David Crockett

David Crockett reviews every new EV and plug-in hybrid arriving in Australia. Same tests, same format, every car.

About David

David Crockett is the founder and host of Beyond EV, the only Australian YouTube channel and website dedicated exclusively to battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Based in Melbourne, he reviews a new car almost every week. The channel has more than 30,000 subscribers and over 600,000 views a month.

He is widely recognised as Australia’s leading BYD expert, with deep technical knowledge of BYD’s DM hybrid system, the Blade Battery and the wider Chinese new energy vehicle industry. His coverage now spans every brand bringing EVs and PHEVs to Australia, from BYD, Xpeng and Zeekr to Kia, Mazda, Toyota and Lexus.

From owner to reviewer

David didn’t come into the car industry through a newsroom. He came in through his own driveway.

After four months of crunching running-cost numbers, he traded a 13-year-old Ford Falcon with 330,000km on the clock for a BYD Seal. He didn’t know a single person in the car industry at the time. That Seal has now covered more than 50,000km, and it shapes every review he makes: running costs, charging and real-world efficiency matter more to an owner than a launch-day spec sheet.

He started Beyond EV in mid-2024 to go deeper than first impressions.

How David tests every car

Every vehicle on Beyond EV goes through the same review, so one car can be compared directly against the next.

  • Size, price and warranty: dimensions, ground clearance, towing and pricing, compared against the cars it competes with.
  • Powertrain: every motor, battery and range figure across the line-up, plus AC and DC charging specs.
  • DC fast charging test: a trip to a public fast charger to see whether the car actually hits the charging speed the manufacturer claims.
  • Interior walkthrough: front seats, back seats and boot, plus a test of every USB port to see what it really delivers.
  • Real-world efficiency: consumption recorded across the whole loan period in everyday driving, not just the brochure figure.
  • Test drive: ride, handling, driver assistance and an honest verdict on who should buy it.

Brands tested

David has personally reviewed vehicles from BYD, Denza, Yangwang, Fangchengbao, Xpeng, Zeekr, Geely, GWM, MG, Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, Deepal, GAC, IM Motors, Lepas, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus and Cadillac.

Industry experience

David has visited BYD’s facilities in Zhengzhou, China, and has been aboard the BYD Zhengzhou car carrier at Port Melbourne. He holds media relationships across BYD, Denza, Xpeng, GAC, Geely, Chery, Zeekr, GWM, MG and Leapmotor, and analyses VFACTS and Electric Vehicle Council sales data every month.

He also broke the story identifying a camouflaged test vehicle in Melbourne as the Hongqi Global SUV, co-developed by FAW and Leapmotor.

Beyond Tech

David also runs Beyond Tech, a second YouTube channel covering gadgets and consumer technology. He works with brands including DJI, VITURE, Bluetti and VIOFO, and reviews each product with the same hands-on approach he brings to cars.

Editorial independence

Review vehicles are supplied by manufacturers as short-term press loans, which is standard practice across the Australian motoring media. No manufacturer pays for a review or has a say in the verdict. Sponsored content and affiliate links are always clearly disclosed.

Follow David

Contact

For media, launches and partnerships, email david@beyondev.net.au or visit Work With Us.