2024 tesla model 3 review feature

Best-Selling EVs in Australia Revealed

Ben McKimm
By Ben McKimm - News

Published:

Readtime: 7 min

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Despite new players entering the market and some of the cheapest electric vehicles in the world landing on our shores, EV sales in Australia increased by just 4.7% in 2024 with a total of 91,292 cars sold. Overall, EVs only accounted for 7.4% of sales in Australia in 2024, which is up from the previous year, but only by a marginal amount (7.0%).

The top-selling brand remains Tesla with 38,347 sales across their two model line-up to help them maintain a large 42% market share despite a 16.9% decrease in sales.

Sales slowed as government incentives were rolled back, but their remains value to be found in cut-price EVs from China and MG proved this by slashing the price of the MG4 and turning it into a sales winner with 6,934 sold on the year, enough to edge it ahead of the BYD Seal.

Premium brands struggled overall, but BMW showed the advantage of positioning its cars under the Luxury Car Tax threshold of $89,332. The brand pushed as many buttons as possible to bring six premium models into the market under the LCT and they benefitted immediately with a massive 160.4% increase in electric vehicle sales for the year that would position them in fourth amongst all EV marques.

Let’s take a closer look at the top-selling EV brands, EV models, and exactly how many EVs were sold in Australia in 2024. Of course, the below figures are courtesy of the two official sources: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).

RELATED: Here are the top-selling car brands in Australia.

How Many EVs Were Sold in Australia Last Year?

Total number of EV sales (2024): 91,292 (+4.7%)

There was a slump in EV sales in 2024 and sales only increased by 4.7% with 91,292 electric vehicles sold. Still, this is up from 87,217 in 2023 which will be remembered as the year in which Australia started to purchase EVs in droves (+160% compared to 2022).

Interestingly, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicle sales more than doubled in 2024 with 23,163 cars sold (+100.2%) and Hybrid vehicle sales also increased by 76.0% with 172,696 cars sold.

The reduction in government incentives is mostly to blame for the slump in EV sales. However, it has also never been cheaper to buy an EV. Chinese EVs like the MG MG4 Excite 51 were priced as low as $30,990 drive-away during key sales periods last year before increasing to $34,990 drive-away at the time of publishing this article. Simply put, the appetite for EVs is slowing, and that’s unlikely to change as economic factors are considered and competition increases amongst the value brands.

Tesla model 3 performance
2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many

What are the Best-Selling EV Brands in Australia?

Tesla remains the top-selling EV brand in Australia with 38,347 cars sold helping them maintain a large 42% market share despite a 16.9% decrease in sales.

Still, competitors from China gave them a solid run for their money throughout the year and BYD sold 14,260 EVs in 2024 (+14.6%) while MG saw a reward from cutting the price of its MG4 with 8,239 sales. Volvo EV sales dropped by 2.2% despite the introduction of the EX30 and Polestar sales fell by a whopping 30.3%, likely due to fluctuations in fleet sales and increased competition.

Ultimately, it was BMW and Great Wall Motors (GWM) that saw the biggest percentage increase in EV sales in 2024.

BMW sold nearly as many EVs as MG with the 7,787 sales representing a 160.4% increase on the previous year. This is especially impressive when you consider the cheapest EV BMW makes is the iX1 eDrive20, which is priced at AUD$78,900 plus on-road costs. Meanwhile, GWM cracked the top of the list with 1,225 sales (+132.9%) of its GWM Ora electric hatchback.

BrandTotal EV sales in 2024YoY change (%)
1. Tesla38,347-16.9%
2. BYD14,260+14.6%
3. MG8,239+39.0%
4. BMW7,787+160.4%
5. Volvo3,862-2.2%
6. Kia3,610+18.8%
7. Hyundai2,689+11.3%
8. Mercedes-Benz2,603-18.4%
9. Polestar1,713-30.3%
10. GWM1,225+132.9%
Scroll horizontally to view full table

There are a total of 36 brands selling electric vehicles in Australia at the time of writing. However, as the expanded sales figures below demonstrate, most brands outside the top ten don’t sell EVs in large volumes.

No, most are just in the game to offer an alternative to customers who are ready to jump out of their petrol car into an EV of the same brand. Audi, Ford, Toyota, Porsche, Lexus, and even Rolls-Royce are all examples of this. Still, that’s not to say that people won’t jump at a deal, and you only have to look at the percentage increases for Ford and Renault to see this.

BrandTotal EV sales in 2024YoY change (%)
11. Mini1,125+104.1%
12. Toyota977N/A
13. Ford742+562.5%
14. Audi620+15.0%
15. Cupra465-47.6%
16. Subaru386N/A
17. Porsche360-32.7%
18. Nissan357-26.2%
19. Renault330+1471.4%
20. Peugeot310+142.2%
21. Lexus307-18.8%
22. LDV226+62.6%
23. Chery197N/A
24. Fiat/Abarth117-32.8%
25. Genesis91-67.5%
26. Jeep79N/A
27. Foton Mobility68-4.2%
28. Leapmotor64N/A
29. Skoda48N/A
30. Rolls-Royce19+533.3%
31. Lotus17N/A
32. Volkswagen14N/A
33. Jaguar12-65.7%
34. SEA Electric12-53.8%
35. Mazda3-77.0%
36. Iveco1N/A
Scroll horizontally to view full table

RELATED: Here’s How Much a Tesla Will Cost You in Australia.

2023 tesla model y performance feature 1
2024 Tesla Model Y Performance | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many

What are the Best-Selling EV Models?

The two top-selling EVs in Australia come from Tesla with the soon to be replaced Tesla Model Y (21,253) and Tesla Model 3 (17,094) leading the charge. Positions three to five are highly contested, and the MG MG4 (6,934), BYD Seal (6,393), and BYD Atto 3 (5,751) all within striking distance of eachother.

BrandTotal EV sales in 2024
1. Tesla Model Y21,253
2. Tesla Model 317,094
3. MG46,934
4. BYD Seal6,393
5. BYD Atto 35,751
6. BMW iX12,618
7. Volvo EX302,129
8. BYD Dolphin2,116
9. BMW i4 2,062
10. Kia EV61,785
Scroll horizontally to view full table

While Chinese made EV sales continue to climb, EVs from premium brands struggle. Names such as Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have had difficulty selling vehicles in a toughening market. With the rollback of government incentives, the picture isn’t going to brighten any time soon.

The table below has yearly sales data from every EV sold in Australia, but here’s a quick look at the some of the hardest hit models of electric vehicles NOT made by a Chinese brand:

  • Hyundai IONIQ 6 – 374 sales (-40.0%%)
  • Porsche Taycan – 282 sales (-47.3%)
  • BMW i7 – 36 sales (-42.9%)
  • Mercedes-Benz EQS – 20 sales (-70.1%)
  • Mercedes-Benz EQB – 409 sales (-35.6%)
  • Mercedes-Benz EQE – 162 sales (-62.9%)
  • Genesis GV60 – 70 sales (-63.4%)
  • Audi e-tron GT – 84 sales (-75.2%)

Before we get into the rest of the sales figures, we can’t ignore those premium models that have found sales success. The BMW i4 sedan (made in China) and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV are the market outliers.

  • BMW i4 – 2,062 sales (+484.1%)
  • Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV – 759 (+201.2%)

It’s not all bad news. The brands that have found success have managed to carve out a niche selling premium electric alternatives to some of their best models at even sharper prices.

BrandTotal EV sales in 2024
11. Polestar 214,59
12. Hyundai Kona1,363
13. BMW iX21,280
14. MG ZS EV1,262
15. GWM Ora1,225
16. Volvo XC401,173
17. BMW iX31,092
18. Mercedes-Benz EQA1,044
19. Toyota bZ4X977
20. Hyundai Ioniq 5933
21. Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV759
22. Ford Mustang Mach-E673
23. Kia Niro649
24. Kia EV5608
25. Kia EV9568
26. Volvo C40560
27. BMW iX556
28. Mini Countryman516
29. Mercedes-Benz EQB504
30. Cupra Born465
31. Mini Cooper426
32. Subaru Solterra386
33. Hyundai Ioniq 6374
34. Audi Q4 e-tron357
35. Nissan Leaf357
36. Porsche Taycan282
37. Renault Megane E-Tech266
38. Lexus RZ215
39. Peugeot E-2008207
40. Chery Omoda E5197
41. Mini Aceman183
42. Polestar 4183
43. Audi Q8 e-tron174
44. Mercedes-Benz EQE162
45. LDV eDeliver 7150
46. BMW i5143
47. Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV136 (includes 6 Mercedes-Maybach)
48. Fiat 500E117 (includes 77 Abarth 500E)
49. Lexus UX92
50. Peugeot E-Partner92
51. Audi e-tron GT84
52. Jeep Avenger79
53. Porsche Macan78
54. Polestar 371
55. Genesis GV6070
56. Mercedes-Benz EQC70
57. Ford E-Transit69
58. Leapmotor C1064
59. Renault Kangoo64
60. Skoda Enyaq48
61. MG Cyberster43
62. BMW i736
63. LDV eDeliver 928
64. LDV T60 EV28
65. LDV MIFA 920
66. Mercedes-Benz EQS20
67. Rolls-Royce Spectre19
68. Genesis Electrified GV7017
69. Mercedes-Benz EQV14
70. Mercedes-Benz eVito13
71. Jaguar I-Pace12
72. Lotus Eletre12
73. Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer10
74. Peugeot E-Expert9
75. Volkswagen ID. Buzz8
76. Mercedes-Benz eSprinter6
77. Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo6
78. Audi Q6 e-tron5
79. Lotus Emeya5
80. Genesis Electrified G804
81. Mazda MX-303
82. Peugeot E-3082
83. Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology1
Scroll horizontally to view full table

Ben McKimm

Journalist - Automotive & Tech

Ben McKimm

Ben lives in Sydney, Australia. He has a Bachelor's Degree (Media, Technology and the Law) from Macquarie University (2020). Outside of his studies, he has spent the last decade heavily involved in the automotive, technology and fashion world. Turning his ...