The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the country’s main green bank, is committing $100 million to help more Australians and local businesses switch to electric vehicles (EVs), with discounted finance available for new and used eligible EVs.

The investment is being made in partnership with Volkswagen Financial Services Australia (VWFS) but will allow eligible customers to choose from brands as varied as Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Cupra, and Volvo, as well as other eligible EVs beyond these brands through VWFS’s accredited dealer network.

The discounted finance offerings will be made available through VWFS and could save up to 1.0 per cent on standard loan rates for eligible EVs, made up of 0.5 per cent from the CEFC and 0.5 per cent from VWFS.

The program covers consumer loans for passenger EVs which will be capped under the luxury car tax threshold and could save customers more than $1,900 on a typical $70,000 loan over five years.

The program also covers commercial loans for light commercial electric vehicles including vans or utility vehicles, and which are not capped by the luxury car tax threshold.

The CEFC and VWFS hope to support the electrification of Australia’s small- to medium-sized business fleets by reducing upfront costs as well as send a signal to manufacturers to begin offering a broader range of EV model options to the Australian market.

Another aspect of the goal of these investments is supporting the future integration of EVs into the electricity grid, with technologies such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) allowing some EVs to act as mobile batteries, charging or discharging to the grid.

“We’re making it easier for businesses to choose advanced electric vehicles, including those with future-ready features like V2G, by reducing barriers like high upfront costs and by encouraging manufacturers to increase model availability in Australia,” said Richard Lovell, CEFC executive director and head of debt markets.

“This investment helps lower costs today and builds a stronger market for affordable, second-hand EVs tomorrow, making clean transport more affordable for more Australians and their businesses.”

 

VOLKSWAGEN Group has announced it will cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 (from a total German head count of about 300,000) as it moves to contain costs amid falling profitability, softer demand in key markets and mounting pressure from global competition.

 

The cull follows the largest carmaker in Europe reporting its weakest profit result since 2016, with net profit after tax dropping sharply in 2025 to a reported €6.9 billion ($A11.6b), down from €12.4 billion ($A20.8b) a year earlier.

 

Volkswagen says the “decline” reflects a combination of headwinds including US import tariffs, fierce competitive pressure from Chinese manufacturers and the high cost of restructuring as the company continues its transition toward electrification.

 

Volkswagen Group chief executive Oliver Blume said the staff reductions would affect operations across Germany and span the broader group, including brands such as Audi and Porsche.

 

“We are operating in a fundamentally different environment,” he said in a letter to shareholders.

 

The just announced 50,000 job reduction expands on an earlier agreement reached with powerful German unions, under which Volkswagen had already committed to cutting more than 35,000 positions in a “socially responsible manner” by 2030 as part of a plan to save around €15 billion ($A25.2b).

 

Like some of Volkswagen’s German rivals it has been hit hard by slowing (particularly EV) demand in China, historically one of its most important and profitable markets.

 

At the same time, Chinese carmakers are expanding rapidly into Europe, intensifying pressure on incumbent manufacturers across both combustion and electric vehicle segments.

 

Conditions have also been worsened by US tariffs on imported vehicles, adding further strain to margins at a time when the company is already investing heavily in new electric vehicle architectures, software and battery technology.

 

Volkswagen Group chief financial officer Arno Antlitz said the business had endured a difficult 2025.

 

“2025 was shaped by geopolitical tensions, tariffs and intense competitive pressure,” he said.

 

“The group’s operating margin of 4.6 per cent – even after adjusting for restructuring measures – was not sustainable in the long term.

 

“We can only realise this if we continue to rigorously reduce costs, leverage group synergies, reduce complexity and thus sustainably increase profitability.”

 

Despite forecasting a recovery in the year ahead, Volkswagen has warned that more internal discipline will be required.

 

For 2026, the group is forecasting a core profit margin of between 4.0 and 5.5 per cent, underlining the continued fragility of its earnings outlook.

 

The company sold around 9.0 million vehicles globally in 2025, broadly in line with the 9.03 million recorded in 2024, though the flat volume result masks uneven performance across brands and regions.

 

Audi and Porsche have both adjusted aspects of their EV strategies in response to softer-than-expected growth in electric vehicle demand, while the broader group continues to juggle legacy combustion-engine investment alongside future-focused EV and software spending.

 

Volkswagen’s challenges have also been reflected Down Under where the brand’s sales fell 20.6 per cent in 2025 after declining 16.8 per cent the year before.

For two longtime Dimmitt Automotive clients, the day has come to collect one of Aston Martin’s most highly-anticipated supercars. After years of waiting, their Valhallas finally arrived, each uniquely spec’d in Plasma Blue and Alluminate Silver finishes with tons of exposed carbon fiber, each marking the end of a patient journey and start of ownership. From the moment the shipping carrier arrived on scene, an intimate crowd of owners and dealership employees came together to witness the event unfold. With all software updates complete prior to release from port, all that is left is a quick PDI (pre-delivery inspection) by technicians before both Aston Martin Valhallas hit the road.