Mitsubishi Australia’s stance on that country’s ever-tightening emissions regulations remains unchanged despite a change in leadership, with the Japanese brand continuing to focus on internal combustion engines alongside electric vehicle options.
Former Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott was among several industry figures to criticize the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), introduced in 2025.
Effectively a carbon trading system for the automotive industry, the NVES imposes penalties on brands that sell cars and light commercial vehicles that exceed certain CO2 emissions levels – and credits for brands that sell vehicles that fall below those levels – with targets reduced annually until 2029.
Mr. Westcott (pictured below) stepped down in September 2025 after five years in the top job, and Shunichi Kihara will take over as CEO from January 5, 2026.
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Unveiling the Mitsubishi Triton Raider – a competitor to the Ford Ranger Tremor and Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior – Mitsubishi Australia general manager of product strategy Bruce Hampel said the company’s position had not changed under its new leadership.
“No, it hasn’t changed at this point,” Mr. Hampel said. “We are trying to satisfy the Australian customer while meeting government requirements.
“We strongly believe in supporting a wide range of powertrains, from ICE (internal combustion engine), HEV (hybrid), PHEV (plug-in hybrid) to BEVs (battery electric vehicles). So you will see more from us as we expand into electric vehicles – we will have our first electric vehicle by the end of the year.”
While Mitsubishi has confirmed it will launch an all-electric SUV in Australia, further details remain under wraps.
It is expected to be based on the Foxtron Model B (Bria), which was launched in Taiwan last December after Foxtron parent Foxconn signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi in early 2025.
The Japanese brand has also confirmed that the Nissan Leaf’s electric hatchback will be rebranded as Mitsubishi in 2026 for sale in North America, but this has not been confirmed for Australia.
Mitsubishi’s local bestseller is the Outlander mid-size SUV, which was the third most popular PHEV in 2025 after the BYD Shark 6 ute mid-size SUV and the BYD Sealion 6 mid-size SUV.
In March 2026, an updated Outlander was launched with a larger battery, more power, improved fuel efficiency and an extended electric range of up to 84 km (WLTP).
Mitsubishi is also working on a hybrid version of its second-best seller, the Triton ute, due to arrive in showrooms worldwide in 2028.
While Mitsubishi Australia has said it supports reducing carbon emissions, Mr Westcott previously suggested a longer 24-month grace period for enforcing penalties, rather than the six-month period introduced in January 2025.
The former Mitsubishi boss also said the federal government was unrealistic when it claimed the NVES would boost electric vehicle sales in Australia.
“I think there’s a level of naivety in thinking that if you just punish us as (manufacturers), all of us, that will miraculously change the market,” Westcott told the media at the launch of the Mitsubishi Outlander in mid-2025.
“We need to understand the reasons why people don’t buy electric vehicles and that includes – there are a few things – but one of them is primarily infrastructure. Where can I charge this car?” Mr Westcott said.
The former Mitsubishi Australia CEO also pointed to the relatively slow uptake of electric vehicles due to a lack of investment in public charging infrastructure.
“There is a practicality, there may be common sense, but there is just a certain lack of practicality in what happened with NVES. The ambition is right, but there is a gap between ambition and reality.
“And I don’t see anyone talking about how we can close the gaps that exist between ambition and reality. Just punishing us won’t force people to buy cars.”
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