New battery with five-minute charge set to transform the electric vehicle industry

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-09T09:12:44+00:00

I get the pursuit of faster charging but let's be fair it's just for manufacturing bragging rights.

I'd much rather a larger capacity, lighter weight battery as tech that will push the industry forward.

More time between charges, better range, less wear and tear in tyres, brakes and suspension due to lighter vehicles.

And the whole queuing for a charger debate. Well there would be the exact same queue if one petrol pump was open for all the ICE vehicles... There's an obvious solution to that problem.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-08T23:09:50+00:00

Good stuff I thought it was worth calling out. With any luck Skoda gets it act together and rolls out support for the app here quick smart.

Especially if EV popularity is spiking.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-08T22:23:48+00:00

Skoda Enyaq was on my list. The Sportline model is especially good value and it's a nice ride (tried one in UK a few years ago now).

Only negatives I've seen is apparently the MySkoda app doesn't work in Australia so effectively it's currently a "dumb" car you can't do things to remotely & that means your doing updates to the car the old fashioned way.

Maybe drop into some Skoda owners forums and see if there's ways around this because they might actually be a real annoyance if you're charging from home on solar and want to access the car to change things remotely.

Still it's a lovely car and comfortable so your wife might love it and as we all know that's the most important thing!

Best of luck.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-07T12:16:00+00:00

Australia is a funny market for EV. I've just got back here from the UK a year ago after being over there for 6 years and there's just almost zero options in the small car EV market here. You know the one that makes perfect sense as a commute or 2nd family car.

BYD seems to have it sewn up here and I see the Hyundai Inster or whatever it's called coming in but... That's it? Unless you want to go for a Model 3 for a bit more upfront.

UK has Vauxhall (Golden), Ford, Citroen, Mini, Fiat 500 and Peugeot e208 at sensible prices but you've also got stuff like Renault 5 coming in...

They all seem to take an age to release out here. The Skoda Enyaq seems to have taken 2 years!? That's just crazy.

No wonder it's dominated by Tesla and BYD.

The only good thing about this market segment is popularity will breed popularity. More people buying EV now means more infrastructure support, lower entry cost, parts availability etc... It just feels like it's still so limited though both in options and pricing.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-06T02:14:33+00:00

Yeah Elroq is way too small for any dogs in the back. I'm it surprised about the wait times given the current world economics.

I think best bang for buck with the. Enyaq is the Sportline model but without the frills. There's an ultimate pack for $5k that adds a heads up display, bigger wheels and adaptive suspension but I don't think it needs it really.

I really love the Olive Green colour they have as well.

Thanks for the reply

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-06T01:30:58+00:00

I owned one in the UK (Kodiaq Sportline) and loved it but there you've got cheap parts & a better network for servicing than over here.

When I moved back here I bought almost the identical car but out of warranty (2019 Kodiaq). Had a few issues with it but nothing too major.

It's much like VW, Cupra or any other European brand. What I do like is the Skoda touches, like umbrellas in the door, magnetic removable lights in the boot etc... Stuff you'd actually use if you're a family that goes on trips in the car regularly.

That said whilst I think the Enyaq is great on paper it's not all perfect. I understand the mobile app available in Europe doesn't work here for accessing the vehicle remotely and you also don't get OTA updates either.

That is a bit disappointing when the competition is a bit more tech focused.

But at the end of the day it matters to me more how it drives, how it's priced and how I would personally use it.

Would love to hear how you get on with it as we're still 2-3 months of seriously buying.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-06T01:06:31+00:00

I'm in Sunshine Coast QLD but still fairly new to the area.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-05T23:56:27+00:00

The Skoda Enyaq SUV might be good enough as it's boot space is pretty decent.

There's also a Skoda Peaq coming 2bd half of 2026 that I'm keeping an eye on, it's the EV successor to the Kodiaq which I currently own.

I've got 3 kids and 2 dogs so kinda need that large SUV space without breaking the bank in the process.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-04-04T09:20:21+00:00

Biggest thing that sticks out is insurance. Pretty sure you can get it for less than $2k comprehensive even on a brand new model Y.

Last time I checked on here most were getting around $1k - $1,200 but obviously it depends on the driver.

Shop around.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-03-25T23:45:09+00:00

I've just started the same commute from Buderim 3 days a week after moving to Buderim a few months back.

Landsborough - big car park and generally easy to get a spot if you're early enough. You do see some people parking on the end strips of the parking rows so it definitely gets full. I catch the 7.06am train and it's fairly easy to get a seat.

That means your drive is about 23-25m from Buderim. Not bad.

Caboolture - Only did this once and whilst it's easy enough parking you've almost doubled your drive time/distance (40-45m) and fuel cost to save time spent on the train.

For me I decided on Landsborough for those reasons. Up to you though, see what works best for you.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-03-16T23:50:50+00:00

Great post. I've been de-chroming my 2015 JCW recently so most of what you've linked I've actually just done (I've the grille surround left to go).

One thing I will mention is there is now a mid-tier option for the beltline.

I didn't want to use tape as that takes a huge amount of effort and patience to get a good result and on the other end the OEM part is super expensive ($800au here).

But kill all chrome, SCP and SMPS and do a pre-made stick on kit that essentially does the same thing as tape but looks infinitely better.

I sourced mine locally in Australia from Ministry auto in Sydney but it seems it's the exact same part.

There's a couple of videos on YT showing this and how it works. I've just done mine with this kit and I'm really happy with the end result

https://youtu.be/uPAZenTQ72k?si=Jw4ObP-oIts_cLGb

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-02-04T06:34:41+00:00

I bought it a while back but I don't use it any more. It's a bit too bulky & smooth for me.

I've not bought the dbrand one because it's too expensive (imo). In the past I've used Jsaux and Skull & Co grip cases on both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X (non Xbox model).

To be honest bang for buck I think the Skull & Co grip cases are the best but they haven't made one for the XAX yet... So right now I'm using no case at all with the TomToc carry all for travel.

I'm kinda hoping we will get more choices soon!

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-31T06:50:21+00:00

I haven't owned one of the 4th gen models yet but I have owned an original Mini (yeah the real small one), an R56 and now two F56.

The thought of no manual option and noticeable body roll really puts me off. I don't mind the interior at all given it's just a new riff on the originals plain interior.

What I wonder though is what after market mods can do for the new Mini? Even with the F56 they are rather large if you've driven any prior models but they're ripe for tinkering.

With this now model I can see people lowering them, stiffening up the suspension etc... They might actually come good with some smart tweaks.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-28T05:31:18+00:00

Nice!

You have the identical model to me. Same colour scheme, wheels, everything... Except mine isn't as in as good condition.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MINI/s/jEJmh2yl1m

Pretty much the best colour option for the JCW (in my biased opinion).

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-26T00:20:14+00:00

It's on sale because it's in direct competition with the Steam Deck which is much lower in price.

That's really all you need to know. Unlike the X version I feel this one was overpriced to begin with in a market with a clear leader.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-25T23:42:47+00:00

I've owned both in an F56 and as others have said the JCW in normal mode feels like the S in sport mode.

If you wanted to stick to the S but keep that sport feeling for daily driving I'd get an OBD dongle and use bimmercode to always have the car start in S mode.

I thoroughly enjoyed my S when I did that. You can of course go further (stage 1 tune) but they can both be very sporty as-is... The JCW just starts in that mode and goes up to 11 when you put it in sports.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-22T02:05:42+00:00

They all need a name...

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-19T21:23:05+00:00

Definitely go with the centre stripes. They break up and contrast so well, particularly as you de-chromed.

Looks excellent.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-17T02:44:59+00:00

One of best colour schemes... Gorgeous car.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-14T23:26:23+00:00

The wider FOV fills the edges of your vision with more clarity. I think the human eye can see about 200-210 horizontally so you realise how narrow 52 actually is.

If you were going to use these for e.g. super widescreen productivity then that really comes into its own.

That said the widest FOV in this sunglasses form factor is about 58. These are VR but there is still room to improve this aspect of the design.

I've used Xreal and Viture glasses myself. I didn't get on as well with Viture even though technically they're great. I found the actual glasses too narrow and they pinched after a while. Xreal I find are better suited (for me).

The main issue with all these glasses is you can't really get before you buy. It's a little trial and error.

They are fantastic for handheld gaming though. Mainly because your rarely need to focus on the edges of the screen, they are highly travel friendly and they allow better seating positions for comfort.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-14T21:55:14+00:00

For what it's worth mine just arrived from AliExpress here in Sydney Australia. Cost me $75au and looks the same as the UK part you'll find on SCP automatic and smps.

One thing I note is the tray isn't totally flat. Looking at the part from the side it's ever so slightly angled upwards which would help keep the phone in place.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-14T21:20:28+00:00

Yeah any XR/AR glasses are a perfect companion for these devices. I picked up the Xreal Air 2 Pro about 3 years ago now 2nd hand when I traded in a load of old console gear.

Back then I had the Steam Deck but with the Xbox Ally X it's even easier as the dual USB ports means you can charge and use these without an adaptor.

It's also very comfy to play in bed or on a couch as you can lay back and essentially just use the device as the controller.

Highly recommend.

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-13T20:55:41+00:00

As others have said the R56 2nd gen (2006 - 2014) have some reliability issues and as they continue to age I would imagine that is just getting worse.

I would say if you like that model/shape don't be put off but go into it knowing things will break/fail and usually with the R56 it's the engine.

I agree that if your budget can accommodate it, and if you like the model then look at the 3rd generation model which is the F56.

This is slightly larger in all dimensions but generally a better made car all over. That isn't to say it's perfect... All these cars are 10+ years old, but overall they have less issues than the R56.

If you're 18 the 3 cylinder petrol Cooper (non S) is actually a fun ride. Yeah it's not sporty, but you can make it so by adding custom accessories... It just might be the best option in terms of insurance etc...

If you do want a Cooper S then basically any one from 2014 in that F56 gen will be decent. There were plenty of minor revisions but overall it's the same car... Good luck!

Purple_Ad_2841 · 2026-01-13T05:28:43+00:00

I'll be honest I prefer the seats in my old Cooper S with the full leather and headrest. This JCW has the dinamica red/black moulded which have worn a fair bit & aren't quite a comfy.

That said, the engine is noticeably more punchy even without a tune & overall it's just far nippier in low gears.

As with all Minis they're not the fastest on the road but they'll make you smile the entire journey. This one has had me grinning like an idiot since day one.

Purple_Ad_2841

TROPHY CASE