Electric vehicle sales hit record high in Australia

Electric vehicle sales surged to a record high in Australia in the three months to June 30, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) now making up 9.31% of all new car sales, according to the nation’s peak motoring body.

The Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) quarterly EV Index shows 29,244 BEVs were sold in the June quarter – a 63.37% increase from the 17,901 sold in the March quarter.

While total light vehicle sales rose 10.42% over the period, BEV market share jumped from 6.29% in the previous quarter to 9.31%. Sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles rose 9.90% to 226,306, but their market share dipped slightly from 72.37% to 72.03%.

Hybrid sales slipped marginally, down 0.6% to 46,732, bringing market share to 14.87% – the lowest since early 2024. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales dropped 13.19% to 11,902, with market share falling from 4.82% to 3.79% after fringe benefits tax exemptions for PHEVs ended on March 31.

The AAA said the record BEV result comes just a week after it released the first independent real-world range testing of electric vehicles, finding five models travelled between 5% and 23% less than their laboratory test results. The organisation said the results will help address range anxiety, which its polling last month found was a key concern among potential EV buyers.

Trends in the market

Despite quarterly shifts, hybrids have remained strong performers over the past two years. BEVs outsold hybrids in the first half of 2023, but hybrids have led in every quarter since – including the latest quarter, when they posted their lowest market share in 18 months but still beat BEV sales.

The medium SUV segment remains Australia’s most popular and is driving much of the growth in both BEV and hybrid sales. In the June quarter, medium cars were the only segment where BEVs were the dominant powertrain, accounting for 42.56% of sales.

Among PHEVs, the arrival of BYD’s Shark 6 PHEV 4WD ute in Q2 reshaped the market, making up nearly half of all PHEV sales and 9.24% of total 4WD ute sales.

The AAA’s EV Index compiles sales data from multiple national, state, and territory sources, including the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council. It tracks BEVs, PHEVs, hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and ICE models.

Its interactive online dashboard is available at evindex.au and includes detailed state-by-state breakdowns.