Tesla’s Australian dominance revealed

More than a dozen new car manufacturers want to sell you an electric car. But only one has won the hearts and wallets of Australian new car customers.

David McCowen

2 min read

August 23, 2021 - 2:17PM

More from motoring news

New car boss slams popular vehicles

This new car could be the last of its kind

Toyota’s all-new SUV exposed

New sales figures reveal the extent of Tesla’s dominance in Australia.

Unlike established rivals such as Toyota or Mercedes, the American brand does not publish new car sales data in Australia.

But data revealed by the Electric Vehicle Council shows Tesla has a stranglehold on battery-powered vehicles in Australia, outselling the combined efforts of rivals by two to one.

Tesla’s Model 3 is winning the electric car race.

That’s a remarkable figure, as more than a dozen brands including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes, MG, Mini, Nissan, Porsche and Volvo offer electric cars in Australia.

The EVC claims Australians bought 7248 electric cars in the first six months of 2021.

Figures published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show 2188 were sold by established brands ranging from Mazda to Mercedes, which means Tesla delivered about 5031 cars to customers.

The Tesla Model 3’s cabin is vastly different to regular models.

That makes it one of the fastest-growing brands on the road.

The EVC’s claims correlate with vehicle data published by NSW roads, where 954 new electric cars were registered in the first three months of 2021. Tesla represented 618 of those, which is almost 65 per cent of the electric vehicle market in Australia’s most populous state.

Tesla’s monthly sales have more than doubled in NSW this year, moving from an average of 98 per month in 2020 to 206 per month in 2021.

Tesla has the strongest charging infrastructure in Australia.

The brand’s cheapest electric car, the Model 3, represents the bulk of its sales.

Tesla’s Australian dominance revealed

Priced from $59,900 plus on-road costs - about $64,000 drive-away - the Model 3 has a claimed range of 448 kilometres in its cheapest form.

We don’t know exactly how Tesla’s sales split takes shape across the Model 3 compact sedan, the larger Model S and the family-sized Model X people mover.

Toyota’s Camry is the most popular sedan on sale with more than 6200 examples delivered this year. The Model 3 might the second-highest selling sedan in the country, ahead of the Mercedes Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series that attracted around 2300 and 2200 sales in the first half of the year.

Tesla’s Model Y is just around the corner.

Mainstream brands will be worried abut the potential of Tesla’s upcoming Model Y crossover. Set to be priced close to the Model 3, the Model Y will introduce a high-riding SUV body style preferred by the majority of new car customers today.

Established brands are trying to catch up to Tesla with a raft of new models. Porsche’s Taycan electric car has outsold its benchmark 911 sports car this year, and Mercedes’ new EQA makes a strong argument in favour of a battery-powered machine with a prestige badge.

Electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Mazda MX-30, Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona are taking on the likes of Tesla.

Volkswagen’s critically acclaimed ID.3 hatchback has overtaken the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf to become Europe’s best-selling electric car, but the brand says a lack of infrastructure and incentives have delayed a local introduction.

Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly included sales of plug-in-hybrid vehicles in electric vehicle sales statistics.