Australia has seen a historic shift in its automotive market, with electric vehicles (EVs) outselling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for the first time in August 2026. Out of 109,000 total cars sold during the month, 27,000 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 10,591 were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), meaning over 35% of all new car sales were plug-in vehicles.
The Tesla Model Y became the top-selling vehicle overall in August, while Tesla as a brand ranked third overall. In terms of BEV sales, BYD took the lead, surpassing Tesla by approximately 3,000 units. Geely followed in third place, with sales figures roughly one-third of the leader's volume. Zeekr and Kia also featured among the top BEV brands.
Specific model performance was noted for the Model Y Long, which outsold the standard 5-seat Model Y in both July and August. In July, 2,429 Model YL units were delivered, while the standard version sold 2,215 units. In August, 3,236 Model YL units were delivered compared to 3,178 standard units.
Market dynamics are shifting as traditional legacy auto brands experience declines. Every Chinese brand in the top 10, and Tesla, grew year-over-year, while all other brands saw a decrease. For comparison, petrol-powered vehicles sold 25,824 units, and diesel vehicles sold 23,608 units, and hybrids sold 18,662 units in August.
