Electric vehicle sales in Australia surged 202% year-on-year to 65,894 units in the January-September period.
Almost three in every five EV sales were Tesla models, demonstrating the American electric automaker’s strong presence in the local market.
It is also worth noting that 80% of the overall EV volume was China-made, which is unsurprising due to these models’ affordability and advanced technologies.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 dominate
As expected, the all-electric SUV Tesla Model Y remains the leader in the Australian market, with a year-to-date sales of 23,457 units.
Not only did it dominate the all-electric vehicle rankings but also the country’s overall passenger vehicle segment. It includes various vehicles, regardless of powertrain configuration, such as sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, and sports cars.
Its sibling, the Tesla Model 3, ranked second in the BEV rankings with a total sales of 14,540 units, followed by the BYD Atto 3 (8,706). MG ZS EV with 2,356 sales and Volvo XC40 Recharge with 2,275 sales completed the top five.
Rankings
Presented below is the table of the sales rankings of the electric vehicle models in Australia in the first nine months of the year, as provided by Drive:
| Model | Total | Q1 2023 | Q2 2023 | Q3 2023 |
| Tesla Model Y | 23457 | 3169 | 10,833 | 9455 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 14540 | 7238 | 4337 | 2965 |
| BYD Atto 3 | 8706 | 2098 | 4098 | 2510 |
| MG ZS EV | 2356 | 916 | 871 | 569 |
| Volvo XC40 Recharge | 2275 | 827 | 769 | 679 |
| Polestar 2 | 1789 | 548 | 599 | 642 |
| Kia EV6 | 1147 | 159 | 376 | 612 |
| Volvo C40 Recharge | 970 | 236 | 449 | 285 |
| MG 4 | 941 | 0 | 0 | 941 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQA | 725 | 77 | 316 | 332 |
| Kia Niro EV | 721 | 151 | 283 | 287 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 707 | 288 | 160 | 259 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 679 | 237 | 199 | 243 |
| BMW iX | 661 | 255 | 262 | 144 |
| BMW iX3 | 597 | 175 | 153 | 269 |
| Cupra Born | 594 | 10 | 164 | 420 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQB | 578 | 106 | 201 | 271 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 417 | 67 | 233 | 117 |
| BMW iX1 | 391 | 0 | 184 | 207 |
| Nissan Leaf | 391 | 138 | 119 | 134 |
| Porsche Taycan | 375 | 103 | 143 | 129 |
| Mini Cooper SE | 355 | 141 | 125 | 89 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE | 352 | 80 | 166 | 106 |
| GWM Ora | 283 | 0 | 65 | 218 |
| Audi E-Tron GT | 260 | 107 | 92 | 61 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQC | 231 | 48 | 106 | 77 |
| BMW i4 | 169 | 13 | 83 | 73 |
| Lexus RZ | 168 | 0 | 70 | 98 |
| Genesis GV60 | 161 | 61 | 58 | 42 |
| Audi E-Tron | 109 | 42 | 32 | 35 |
| Fiat/Abarth 500e | 81 | 1 | 0 | 80 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV | 67 | 0 | 0 | 67 |
| Genesis GV70 Electrified | 66 | 22 | 34 | 10 |
| LDV eT60 | 64 | 13 | 28 | 23 |
| Lexus UX300e | 58 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| Ford E-Transit | 54 | 0 | 25 | 29 |
| BMW i7 | 51 | 15 | 15 | 21 |
| Foton Mobility T5 | 44 | 0 | 20 | 24 |
| Peugeot e-2008 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Peugeot e-Partner | 35 | 0 | 5 | 30 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS | 34 | 4 | 10 | 20 |
| LDV eDeliver 9 | 30 | 2 | 9 | 19 |
| Mercedes-Benz eVito Van | 28 | 6 | 15 | 7 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV | 27 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Jaguar I-Pace | 24 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
| SEA Electric trucks | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Renault Kangoo ZE/E-Tech | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Mazda MX-30 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| LDV Mifa 9 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQV | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Genesis G80 Electrified | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Hyundai Mighty | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Cheapest EV models in Australia
EV-a2z previously reported that Australia’s top three cheapest electric vehicle models are all Chinese-made, based on the RACQ’s 2023 Vehicle Operating Costs survey.
For instance, the most affordable model is the GWM Ora Standard Range, which costs only $977.46 per month to own and run on a five-year loan.
The MG ZS, the fourth top-selling EV, ranked second in the cheapest EV model rankings for only $1,030.26/month. BYD’s Atto 3, the third most popular EV, is also the third cheapest model for only $1,154/month.
It is unsurprising, given that Chinese automakers have a strong and dependable local EV supply chain network. It gives them a significant edge in sourcing raw materials for a more convenient and affordable price.
See Also:
- Stirling to launch trial program for the first-ever Trackless Tram in Australia
- Hyundai gets notable demand for the expensive Ioniq 5 N in Australia
- Electric cars getting more affordable in Australia, study reveals
- Volvo receives 800+ Australian orders for the new EX30 e-SUV ahead of launch
- Tesla Chair urges Australian Government to support more domestic battery refinery projects
Tesla continues to dominate the Australian EV market with its popular electric cars, Model Y and 3. These EVs seem to be the ideal choice of local customers over all other models available in the market despite having premium pricing compared to Chinese-made units.
