Chinese car maker BYD has overtaken Tesla – again – as the best selling electric vehicle brand in Australia, as overall EV sales rebounded above 10,000 in August to take a 9.7 per cent share of the overall new car market.
The rebound in August followed a very slow July, where sales dipped significantly, mostly due to a dramatic fall in Tesla deliveries, when EVs made up just 6.9 per cent of the market.
The feature in August was the ability of BYD to beat Tesla, with the combined sales of its SeaLion 7, Seal, Atto 3 and Dolphin EVs totalling more than 3,000 – 3,064 in total – compared to the 2,927 of Tesla.
The latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that 6,848 battery electric vehicles were sold in Australia in August, while the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) reported that Tesla and Polestar together had sold 3,155 in the month of August.
Chinese car maker Xpeng does not report its numbers to either organisation, and may have sold enough to lift the total EV sales to 10 per cent of the market.
Another feature of August is that this is the first monthwhere 4 Chinese car brands made it into the top-10 best-sellers, marking a significant shift in the broader Australian automotive market.
EV Sales Breakdown – August 2025
| FCAI vFacts | 6,848 |
| EVC (Polestar + Tesla) | 3,155 |
| EV Sales Total (FCAI + EVC) | 10,003 |
| Total Vehicle Sales (FCAI + EVC) | 103,694 |
In August, PHEV sales declined from previous months, with 3,906 PHEVs sold during the month, down from over 4,000 PHEVs sold in July. This is the second month of declining PHEV sales.
Looking into the EV models that made up the top 6, the Tesla Model Y came in top with 2,324, followed by the BYD Sealion 7 with 1,413 sales.
The BYD Seal electric sedan came third with 623, the Tesla Model 3 with 603, followed by the BYD Atto 3 SUV and the BYD Dolphin with 594 and 434 sales respectively. Geely grabbed the sixth spot with 401 sales in August.
Other notable mentions in August include the Nissan Ariya, which saw 35 sales during the month.
The best-selling EVs in August 2025 were:
- Tesla Model Y – 2,324 sales
- BYD Sealion 7 – 1,413 sales
- BYD Seal – 623 sales
- Tesla Model 3 – 603 sales
- BYD Atto 3 – 594 sales
- BYD Dolphin – 434 sales
- Geely EX5 – 401 sales
- Kia EV5 – 367 sales
- Kia EV3 – 295 sales
- MG MGS5 – 284 sales
- VW ID.4 – 219 sales
- Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV – 166 sales
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers regarding sales of some EV models, and this will be updated once they are received.Â
See also The Driven’s comprehensive month by month data:Â Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2025 – by model and by brand
FCAI CEO Tony Weber used the occasion to push for road user charges for all vehicles, not just EVs, to replace the fuel excise which is declining as petrol and diesel cars become more efficient, and with the growing number of hybrids.
“As the number of electrified vehicles increases, governments must support a smooth transition away from fuel excise,” he said. “A road user charge is needed to provide an enduring revenue stream to support road and recharging infrastructure.
“The presence of four Chinese brands in the top ten illustrates the continuing evolution of the automotive landscape in Australia. Consumers have an extraordinary range of vehicles to choose from – more than 400 models, including around 100 EVs.”
Overall, we are seeing more incentives from multiple EV brands as we get into September, making the market even more competitive. What’s more is that the new and existing manufacturers are hinting at EV incentives in the coming months to finish the year off.Â
Multiple new and recent models are also launching in a very competitive EV market, thanks to NVES kicking into gear.Â
See full details of EV sales for each month of the year in our database here.