Image: Glynn T via Tesla Owners Australia Facebook Page
Note: This story has been updated and heavily rewritten after the Electric Vehicle Council admitted they sent out the wrong comparisons for the month of March and the March quarter data.
Sales of Tesla electric vehicles slumped 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 in Australia, despite a small rebound in the sales of its best selling Model Y and the Model 3 in the month of March, according to new data.
The Electric Vehicle Council data reveals that Tesla sold 2,829 EVs in Australia in March, down 53 per cent from the same month last year, and sold a total of 5,160 EVs in the first three months of the year, a fall of 59.65 per cent fall from the same period in 2024.
The Model 3 is down 65 per cent over the first three months of the year, with 2,046 units sold and 1,104 in the month of March, while the Model Y is down 54.44 per cent, selling 3,114 units so far this year, and 1,725 in March, compared to 6,835 in the March quarter last year and 4,379 in the month of March in 2024.
The stats show a recovery in March from the very low January and February quarters, and come after Tesla itself revealed a 13 per cent slump in global EV sales in the first three months of the year, even as the overall global EV market grew strongly, and biggest rival BYD shot to the top of the EV ranks with a 39 per cent jump in sales.
The big slump in Tesla sales is being blamed on a combination of increased competition, a buying pause ahead of the release of the refreshed Model Y, and the consumer pushback against CEO Elon Musk’s political interventions.
The EVC provides data for only Tesla and Polestar, who both quit the main car lobby, the FCAI, last year in protest against its position on transport and emissions policies.
Polestar sales are up 12 per cent over the first quarter to 389 units, with its Polestar 2 slumping 64 per cent to just 123 for the first three months, but more than made up by the sale of 245 Polestar 3 and 21 Polestar 4s.
Tesla’s global sales data paint a miserable story, with the sales data for the March quarter coming in significantly below analysts forecasts, even after they had been revised down because of the Musk factor, and from increased competition, particularly in China where Tesla has been forced to offer zero interest loans to keep abreast.
The Musk factor has provoked consumer boycotts in north America and Europe, widespread demonstrations led by the “Tesla Takedown group, its removal from government rebate schemes, particularly in Canada, and incidents of major violence in the US, Canada, Ireland, France and Italy.
Note: This story has been updated after the EVC admitted it had got the numbers in their previous release completely wrong.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.
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So will there be an article stating something along the lines of Polestar 2 sales have slumped significantly more than Tesla Model 3 in the first quarter 2025 compared to last year?
What about stating that despite the refreshed Tesla Model Y is unable to be purchased for a few months, the Model Y is down just 1.74 per cent this year compared to last year.
Last time I looked, nobody was torching Polestar showrooms or keying them in the street, or organizing protests against Michael Lohscheller (who I doubt anyone could name unprompted).
Stick with your fantasy.................
...........Musk has stuffed Tesla irrevocably.
You have no idea.....
About what?
Tesla desperates wishing for a Fairy Godmother?
how is your response relevant to the one sided reporting of everything Tesla, ignoring anything positive and cherry picking stats to support the anti Tesla narrative? Don't get me wrong, nearly all media are the same.
Where is the analysis of Model 3 results compared to its direct rivals, BYD Seal, Hyundai Ionic 6 and Polestar 2
What about analysis on Ford Mach e, Toyota bz4x and other similar sized SUV that have positioned themselves against Model Y. I will be more concerned on why Tesla's competitors are not accelerating their sales with all this anti Tesla / Musk hyperbole going on.
Example:
Tesla shares up 13.55% over last 6 months, BYD up 9.29%
Tesla shares up 69.69% over last 12 months, BYD up 71.88%
Tesla shares up 783.6% over last 5 years, BYD up 550.5%
Tesla shares down 25.45% YTD, BYD up 31.98%
If i choose different time periods i get different results. The media will pick the YTD figures to publish. Cherry picking!! That is my point.
Why would you bother comparing the sales of a dying brand to anything?
I'm sure the buggy-whip manufacturers went through the same process.
Face it................
............Tesla is a shot duck.
Even it's directors agree with that.
You know that Tesla is more than just a car manufacturer. Megapacks and Powerwall divisions are a lot more profitable and Supercharger division brings in money as well.
If Tesla stopped making cars tomorrow, the billions in profits will still be there today and in the months and years ahead. Let's not forget the billions it receives in carbon credits from polluting ICE manufacturers. FSD will still bring in mega bucks.
The battery manufacturing is built on very thin ice...........
..........if Trump pushes Xi Jingping too hard he might just decide that a soft response would be to cancel Musk's license to manufacture in China.
Game over.
Again, Tesla has piss-arsed around so long with FSD that the Chinese have caught up (or to my mind overtaken him). Check out the BYD "God's Eye" system. China has a massive advantage in any technical development in the sheer number of engineers it is churning out (while the Yankees are concentrating on "Financial" Engineers and how much money their Football Teams can attract to their Universities).
Thankfully, Giles’ sister site isn’t suffering from EDS yet and is reporting that Tesla sold megapack equivalent of 4,000 Model Ys in Australia
Delete
LOL. Share prices! Most of you Tesla fanbois aren't actually Tesla owners and/or know/care little about their cars.
The Juniper effect? Refreshed MY already available in Norway.
Top 10 EV models sold in Norway so far this month: spots 1-4) VW , 5) Nissan Ariya, 6) Toyota biZarre4X, 7) Skoda Enyaq, 8) BYD Sealion, 9) BMW iX1, 10) Volvo EX30.
Tesla MY in spot 12 and M3 in spot 56.
Just a few days. Doesn't mean much. Will be interesting to see how this develops.
A bit shortsighted with the commentary on this one.
Wait to see the sales after the new Model Y hits our shores, and the impact of no more fossil fuel powered cars getting the FBT exemption for leasing.
One could expect a nice big bounce.
I'll bet you 100 bucks that whenever the New All-Singing, All-Dancing Model Y Hits Our Shores it will be met with overwhelming indifference......................
..........there is just too much competition for choice and value from the Chinese.
Tesla has dropped the ball and will never recover (particularly while Musk is anywhere near the operation)
She'll be fine. There's a reason why Tesla cars are so good and beats Chinese brands in comparison. Audio, infotainment system, driver assistance, motor, drive, and reliability all are in Tesla's favour. The only thing byd is ahead in is battery, additional features, and price. Honestly if prices matched, Tesla will no doubt be in favour. However there are a few simple tweaks Tesla could do to bring more customers in, mostly in the features department and I think they are listening and considering. The new model y looks stunning and we should see more sales as stock comes in. There is a political aspect because of Elon Musk, but even that will die over and things should return to normal. Elon Musk needs to get a bit more aggressive with the auto pilot - we haven't heard much news which is also impacting sales. I'm expecting "the return of the Tesla part 2" coming soon .. ish. June is my guess but subject to how long Elon Musk takes with DOGE. By all means Tesla is not the end.
Hey Gilly, Which is the number #1 and number #2 best selling EV in Australia in 2025 so far?
* 🦗 sound of crickets 🦗 *
🤣