While it’s nice to see all the technological bells and whistles on a new electric vehicle, it’s worth noting that most new EVs sold in Australia today have eliminated a spare tyre in favour of tyre repair and inflation kits.
Of the approximately 100 electric models available for purchase in Australia, only 10 come with a spare wheel, whether it’s a full-sized or a ‘space-saver’ type.
It’s worth noting that space savers differ from a full-sized spare, as this type of emergency wheel is typically smaller in size and should not be driven at speeds exceeding a certain limit.
According to mycar Tyre & Auto, while space savers are useful in an emergency situation, “they aren’t designed to be a solution you can drive around all day on”.
“For your safety, it’s important to have your tyre fixed before you drive too far. If you absolutely have to drive a long way, make sure you don’t go over 80km/h,” the Australian tyre specialist advised.
Additionally, mycar Tyre & Auto said that space saver tyres “can only be fitted to the rear of your car”.
“On front wheel drives, the front tyres are commonly used for turning, accelerating, and braking. If you’ve punctured the front tyre, you’ll need to replace it with a tyre from the back and put the space saver on the front for safety.”
But which models offer this old-school feature? Here’s what you need to know.
What electric cars come with a spare tyre in Australia?
As of September 2025, only eight brands offer a spare tyre with one or more of their electric models, and not all battery-powered models within their Australian range feature it as a standard option.
In the case of Audi’s e-tron family – which features six fully electric models – the Audi Q8 e-tron is the only battery-powered model within the German luxury car maker’s range that offers a temporary spare wheel for emergencies, albeit in a smaller, space saver form.
With the exception of the Q8 e-tron SUV, Audi offers a tyre repair kit as a standard feature on all its electric offerings in Australia.
Barring commercial vehicles like vans, Chery is the only manufacturer that offers a full-sized spare wheel on its EVs. The feature comes as standard on the E5, a mid-sized electric SUV.
Chery’s first and only electric model to date is available in two forms: a base-spec Urban variant is priced from $36,990 before on-road costs, while one grade above is the E5 Ultimate, which carries a starting retail sticker of $40,990.
As reported by Drive, the Chinese marque updated the E5 range in September 2025, with Chery installing a smaller battery – down to 58.9kWh from 61.1kWh – while retaining the same maximum range of 430 kilometres under WLTP testing.
The Blue Oval brand offers a full-sized steel spare wheel as a standard feature on the Ford E-Transit commercial van. As of 2024, the E-Transit is available in one rear-wheel-drive form, with a price starting from $89,990 before on-road costs.
South Korean car maker Hyundai offers a spare wheel on electric Kona variants. But it’s worth noting that, just like Audi, the wheel is only a space-saver and not a full-sized one, meaning drivers shouldn’t drive long distances.
For reference, the electric Kona is priced from $54,000 before on-road costs for the base-spec front-wheel-drive variant and extends to the flagship Kona Electric Premium N-Line, which carries a starting retail sticker of $71,000.
LDV joins its other Chinese compatriot, Chery, in offering a full-size spare wheel. However, unlike the latter, LDV only offers the feature on its two electric commercial vans, the eDeliver 7 and eDeliver 9.
When it comes to pricing, the LDV eDeliver 7 comes in four different variants, with the point of entry opening at the base-spec eDeliver 7 SWB, priced from $67,358 drive-away. The range extends to the flagship eDeliver 7 LWB ($73,674).
Meanwhile, the LDV eDeliver 9 is available in three different trims – an entry-level Cab Chassis variant (from $99,990 plus on-road fees), and two LWB variants which come with starting retail prices of $116,537 and $118,836, respectively.
Luxury German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz offers a full-sized spare wheel as a standard on its eVito commercial van. The battery-powered van has recently joined Australia Post, with 36 examples being added to the postal service’s fleet in September 2025.
While a spokesperson for Australia Post confirmed that it purchased its fleet of eVito electric vans directly from the manufacturer, rather than through a loan, it did not disclose the cost.
But if the van’s $98,951 starting retail sticker is an indication, the postal service could have spent over $3.5 million – not including the specific Australia Post livery – acquiring its newest fleet members.
An Australia Post spokesperson told Drive, the million-dollar investment “in electric vans is part of a broader package of sustainability initiatives to support the lowering of our emissions footprint”, with the company already utilising a fleet of more than 5000 battery-powered transport options like e-bikes, trucks and motorbikes.
Finally, Peugeot joins Mercedes-Benz and LDV as the only manufacturers that offer a spare wheel on their battery-powered commercial vans, with the feature listed as standard on the Peugeot E-Partner and E-Expert.
In terms of pricing, the E-Partner is available in one Pro variant, priced from $59,990, excluding on-road fees. Meanwhile, its E-Expert electric twin costs $20,000 more, with retail prices starting from $79,990 before on-road costs.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
