Cheaper EVs vs whole-of-life cost | Akshat Ahuja, Hyundai

A new EV brand arrives in Australia every few weeks, and plenty of them undercut Hyundai on price. So how does an established brand win fleet business when it isn't the cheapest?Get the weekly Fleet News Group newsletter: https://bit.ly/47Bc1UIMotoring journalist Neerav Bhatt guest hosts this episode of the Fleet News Group Podcast, speaking with Akshat Ahuja, Senior Manager, Fleet at Hyundai Australia, about whole-of-life cost, dealer support, novated leasing and how the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is shaping Hyundai's range. They also talk about strong fleet interest in the Staria Hybrid and what's coming with the electric Staria.They cover:- Why Akshat says fleets should look past the sticker price, pointing to 168 dealers, regional fleet managers, local testing and an eight-year battery warranty.- Hyundai Novated Lease powered by Smart, which Hyundai dealers can arrange even when your employer has no novated lease provider.- Why most of Hyundai's sales are now hybrids, and how the brand watches its order mix by powertrain to avoid NVES penalties.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:19 Akshat's first year at Hyundai Australia02:04 How Hyundai answers the flood of new EV brands04:18 What fleets want: trust, dealers and support06:35 Kona Electric and whole-of-life cost08:30 Why a spare wheel still matters09:34 Staria Hybrid and the electric Staria11:54 Vehicle-to-load for tradies12:51 Is the IONIQ 3 coming to Australia?13:51 Five-star ANCAP ratings15:13 Servicing and service packs16:44 Novated leasing and Hyundai's own product18:23 Competing with cheaper Chinese EVs21:57 NVES and the hybrid range24:22 Will brands drop petrol-only models?26:00 Fleet demand for hybrids27:41 Wrap-up and more from Fleet News GroupMORE FROM FLEET NEWS GROUP- Our Hyundai ELEXIO fleet review: https://youtu.be/zfz10l2tQzE- Fleet Auto News: https://fleetautonews.com.au- Fleet EV News: https://fleetevnews.com.au- Fleet HV News: https://fleethvnews.com.au📩 JOIN THE FLEET NEWS GROUP NEWSLETTER (free, weekly):https://bit.ly/47Bc1UI📰 READ THE LATEST FLEET INDUSTRY NEWS:• Fleet Auto News (cars & fleet): https://fleetautonews.com.au/• Fleet EV News (electric): https://fleetevnews.com.au/• Fleet HV News (heavy vehicles): https://fleethvnews.com.au/🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more fleet reviews, whole-of-life-cost analysis and industry insight:https://www.youtube.com/@fleetnewsgroupCONNECT WITH US:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fleet-auto-news• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FleetNewsGroup• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleet_news_group/ABOUT FLEET NEWS GROUPFleet News Group has been a trusted source of news and information for Australia's fleet and transport industries since 2011, across Fleet Auto News, Fleet EV News and Fleet HV News.