EVs hit 4.7 pct of Australia new car sales, as Model Y and Atto 3 lead the way

The growth in electric vehicle sales continued in November in Australia, with pure battery EV sales reaching 4.7 per cent of the new car market, led by two recent and popular arrivals – the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Atto 3.

A total of 95,080 new vehicles were sold across Australia during the month, with battery-electric vehicles accounting for 4,457, plug in hybrids another 429, and mild hybrids for another 8,529.

“Purchase incentives for zero and low emission vehicles, and increased fuel quality standards are both important levers in reducing CO2 emissions from Australia’s light vehicle fleet,” said Tony Weber, the head of the industry body FCAI, which releases the monthly data.

“These need to be combined with a Federally led emissions target for the light vehicle sector.  One which is ambitious, yet achievable and is cognisant of vehicle price, model availability, battery supply and infrastructure requirements.”

Out of the 4,457 EVs sold, key highlights included Tesla once again leading the pack and for the first time, BYD Atto 3 sales were also reported.

The three biggest electric vehicle sellers in the month were:

• Tesla Model Y – 1,805
• BYD Atto 3 – 845
• Tesla Model 3 – 391

It’s worth noting that these top sellers do not include the new MG ZS EV or the Hyundai Kona EV sales, which The Driven is yet to receive from the manufacturers as they are not broken down by the FCAI.

Tesla has now delivered nearly 50% more EVs to Australia in 2022 compared to last year. Nearly half of the EVs it’s delivered include the very popular Tesla Model Y, which is dominating the medium SUV above $60,000 segment with 42 per cent of sales.

The Model Y total sales in Australia stands at 8,257 since its first deliveries just a few months ago, and it appears set to surge past the Model 3 sedan, which still leads the pack with 9,071 sales in 2022.

In November, BYD was officially the second best-selling electric brand after Tesla which is a huge achievement for one of the newest vehicle brands in Australia.

This shows a clear trend towards affordable EVs and state government policies having an impact on uptake.

With significant deliveries expected in December to close 2022 off, EV uptake is expected to surpass 5% for December which is great for Australia’s EV transition.

It still trails the rest of the world, however. In Norway in November, 81 per cent of all new car sales were fully electric, 14 per cent of all new car sales across Europe were fully electric, and in China they were more than 20 per cent.