Electric vehicle sales rebounded in Australia for a second month in a row during December, closing 2024 with a modest 4.6 per cent growth over 2024 – a year that saw the share of market leader Tesla slump significantly and new competition emerging with lower cost Chinese-made electric vehicles.
As The Driven reporteded on Friday, data from the Electric Vehicle Council reveals a significant slump in the new car sales of EV specialist companies Tesla and Polestar.
The latest data released on Monday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which covers the other car makers, shows that a total of Ā 8,332 new full battery electric vehicles were sold in Australia in December ā or an 8.4 per cent share of an overall weaker new car market of 99,666 vehicles.Ā
This was significantly higher than the average across July to November which showed 6.4 per cent of the vehicle sales were an EV.Ā

Total EV sales for 2024 were 91,293 vehicles, a 4.6 per cent increase from the 87,217 sold in 2023, and a share of 7.4 per cent of the overall new car market of 1.236 million.
Tesla remains the dominance player in the market, but its share of the Australian EV market slumped to 42 per cent in the 2024 year, from more than 50 per cent in 2023 and 60 per cent in previous years.
This has been happening in the face of new market competition, price wars, the wait for new upgrades for the Model Y, and a reported consumer push-back against the right wing politics and conspiracy theories of CEO Elon Musk.
Hybrids are also proving popular, thanks to intense “electrification” marketing by Japanese carmakers, led by Toyota, and grabbed around 14.5 per cent of the market for the year, while plug in hybrids had a 2 per cent share.
EV Sales Breakdown – December 2024
FCAI vFacts | 4,561 |
EVC (Polestar + Tesla) | 3,771 |
EV Sales Total (FCAI + EVC) | 8,332 |
Total Vehicle Sales (FCAI + EVC) | 99,666 |
In the latest month, as reported on Friday, Tesla sold Ā 3,593 EVs in December, up 41% compared to November 2024. This is broken down by the Model Y returning to the top position with 1,861 sales and followed closely by the Model 3, which saw 1,732 sales.Ā
MG4, the best-seller from October, followed the two Tesla models with 855 sales on the back of low-price deals being offered by the brand. These prices have since gone up in 2025, so the impact of this is likely to be seen in the coming months.
BYD took the fourth spot, with the Seal taking 412 sales, which is an improvement over the previous month.Ā

Rounding out the top-5 is the Kia EV5, which further increased its sales from the previous month, bringing it to 272 sales in December.Ā
One new entrant also recorded sakes during the month: Leapmotor with its C10 SUV, accounting for 64 sales.
The best-selling EVs in December 2024 were:
- Tesla Model Y – 1,861 sales
- Tesla Model 3 – 1,732 sales
- MG MG4 – 855 sales
- BYD Seal – 412 sales
- Kia EV5 – 272 sales
- BYD Dolphin – 231 sales
- BYD Atto 3 – 228 sales
- BMW i4 – 196 sales
- Polestar 4 – 120 sales
- Volvo EX30 – 109 sales
- Volvo EX40 recharge – 101 sales
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers regarding sales of some EV models, and this list will be updated once theyāre received.Ā
For the entire year of 2024, the top 5 best-selling EVs were:
- Tesla Model Y – 21,253 sales
- Tesla Model 3 – 17,094 sales
- MG MG4 – 6,935 sales
- BYD Seal – 6,393 sales
- BYD Atto 3 – 5,751 sales
The main car lobby continues to push back against the adoption of EVs and the introduction of new policies.
āWhile overall consumer preferences remain clear with SUVs and Light Commercial vehicles continuing to dominate the market and especially the top ten sales, many vehicles in these segments are either difficult or expensive to decarbonise,” FCAI CEO Tony Weber said in a statement.Ā
“This will prove to be a significant challenge in meeting the extremely ambitious targets of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) which began on 1 January 2025.
āIf consumers do not want, cannot afford or cannot find new low emission vehicles that meet their needs, then no amount of effort from governments and car makers will make a difference.ā
The EVC was more positive.
āThe 2024 electric vehicle sales results are encouraging, especially in a year when Australians were smashed by high interest rates and the high cost of living,” said head of Policy, Legal and Advocacy Aman Gaur. “It was also a year in which some states prematurely withdrew crucial incentives that would have boosted adoption further.
āItās not just Australiansā desire to purchase an EV thatās driving the rise in sales – the increase in charging infrastructure, wider range of models at more competitive prices, and the continuation of key purchase incentives have all played a crucial role in encouraging the next wave of EV owners to buy.”
With 2024 behind us, EV sales have not seen the growth seen in previous years. That is likely going to change with greater model availability, price cuts and new incentive programs being rolled out by the federal government to help get more EVs on the road.
All of these will help kickstart 2025, which is likely to be the biggest so far for Australian EV adoption.
See full details of EV sales for each month of the year in our database here.

RizĀ 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.