Electric Vehicles Have Never Been More Popular In Australia, Sales Data Confirms

Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, it’s hard to deny that electric vehicles are becoming more and more common on Australian roads – and recent sales figures show they’ve never been more popular.

The latest data from the Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries demonstrates that while overall EV sales slumped in April, EV market share reached an all-time high, with full battery EVs (BEVs) making up 8% of the overall new vehicle market.

According to the FCAI’s sales data, a total of 82,137 new vehicles (both electric and petrol-powered) were sold in April, a rise of 1.3% compared to the same time last year.

“We know that this number would have been larger had the industry not faced global supply challenges,” FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber explains.

The Tesla Model Y, a compact crossover SUV based on the popular Model 3, has proven to be a hit with Aussies. Image: Tesla

Korean marques such as Kia and Hyundai – despite (or perhaps because of) having in-demand EVs like the Kia EV6 GT and Hyundai Ioniq 6 in their stables – have been hit particularly hard by supply chain issues.

RELATED: The 13 Best Electric Cars In Australia For 2023, As Tested & Driven By Our Editors

Tesla is by far the best-selling EV brand in the country, with the Model Y and Model 3 topping the sales charts for the month, followed by the BYD Atto 3, Volvo XC40 Pure Electric and MG ZS EV.

In fact, the Tesla Model Y actually cracked the top five best-selling vehicles list full stop, only being outsold in the SUV segment by the Toyota RAV4. In other words, that makes the Model Y the second-best-selling SUV in Australia right now – which is pretty impressive.

WATCH the Tesla Model Y going through crash testing below.

Unsurprisingly, the top two best-selling vehicles in Australia for April were the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Hilux. These two utes have been the best-selling vehicles in the country for literal years, with the Hilux typically topping the sales charts… But Ford Ranger sales have been particularly ebullient lately, in light of the Ranger’s recent update, threatening Toyota’s long-held top dog position.

In order, the top five best-selling vehicles for April were the Ford Ranger (3,567 sales), Toyota Hilux (3,526 sales), Toyota RAV4 (2,198 sales), Tesla Model Y (2,095 sales) and the Hyundai i30 (2,029 sales). The i30 was the only ‘conventional’ passenger vehicle (i.e. not a ute or an SUV) to crack the top five.

Year to date, the best-selling EV in Australia remains the Model 3, which is not only Australia’s best-selling EV of all time but the best-selling EV in world history.

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