Australia has experienced another surge in electric vehicle sales, with early data showing a record month for Tesla and the Model Y likely to be the best selling vehicle in the country of any type with a stunning total of more than 8,000 in June.
The data released by the Electric Vehicle Council shows remarkable growth for the Model Y, in particular, which became the best selling car in May with a then record sales number of 5,604, and has now trumped with by nearly half again with a new record of 8,072.
That took the company’s total sales for the month of June to 8,670 – up from the previous record of 6,433 in May – and seems destined to crown the Model Y as the best selling car for a second month in a row, and to propel the EV market to a record share of new car sales.
In May, that totalled 20 per cent, but it is expected to rise further in June as EV car makers rush to fill the surge in orders after the outbreak of the war on Iran in late February and the jump in oil, gas and diesel prices that followed around the world.
Those numbers will be confirmed with the release of industry data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, likely on Friday, that includes sales numbers from most other car makers.
The EVC data shows that Tesla sales totalled 23,568 in the first six months, up 66 per cent from the 14,146 achieved in the same period a year ago, when demand was impacted by the wait for the new Model Y and some consumer pushback against Tesla CEO Elon Musk over his political interventions in the US.
That all seems very much in the past, with Model Y sales doubling in the first six months of 2026 to 20,396, while the Model 3 electric sedan has slipped 14 per cent over the first half of the yer to 3,192. Its June sales of 598 were around half of last June’s total of 1,132.
The EVC sales data also includes Swedish-based EV specialist Polestar, which has enjoyed a small rise of 2.5 per cent in sales for the first half of 2026, despite its June data being down 25.1 per cent from the same month in 2025.
Polestar has been affected by a decline in sales of the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models, offset by a rise in the Polestar 4, now the company’s most popular EV with sales of 201 in June and 902 for the first six months of the year, a 33 per cent rise from 2025.
The EVC says the rise in EV sales has been recorded in every state and territory, with all markets except Tasmania and Western Australia recording gains of more than 64 per cent.
Separately, the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, a group led by EV drivers, says EVs now account for one in five cars on the road in the national capital.
“This is a significant milestone in the transition to electric transport in Canberra,” AEVA’s Paul Wayper said in a statement.
“AEVA is glad to see the dramatic increase in electric vehicle registrations. It shows that people are responding to increased petrol prices and the Government’s new generous loans for buying lower cost electric vehicles.
“AEVA believes that stable, long-term policies such as more strongly differentiated vehicle duty based on tailpipe emissions will be needed to make the transition in the necessary timeframe.”
He said the ACT now has around 17,000 electric cars on its road, 19 light rail vehicles, over 100 electric buses and many electric micromobility devices. “All of these vehicles are reducing our dependence on imported fuel and reducing harmful traffic-related air pollution.”
See also The Driven’s month by month sales data here.
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