Practically 1 in 4 brand-new vehicle sales in Australia were EVs throughout September, no indications of decreasing

For the previous number of years, sceptics have actually declared that electrical lorry adoption in Australia had actually peaked. The story was that early adopters had actually purchased their cars and trucks, need was cooling down, and daily motorists would stick to internal combustion. The main sales information for September 2026 informs an entirely various story.

What we are experiencing today is not a short-term spike or a short lived analytical abnormality. This is a continual, authentic shift from fossil-fuelled transportation to electrical lorries.

Australia’s brand-new car market tape-recorded 102,924 overall sales in September 2026, marking a modest 0.9% boost compared to the very same month in 2015. While the overall volume stayed consistent, the shift underneath the surface area was seismic. Battery electrical automobiles represented 24.2% of the whole Australian market in September.

To comprehend how quick this curve is steepening, pure battery electrical cars held an 11.3% market share in September 2025. In the area of 12 months, that share has more than doubled.

Throughout the very first 9 months of 2026, totally electrical vehicles represent 18.9% of all brand-new cars offered, compared to 8.1% over the exact same duration in 2025. When almost 1 in 4 brand-new vehicles presenting of Australian display rooms has a charging port rather of a fuel cap, the argument about whether electrical vehicles will work for routine households is completed. They are currently here, and Australians are purchasing them in record numbers.

The death spiral for standard combustion

While electrical drivetrains rose, internal combustion engines suffered sharp decreases. Gas automobile sales plunged by 36.2% in September, while diesel sales dropped 18.4%.

Purchasers who are not rather prepared to dedicate to a pure battery car are still dumping pure fuel. Plug-in hybrid sales escalated by 122.7 percent compared to September in 2015, while traditional closed-loop hybrids grew by 20.7%. When you integrate battery electrical cars, plug-in hybrids, and traditional hybrids, amazed drivetrains now comprise a dominant piece of the display room flooring.

Standard business lorries likewise saw a pullback. Light industrial lorry sales fell 13.2% year-on-year, though this was cancelled by a 6.3% lift in automobile and a 6.1% development in SUVs.

Unloading the genuine leading 10 with Tesla consisted of

The main month-to-month VFACTS reporting supplied by the market constantly provides an intriguing image, however it often excludes the complete context since particular electrical makers report their shipment numbers through different channels.

The formally released leading 10 designs for September noted the Ford Ranger in top place with 5,062 shipments, followed by the Toyota RAV4 at 4,624, and the Toyota HiLux at 4,455. The remainder of the released top 10 consisted of the BYD Sealion 7 (2,687), Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (2,059), GWM Haval Jolion (2,018), Geely EX5 (2,008), Toyota Prado (2,006), Isuzu D-Max (1,866), and MG ZS (1,805).

Looking at the detailed Electric Vehicle Council sales figures exposes the real scale of what Australian drivers are driving home.

Tesla logged an outstanding 5,654 sales in September throughout its 2 volume automobiles. If we incorporate Tesla into the nationwide design rankings, the Tesla Model Y totally interrupts the podium.

With 4,476 overall shipments throughout the month, the Tesla Model Y was not simply the very popular electrical automobile in Australia. It was the 3rd very popular automobile in the whole nation, overtaking the Toyota HiLux (4,455) and landing simply 148 sales behind the second-placed Toyota RAV4.

Tesla Model Y breakdown:

• Design Y L: 1,764 sales
• Design Y Rear-Wheel Drive: 1,640 sales
• Design Y Long Range AWD: 765 sales
• Design Y Performance: 307 sales

The Model 3 likewise published a strong efficiency, taping 1,178 systems in September. That was comprised of 637 Rear-Wheel Drive variations, 403 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive variations, and 138 systems of the Model 3 Performance.

Including Tesla’s 5,654 shipments to the nationwide brand name leaderboard puts Tesla easily in 6th position general for the month, behind Toyota (17,682), BYD (8,191), Ford (7,592), Kia (5,901), and Mazda (5,702), however ahead of GWM (5,212), Hyundai (5,073), MG (4,635), Geely (4,473), and Chery (4,205).

Polestar branch off with fresh hardware

Polestar likewise contributed a lot more modest 200 electrical shipments to the nationwide tally in September. While the brand name has actually leaned greatly on the Polestar 2 fastback over current years, we are lastly seeing the arrival of its larger portfolio on Australian streets.

The recently presented Polestar 4 electrical SUV coupe was the brand name’s main volume motorist for the month with 114 shipments, split in between 81 Long Range AWD designs and 33 Rear-Wheel Drive designs.

The Polestar 2 taped 76 sales, consisting of 47 Rear-Wheel Drive designs and 29 Long Range AWD systems. On top end of town, the flagship Polestar 3 big SUV contributed 6 sales, together with the very first 4 regional registrations of the Polestar 5 efficiency grand tourer. As display room accessibility supports, Polestar’s multi-tier design lineup must offer the brand name more powerful ground versus European high-end competitors.

China strengthens its production supremacy

The September figures highlight another structural change: where our lorries are developed.

China was the single biggest native land for brand-new cars offered in Australia throughout September, representing 35.5% of the whole market. Japan followed in 2nd location with 22.5%, Thailand recorded 17.3%, and South Korea took 9.6 percent.

This shift is driven by 2 significant characteristics. Is the fast climb of domestic Chinese nameplates like BYD, Chery, GWM, and Geely, which are strongly targeting volume sections with competitive rates and high basic devices levels. Second is the truth that international car manufacturers progressively utilize Chinese factory to provide right-hand-drive lorries to Australia. Every Tesla Model 3 and Model Y provided in your area stems from Gigafactory Shanghai, and Polestar’s production footprint relies greatly on Chinese assembly plants.

Australia has actually turned into one of the most open and competitive vehicle testbeds worldwide, and Chinese factories are providing the bulk of that need.

Facilities should stay up to date with the fleet

With pure electrical automobiles protecting almost a quarter of all regular monthly brand-new vehicle sales, the useful ramifications for everyday charging can no longer be dealt with as a secondary idea.

When electrical car adoption relaxed 2 to 3%, personal home charging did the heavy lifting and highway quick battery chargers were mainly utilized by early adopters carrying out journey. At almost 25% regular monthly market share, the volume of electrical automobiles getting in the nationwide fleet suggests public fast-charging facilities needs instant, aggressive scaling.

Single-stall 50kW battery chargers tucked behind shopping center are antiques of the past. To avoid traffic jams on crucial highway passages, particularly throughout local vacation travel durations, network operators and federal governments require to focus on dependable, multi-bay ultra-rapid charging centers with pull-through capability for towing.

The Australian public has actually made its decision clear. Motorists desire lower running expenses, smooth electrical powertrains, and contemporary automobile software application. The automobiles have actually shown they are all set for Australian conditions, and drivers are purchasing them in volume. The top priority now needs to be guaranteeing the charging network broadens quickly adequate to support them.

Information offered by FCAI and Electric Vehicle Council.

For more details, head to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries