Electric vehicle sales in Australia rebounded in September, likely driven by the intense price war that is breaking out among Chinese and other EV makers.
The latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) shows that 6,422 battery electric vehicles were sold in Australia in September – a share 6.4 per cent in a month when total sales tallied up to just shy of 100,000 vehicles.
That compares to a share of just 5.9 per cent in August, taking the total EV sales for the year to date to 69,962 vehicles, up from 65,753 sold over the same period in 2023.
The data was split between those supplied by the FCAI – 3,561 EVs – and those supplied by the Electric Vehicle Council – 2,861 – from Tesla and Polestar who quit the FCAI because of its contrarian stance to the new vehicle emissions standards.
EV Sales Breakdown – September 2024
| FCAI vFacts | 3,561 |
| EVC (Polestar + Tesla) | 2,861 |
| EV Sales Total (FCAI + EVC) | 6,422 |
| Total Vehicle Sales (FCAI + EVC) | 99,881 |
Tesla retained the top spot with the Model Y electric SUV remaining Australia’s best-selling EV during the month with 1,498 sales in September, which was an increase from 1,330 sales in August.
The Tesla Model 3 once again took the second spot with 1,151 sales. The MG4, courtesy of several price cuts, took the 3rd spot on the EV sales podium with 385 sales, outdoing the BYD Atto 3 with 339 sales as well as the BYD Seal which accounted for 275.
BYD collectively sold 715 EVs, but as a brand sold a total of 1,826 with most – 1,111 – for the recently launched Sealion 6 PHEV model.
GWM Ora after multiple price cuts has seen its best month so far with 120 sales, bringing the total sales of this hatchback in 2024 to 901.
The best-selling EVs in September 2024 were:
- Tesla Model Y – 1498 sales
- Tesla Model 3 – 1151 sales
- MG MG4 – 385 sales
- BYD Atto 3 – 339 sales
- BYD Seal – 275 sales
- Polestar 2 – 185 sales
- Volvo EX30 – 163 sales
- BMW i4 – 138 sales
- Kia EV6 – 138 sales
- GWM Ora – 120 sales
- BYD Dolphin – 101 sales
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers for sales of some EV models and this list will be updated once they’re received. These include numbers for the ZS EV, Kona Electric and more.
“Recorded sales of battery electric vehicles are again disappointing this month,” FCAI CEO Tony Weber said in a statement.
“This is in spite of a strong supply of EVs and the addition of a number of new brands and models being introduced into the Australian market.
“It is important to note that right now EVs are concentrated in limited market segments such as Passenger Medium and Small and Medium SUVs. This trend in lower EV sales and increased hybrid and plug-in hybrids is reflected in markets across the world as production and purchase incentives are being wound back.”
Many of the manufacturers have picked up these price incentives by offering more value to everyday drivers, including Australia’s cheapest EV driveaway deal seen on the MG4 in recent weeks, with prices starting at $30,990 driveaway for a limited time.
The market is about to see a resurgence we have not seen in recent automotive history thanks to new brands and EV models launching in the coming months.
See full details of EV sales for each month of the year in our database here.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.