying for visitor attention.

Operating out of premises in Alexandria that serve as office, showroom, warehouse and workshop, Fonz sells electric bikes that are either assembled or partly fabricated in Australia.

“It was Fonzarelli originally,” explained co-founder Michelle Nazzari. “My friend is Greek and I’m Italian and we grew up watching [Happy Days], so it was a bit of a play on that. Then we dropped it down to Fonz, because people thought we were trying to be Italian, which we weren’t. It was just more a fun, playful thing.”

Electric bikes and scooters (including Fonz models) were available for test rides provided visitors had a motorcycle licence. A small contingent of electric trucks was also on hand, although test drives were not an option.

Another interesting spin on electric vehicles was at the VBR Race Zone, where visitors could operate remote control cars on a physical track via a simulator. A VBR representative said similar tracks would be opening in a few video game arcades and they were also available for corporate events.

It wasn’t only road vehicles that had been given the EV treatment. Watercraft on show included electric – and one assumes much quieter than usual – jet skis and a joystick-operated hydrofoil that could accommodate four passengers.

There was even electrical enhancement for Shank’s pony, with the Hypershell exoskeleton promising to make running uphill significantly easier and offering a range of between 15 and 30km.

Charging and storage at Everything Electric 2026

Electric vehicles aren’t going anywhere without some way to charge them and the front half of Everything Electric was largely dedicate to ways to store, manage and save electricity.

Umax Energy was offering a solar carport, with solar panels on the roof and a charger built into the structure, meaning you can just park your car, plug it in and slow-charge it for free overnight.

Amber Electrical, meanwhile, hosted a Q&A about V2G (vehicle to grid), where interested members of the public could ask about bi-directional charging and how it works.

“Vehicle to grid is essentially the ability to use the battery within your car to power your home or send energy back to the grid and earn money,” said Clare Rainbow, head of V2G at Amber.

In the past, EV manufacturers have refused to warrant a car’s battery if it is used for V2G. But at Everything Electric, Amber announced a major win for the technology – the top-selling BYD Sealion 7 has now joined the Atto 3 on the list of vehicles it will warrant for use with V2G.

Battery health was also a topic of discussion at the Aviloo stand. Aviloo is a company that specialises in diagnosing EV batteries, giving anyone buying a second-hand EV peace of mind that the battery still has plenty of life (and range) left in it.

Electricity distribution company Ausgrid sponsored an ‘Energy Advice Zone’, a miniature auditorium with guest speakers discussing a wide variety of energy-related topics and taking questions from the audience.

The final day of Everything Electric 2026 is Sunday, September 20 and tickets are still available.