The game-changing new electric vehicles that arrived in Australia in 2023

Sales of new electric vehicles in Australia are growing exponentially, capturing 7.2 per cent of the new car market so far in 2023, nearly double their share of a year ago, and nearly four times its share in 2021.

One of the main reasons for increased sales year over year is the arrival of new EV models in Australia, particularly those that offer lower entry points into the market, and also some upgrades of popular existing models, and some new high performance models that will capture the attention of many drivers.

One thing that is clear is that Tesla, the brand that dominated the Australian market since the launch of the Model 3 in 2019, no longer has things their own way. Its share of the new EV market fell below 50 per cent in November as consumers responded to the increased choice, and the arrival of the country’s first sub-$40,000 EVs.

Here we summarise what we think are the best and most interesting new electric vehicles that arrived in Australia during 2023 and helped push the local EV market past the “tipping point” of 5 per cent. And you can see all new models that are available in Australia, and on their way, in our updated EV Models page.

MG MG4

The MG4 is MG’s second electric vehicle in Australia after the MG ZS EV and is one of three EVs with a starting price below $40,000. The MG4 Excite 51 includes a 51 kWh battery and 350 km WLTP driving range for $38,990 plus on-road costs. Longer range versions with 64 kWh / 450 km and 77 kWh / 530 km range are available for around $45,000 and $55,000 respectively.

Inside the MG4 is spacious and comfortable due to being built on a ground up EV platform. The rear-wheel drive setup gives the MG4 a sporty driving dynamic, while an all-wheel drive MG4 XPower variant is available with 320 kW of power and 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.8 seconds.

The MG4 is highly regarded and already holds multiple car of the year awards from around the globe before launching here recently. This widespread success appears likely to continue locally as the MG4 has started off strongly in terms of sales, finishing in second place for November with 835 units behind the Tesla Model Y with 3,151.

See also:
MG4 Review: Fun, zippy, electric hatchbacks finally make it to Australian market and
MG4 First Drive: The first affordable, sporty EV hits Australian roads.

BYD Dolphin

BYD’s Dolphin is the second new electric vehicle available under $40,000, with the entry level Dolphin Dynamic offering 340 km WLTP driving range from $38,890 plus on-road costs. Similar to the MG4, deliveries of BYD Dolphin began recently and are looking strong so far with 589 units in November.

Driving dynamics of the front-wheel drive BYD Dolphin aren’t as strong as the MG4. However, the BYD Dolphin includes a very roomy and comfortable interior loaded with technology and features that are usually only found on pricier models. 

BYD has ambitions to overtake Tesla as the world leader in electric vehicle sales and plans to continue launching new models on a regular basis, including an electric ute and larger SUV sometime during 2024.

See also:
BYD Dolphin deliveries begin, marking significant milestone for Australian EVs and
BYD Dolphin: First impressions of Australia’s most affordable electric car.

GWM Ora

Rounding out the trio of sub-$40,000 electric vehicles is the GWM Ora, starting from $39,990 plus on-road costs for the Ora Standard Range with up to 310 km WLTP driving range. Extended range variants with 420 km range are also available for $45,990 and higher again for the Ultra or GT versions which add more features.

Strong points for the GWM Ora include its unique exterior styling, spacious and practical interior and comfortable ride and handling. Sales for the GWM Ora are slightly behind the MG4 and BYD Dolphin, with 69 Oras hitting the road in November and 429 year to date.

See also:
“Nippiness and agility:” GWM Ora Funky Cat wins best buy awards and
GWM slashes price of Ora electric car below $40,000 as battery costs fall.

Tesla Model 3 Highland Refresh

While it is not a brand new vehicle, the Tesla Model 3 Highland refresh uses over 50 % new parts compared with the outgoing Model 3 and includes significant updates to ride and interior comfort. Prices are up slightly to $61,900 plus on-road costs for the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive and $71,900 for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive.

Driving range for the new Model 3 has also been increased due to improved aerodynamics and new tyres which decrease rolling resistance and reduce road noise. Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 variants offer up to 513 km WLTP driving range while Long Range variants go up to 629 km.

One of the more controversial updates to the new Model 3 is the removal of indicator and gear lever stalks from the steering wheel. Indicators have been replaced with haptic touch sensitive buttons on the steering wheel and gears are now selected by swiping up or down on the side of the touchscreen while stopped or manoeuvring at low speed.

Model 3 sales dropped into third place behind the MG4 with 788 units during November, but are expected to rise again once ample supply of the Highland refresh makes it to Australia. Tesla sales are also known to vary significantly month by month due to Tesla allocating production volume from their factories to different markets throughout each quarter.

See also:
Tesla Model 3 Highland first drive: Refined, and with no stalks! and
New 2024 Tesla Model 3 gets rave review from Fully Charged: “The best just got better!”

BYD Seal

The Seal sedan is BYD’s newest entry on the Australian market and is poised to challenge the Tesla Model 3 for the title of the best-selling electric sedan. BYD’s Seal significantly undercuts the Model 3 with a starting price of $49,888 for the Seal Dynamic offering up to 460 km WLTP driving range.

For additional range and features, the Seal Premium starts from $58,798 plus on-road costs and offers up to 570 km WLTP driving range. The Seal Performance for $68,748 offers significantly more power and 3.8 second 0-100 km/h time, but WLTP range is reduced to 520 km.

Similar to BYD’s Atto 3 and Dolphin, the Seal includes a very roomy and comfortable interior that is packed with high levels of technology and features for the price, making it great value for money.

See also:
“New benchmark:” BYD Seal electric sedan launches with stunning price and specs and
BYD Seal first impressions: Chinese car giant’s new performance EV.

2024 Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 is not a brand new vehicle either, but the 2024 model year update that launched this year brings significant updates to driving range, efficiency and handling. The most important update is the switch from front to rear-wheel drive for all single motor variants, which noticeably improves driving dynamics.

All Polestar 2 vehicles include new and more efficient silicon carbide inverters and electric motors while long range Polestar 2 variants now include a slightly larger 82 kWh battery pack. These changes combine to boost the WLTP driving range up to 654 km for the Long range Single motor, currently the longest range electric vehicle on sale.

See also:
Polestar 2 refresh Review: Beauty is not necessarily skin deep and
Polestar 2 range test: Impressive results, but overkill for most.

Kia EV9

Kia’s EV9 just launched recently and joins the small list of electric vehicles capable of carrying up to 7 people. Mercedes-Benz dominates the 7-seater electric vehicle segment with their EQB and EQS SUVs, EQV and eVito Tourer vans. LDV also has a 7-seater option with their Mifa 9 van.

Setting the Kia EV9 apart from the existing 7-seater vehicles are several features enabled by Kia and Hyundai’s dedicated e-GMP electric vehicle platform such as vehicle to load and 350 kW ultra fast charging capability, making the EV9 a great long distance touring vehicle.

See also:
Kia EV9 test drive: The biggest electric passenger car on the market and
Kia EV9 first impressions: The big electric people mover, but no swivel seats in Australia.

Volvo EX30

The Volvo EX30 small SUV is Volvo’s cheapest and quickest electric vehicle, stunning many people when specifications were first announced. Single motor versions offer up to 480 km range and start from $59,990 plus on-road costs. For $69,990 plus on-roads you get dual electric motors that propel the EX30 from 0-100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.

The EX30 interior appears to take inspiration from Tesla’s Model 3 and Y with just a single central screen and very minimalist interior. In contrast to Tesla, the EX30 touchscreen is vertically mounted with key driving information located across the top section with maps and other information below.

Sustainable materials and design also feature throughout the EX30, allowing Volvo to claim it has the lowest carbon footprint of any car they have produced to date. The EX30 has a 25 percent lower total carbon footprint than the fully electric XC40 or C40 when driven over 200,000 km.

See also:
Volvo reports massive response as it opens orders for EX30 electric SUV and
Volvo EX30 small electric SUV coming to Australia – details revealed.

Performance focused electric vehicles

Three new performance focused electric vehicles entered the Australian market during 2023 – the Kia EV6 GT, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. They sit at the top of their respective lineups and cater for drivers who want the ultimate performance out of their electric vehicles.

Performance highlights for all three include dual-motor all-wheel drive with powerful motors capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in well under 4 seconds. The Mustang Mach-E GT is the slowest at 3.7 seconds. Tuned suspension setups and focused driving modes mean these vehicles are well suited to events such as track days.

All of these vehicles are flexible too, with towing capability, plenty of storage space and the ability to carry five people in comfort. While you might sacrifice some driving range compared to their non-performance focused variants, their overall utility is unchanged. This level of flexibility and performance is hard to find in combustion powered vehicles.

See also:
“Hills don’t matter much:” An electric rev-head takes Ioniq 5N for a “hot lap” and
Kia breaks all the rules with sublime new EV6 GT, an electric beast and
Ford Mustang Mach-E test drive: An entirely different pony.

For a complete list of all the electric vehicles available in Australia, please refer to our EV Models page.