Tesla dominates charge to EVs, but BYD, MG and others also gain ground

Electric vehicle sales in Australia continue to surge and Tesla is still leading the way – retaining a commanding 57 per cent share of the EV market so far this year, with a total of nearly 38,000 deliveries in the first nine months of 2023.

The total for the Model Y – once again the best selling passenger car of all type in Australia in September, as we reported on Wednesday – and the Model 3 represents a near doubling of the number of cars Tesla delivered last year, with three months still to go in z2023.

But Tesla is not the only EV brand to do well and, as is the US where its EV market share has dropped below 50 per cent for the first time, it is under pressure from a number of new brands.

BYD – the main rival for Tesla in the global market – has seen a surge of demand for its Atto 3 electric SUV with 8,700 units making it to Australian shores in 2023. That underlines the demand for affordable electric SUVs, and with the Dolphin electric hatchback only around the corner, BYD is likely to get to 10,000 sales in 2023.

MG also has made it in the top 5 with 2,359 sales of the ZS EV, and another 941 for its newly launched MG4. It is being challenged for third spot on EV brands by Volvo, which has totalled 3,200 for the year through its XC40 and C40 recharge, and will launch the EX30 in coming months.

Hyundai, which holds on to the fourth best selling EV brand through its Ioni5, Ioniq 6 and electric Kona – and sister company Kia also have multiple new models on the horizon with deliveries of the new Kona Electric and the Kia EV9 likely to begin shortly.

The Kona Electric will be a hit with fleets across the country, particularly the councils who are looking at their net-zero transport commitments.

Overall 2023 is turning out to be a bumper year with 65,000 EVs making it onto Australian roads and likely to surpass the 90,000 mark by the end of the year, with an average share of around eight per cent of the total new car market.

EV Model Sales for first three quarters in 2023 

Update: Sales table now includes total EVs.