The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (the FCAI) has released its latest report on vehicle sales in Australia over 2023, noting that EV sales numbers have effectively doubled since 2022.
In 2022, the FCAI reported that EVs made up 3.1 per cent of new car sales, the same year that popular option models like the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Atto 3 made their debut down under, with 33,410 battery electric cars sold.
In 2023, that figure grew to 7.2 per cent of new car sales, with 87,217 units sold.
“If it weren’t for a bunch of stinkbugs on board a ship, we would have cracked 100,000 EV sales in 2023 (BEV+PHEV),” EV Council CEO Behyad Jafari said on Twitter, referencing a stinkbug infestation that turned an electric car-filled-container ship back to China.
Tesla came through as the eighth-best-selling car company in Australia, selling 46,116 units in total, behind MG and ahead of Subaru. This success can mostly be attributed to the Tesla Model Y, which was the sixth best-selling electric car in Australia over the year, with 28,769 models sold.
EVs aside, 2023 broke previous FCAI sales records, with more new vehicles sold in the year than any year prior. The best-selling car of the year was the Ford Ranger, a truck too big for its own good.
“This extraordinary result is a testament to the adaptability and resilience of both industry players and consumers alike. Despite the supply chain disruptions faced in recent times, consumers now have greater access to a broad range of choices, fostering increased accessibility in the market,” FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said.
It’s likely that EV uptake will continue strongly through 2024, with the introduction of much cheaper electric vehicles, such as the MG4 and the BYD Dolphin.
However, with Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia winding down their EV uptake incentives (which previously slashed thousands of dollars off the purchase price of a new EV), time will tell if strong electric car sales continue. Purchase incentives remain in other Australian states and territories.
Hopefully, as cheaper models are introduced, EV sales continue strongly.
Image: Tesla
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