Tesla and Polestar Australian deliveries up 86% in 2026, with Model Y past 39,000

Tesla and Polestar have delivered 47,554 cars in Australia in the first 10 months of 2026, up 86% on the same period last year, according to the Electric Vehicle Council’s monthly sales report.

The Tesla Model Y alone has passed 39,000 sales for the year, after 3105 deliveries in October.

Across both brands, 4168 cars were delivered in October, 4050 of them Teslas. The Model 3 accounted for 945.

Every Australian state and territory has recorded a significant rise in sales of the two brands this year, ranging from 42% in Western Australia to 136% in the Northern Territory.

The Electric Vehicle Council’s report covers only Tesla and Polestar, which supply their delivery figures to the council directly. It counts cars when they are delivered rather than when they are ordered.

Policy warning

Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio says the numbers show buyers are choosing EVs when they have the option, and warns against cutting back support.

“EV sales are soaring because Australians are voting with their wallets. They want cars that are cheaper to run, great to drive and give them freedom from the petrol bowser,” she says.

“The Government’s Electric Car Discount and the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards are cost-of-living measures. They give Australians more choice, and when people have that choice, they’re choosing electric in record numbers.”

“Petrol and diesel prices are driving inflation in the transport sector. Winding back EV support risks pushing more buyers towards petrol and diesel vehicles, increasing fuel demand and potentially adding to inflationary pressures.”

Australia’s Electric Car Discount exempts eligible EVs from fringe benefit tax when they are provided through an employer, including through novated leases. A New Zealand version has been proposed by Drive Electric and Rewiring Aotearoa, but neither National nor Labour has committed to assessing it.