Australia’s Electric Vehicle Market Shifts
In a significant turn of events in the Australian electric vehicle (EV) market, BYD’s Sealion 7 has emerged as the best-selling electric car, dethroning Tesla’s Model Y. This change occurs as Tesla prepares to launch an updated Model Y, which has led to a sharp decline in its current model’s sales.
Sales Figures for April
The data from April reveals a dramatic shift in the EV sales landscape. BYD Sealion 7 topped the charts with 743 sales, while Tesla Model Y recorded only 280 sales, dropping to eighth place. The MG4 secured second place with 363 sales, closely followed by BYD Atto 3 with 355 sales. The competitive nature of the market was evident as only 39 units separated the second and seventh positions.
Impact of Tesla Model Y Update
Tesla’s Model Y, which had been Australia’s top-selling EV since 2023, faced a significant sales drop of 76% compared to the same period last year, selling just 500 units in April. This decline is largely attributed to the impending release of the updated Model Y. The Tesla Model 3 also experienced a slump, with only 220 sales.
Overall EV Sales Trend
The overall EV sales in Australia dropped by 44.2% in April compared to the same month in 2024, totaling 6010 registrations. This decline is consistent with the trend observed in the data from VFACTS and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Sales
PHEV sales experienced a substantial downturn, plummeting by nearly 5000 sales in April compared to March. This decline is primarily due to the removal of the Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) exemption for PHEVs. The BYD Shark 6 ute led the PHEV segment with 1293 sales, despite being down from 2810 in March. The Mitsubishi Outlander and Eclipse Cross achieved 114 and 51 sales, respectively.
Hybrid Vehicle Sales
Hybrid vehicle sales showed signs of stagnation, with 14,288 sales in April, representing a 6% drop from April 2024. Toyota continued to dominate the hybrid market with its RAV4, Corolla, and Camry models securing the top four spots. Hyundai made significant inroads with its Tucson, Kona, and Santa Fe models featuring in the top 10.
