Jaecoo J5 — Value-for-Money Sales Wonder in Australia

This is car sales news out of Australia, not a home energy story, but it touches on electric vehicles, which some homeowners pair with home solar and charging setups. The Jaecoo J5, an electric SUV from Chinese automaker Chery's Jaecoo brand, has become a surprise sales hit, climbing from 215 units sold in January to 1,672 in August, for a year-to-date total of 8,910 in Australia.

At one dealership, staff said 80 percent of monthly sales were the full battery-electric version, with buyers drawn by an 8-year warranty, 8-year roadside assistance, and 8-year capped servicing. Servicing costs alternate between about AU$155 and AU$225, far less than the AU$350 to AU$800 typical for a gas or diesel car. The battery version runs about 400 km on a 60 kWh battery. Many buyers already have home solar and wanted a car that could handle local daily driving. It comes with a portable charger for a regular wall outlet, with an optional home wall charger and a vehicle-to-load adapter that lets the car power other devices.

None of this involves a rebate program or a home upgrade you can act on. It is simply a sign that lower-priced electric vehicles are gaining traction abroad, which matters most to homeowners in the sense that EVs and home solar or charging setups increasingly go together.