Supercharged EV sales nearly hit 50,000 in Australia in 2023

Australia has hit a historical high in EV sales with 2023 electric car sales already passed the 50,000 mark for the first time. 

The latest vehicle sales data from FCAI reveals that 49,948 pure battery electric vehicles made it onto Australian roads in the first seven months of 2023 to the end of July. That will have surely passed the 50,000 mark in the first days of August. This is up from 33,410 EV sales in all of 2022.

Tesla’s two electric models have led the charge by a country mile, with the Model Y and the Model 3 accounting for 29,511 sales so far. 

The Model Y is now the clear leader in the EV market, overtaking the Model 3 which had its lowest month of sales in 2023 in the month of July, with 604 sales. This brings the total sales for the electric sedan to 12,179 for the year.

Despite the slow start for the Tesla Model 3, it has outsold both Toyota Corolla and the Toyota Camry in 2023. This is a pretty big achievement given the historical uptake of those two ICE models by drivers in Australia.

BYD has also had great success this year, with its much lower cost Atto 3, and has consistently delivered over 1,000 vehicles in each of the last five months. 

The Atto 3 SUV is averaging 1029 vehicles per month for 2023 with a year to date tally of 7,201 sales.

Volvo, the Swedish brand which aims to only sell EVs in Australia by 2026, has been a quiet achiever, making up 2,444 of the total electric vehicle sales. That’s just from two models as well which are about to get a major refresh in the coming months, including new powertrains.

That’s expected to create new buzz in the premium electric SUV market along with the prospect of more affordable offerings like the Volvo EX30 to arrive in the next 18 months.

Other notable brands include Polestar which is about to surpass its 2022 sales this year, making up 1,453 sales of its sedan offering, the Polestar 2. 

MG has also launched the ZS EV long-range variant which should help aid its sales for the rest of the year. Along with that, it is about to launch the MG4 electric hatchback which is bound to spark fresh interest in the brand’s EV range.

The rise of EVs in 2023 is a clear indication that Australians want to make the switch to cleaner vehicles on our roads. Nearly 50,000 have done just that this year paving the path for thousands more emission-free vehicles on our roads nationally.

YTD National EV sales as of July 2023