Tesla has recorded another dip in Australian EV sales, with October deliveries falling to their lowest level since April.
According to new data from the Electric Vehicle Council, Tesla sold 4,050 electric cars in October, down 28 per cent from the 5,654 recorded in September and well below the 7,685 delivered in August.
As usual, the Model Y accounted for the bulk of those sales, with 3,105 deliveries during the month, down from 4,476 in September and 6,414 in August.
But the latest figures need to be viewed in the context of Tesla’s notoriously uneven delivery schedule in Australia, which is heavily influenced by the timing of shipments from its Shanghai factory.
The first month of a quarter is often a quieter period for Tesla, as production and exports are directed towards different international markets and vehicles destined for Australia make their way through the shipping and local delivery process.
The result is something of a quarterly rollercoaster, with relatively quiet months followed by significant surges as shipments arrive and deliveries are completed. That pattern has been particularly evident in 2026, with Tesla recording just 501 sales in January, before jumping to 3,274 in February and 3,485 in March.
The pattern repeated in April, when deliveries fell to 1,225, before surging to 6,433 in May and a remarkable 8,670 in June.
July brought another dip to 4,778, followed by a rebound to 7,685 in August.
September’s 5,654 deliveries were something of an exception to the usual end-of-quarter surge, with the peak arriving earlier in the quarter.
October’s result, while the lowest since April, is arguably not particularly unusual for Tesla, and offers little evidence on its own of a weakening appetite for its electric cars.
It is worth noting that Tesla’s October sales were still more than four times higher than the same month last year, when they delivered just 916 vehicles.
The Model Y in particular has seen a massive jump when comparing year to year data, with last month’s 3,105 deliveries dwarfing the 735 in October 2025, representing an increase of 322 per cent.
The Model Y has now accumulated 39,035 sales in Australia over the first ten months of 2026, more than double the 17,972 recorded over the same period last year.
It’s an extraordinary turnaround for Tesla and its Model Y, which has established itself as one of Australia’s most popular new cars of any type this year, topping the overall sales charts in July and August.
For a deeper dive into recent months, see The Driven’s month-by-month electric vehicle sales data, which is updated as new information comes to hand.
Meanwhile, the Model 3 electric sedan also recorded a quieter October, with 945 deliveries, down from 1,178 in September and 1,271 in August. But that’s still more than five times the 181 vehicles delivered in October last year.
The Model 3 has now recorded 6,720 sales for the year, up 20 per cent over the corresponding period in 2025, following a relatively slow start to the year.
Tesla will be hoping to build on that recovery with the introduction of its new cut-price Model 3 RWD, which was announced at the end of September with a starting price of just under $46,000 before on-road costs.
Tesla has also made changes to its Model Y range, including a price reduction for the Performance variant following a shift in production from Germany to Shanghai, along with improvements in driving range for some models.
So far this year, Tesla has delivered 45,755 electric vehicles in Australia, which is an increase of 94 per cent on the 23,569 recorded over the same period last year.
Meanwhile, fellow EV specialist Polestar also experienced a quieter month, recording 118 deliveries in October, down from 200 in September.
The Polestar 4 electric SUV accounted for 79 of those sales, while the Polestar 2 recorded 30 and the larger Polestar 3 managed eight. One Polestar 5 was also recorded during the month.
Polestar has now delivered 1,799 vehicles in Australia this year, down 11 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. Combined, Tesla and Polestar recorded 4,168 electric vehicle sales in October, down from 5,854 in September.
October sales figures for other manufacturers are expected to be released shortly, which will provide a more complete picture of Australia’s electric vehicle market in October.
