Australia has been reporting remarkable improvements in its electric vehicle adoption, with America’s Tesla Model Y dominating the market. According to the Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries’ latest data, the electric model was the most popular SUV and third top seller in overall new vehicle sales in the country in May 2023.
Tesla Model Y dominates the Australian SUV segment, third overall
The American EV giant sold 3,178 Tesla Model Y vehicles in Australia last month. This result advanced its position as the best-selling SUV model, surpassing Japan’s Toyota RAV4.
Overall, the Tesla Model Y ranked third behind the Toyota Hi-Lux (5,772) and the Ford Ranger (4,110).
Tesla cars ranked first and third in EV sales
Australia’s EV sales reported record-breaking 8,124 sales in May. However, its market share decreased marginally from 7.9% in April to 7.7% in May due to the new car market’s overall record-breaking month of 105,694 deliveries.
As expected, the Tesla Model Y dominated the rankings with 3,178 sales. China’s BYD Atto 3 followed it with 1,448 sales. Another model from the Musk-led automaker secured the third-highest spot with sales of 1,298 units. The top five were completed by MG ZS EV (276) and Volvo XC40 (266).
Below are the top 10 EVs in Australia in May:
| Place | Vehicle | Number of vehicles sold |
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | 3,178 |
| 2 | BYD Atto 3 | 1,448 |
| 3 | Tesla Model 3` | 1,298 |
| 4 | MG ZS EV | 276 |
| 5 | Volvo XC40` | 266 |
| 6 | Polestar 2 | 226 |
| 7 | Volvo X40 | 165 |
| 8 | Mercedes Benz EQA | 124 |
| 9 | Kia EV6 | 104 |
| 10 | BMW iX | 86 |
This year to date, Australia has sold 30,050 EVs, representing 7% of the overall new car market. It is also worth noting that Tesla almost surpasses its 2022 record of 19,594 units with its January-May 2023 sales of 18,559 units.
Nonetheless, rival electric automakers are also faring well in Australia’s EV market. As indicated, BYD sold 1,448 Atto 3 vehicles in May, raising the total YTD results to 4,664 units. That result ultimately kicked the former market leader Tesla Model 3, to the third spot.
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Australians are undoubtedly becoming attracted to electric vehicles, as seen by the continued high sales levels. The recent announcement of numerous new EV models, including cheaper electric hatchbacks like the MG 4, GWM Ora Cat, and perhaps even the BYD Dolphin, for release later in 2023, will certainly boost the EV uptake further.
It is also worth noting that the Model Y was the best-selling car in the world during the first quarter of the year, marking the first time an EV had surpassed the reasonably priced Toyota Corolla and the well-liked RAV4 in terms of global sales.
