The Tesla Model Y dropped back from second place to fourth place in the rankings of new car sales in Australia for the month of July, as the share of full battery electrics also eased to 7.0 per cent.
New data from the Federated Chamber of Automative Industries V-Facts service says Australia enjoyed a record July month for new vehicle sales of 96,859, with more than 58 per cent of new car buyers choosing SUVs.
In June, the Model Y electric SUV became the top selling passenger vehicle for the first time in Australia, and second in overall sales behind the Toyota Hi-Lux ute.
In July, the Ford ranger ute became the top selling vehicle with 5,143 sales, followed by the Toyota Hi-Lux (4,670). The  MG ZS (3,852) pipped the Model Y (3,330) as the best selling passenger car. It was not immediately clear how many of these MG ZS were electric, but on past figures (June) it is likely to be around 10 per cent, or around 380.
The V-Facts data shows that 7.0 per cent of new car sales in July were full electric, down from a record 8.8 per cent in June. A further 10.9 per cent were hybrid or plug in hybrid vehicles.
Tesla was the top ranking EV brand, and eighth most popular brand overall, with 3,934 sales for the month, including 604 Model 3 sales. It had a 4.1 per cent share of the market in July. For the year to date, Tesla also ranks eighth, with a total 29,511 sales and a 4.3 per cent market share.
BYD again had a strong month, with the Atto 3 electric SUV totalling 1,005 sales. This brings the total year-to-date sales to 7,201. The Atto 3 has overtaken the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan, reflecting the overall shift to SUVs over passenger cars, which accounted for just 18 per cent of the total market.
Polestar also had its best-selling month for the year with 306 sales in July.
The best-selling EVs in July were:
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Tesla Model Y – 3,330 sales
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BYD Atto 3 – 1,005 sales
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Tesla Model 3 – 604 sales
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Polestar 2 – 306 sales
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Kia EV6 – 167 sales
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Volvo C40 recharge – 96 sales
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Cupra Born – 86 sales
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Hyundai Ioniq 5 – 78 sales
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Mercedes-Benz EQB – 73 sales
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Kia e-Niro – 72 sales
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers for sales of some EV models. The article will be updated once they have been received.
With EV uptake maintaining elevated levels, it’s clear that Australians want to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. Many more electric car models have also now been announced for arrival later in 2023 which includes the more affordable electric hatchbacks like the MG4 and the BYD Dolphin.
Along with that, legacy automakers are also likely to bring more supply of electric models which almost certainly will see the surge in electric car sales continue, and Tesla’s latest price cuts will also drive increased demand.