MEDIA RELEASE - 5 August 2026
Almost one in three new passenger, SUV and light-commercial vehicles sold in Australia during July was electric, with combined battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sales reaching a record 32.2% of new car sales.
Australians purchased 23,510 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) alone in July, 22.3% of all sales - more than tripling the 7.2% in July 2025.
A further 10,359 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were sold in July, lifting total EV sales to 33,869 - up from 11,250 in July last year.
Electric Vehicle Council CEO Julie Delvecchio said the result showed that Australia's transition to electric transport was gathering pace.
"After a record end-of-financial-year month in June, we expected softer numbers in July. But the underlying trend remains clear: EV sales are well ahead of last year and choice is expanding across all car types and price points. Australians are choosing electric, and choosing it more often," Ms Delvecchio said.
"For Australian households feeling the cost-of-living squeeze, going electric is real relief from rising costs - around $3,000 a year saved on fuel and maintenance, straight back into the household budget.
"While the EV market is growing, we still have a long way to go. But it's great to see so many Aussies choosing cleaner, cheaper cars."
EV sales outperform the broader market
Year to date, EVs have secured 26.7% of the total new vehicle sales market in 2026 - more than double the 12% share recorded over the corresponding period in 2025. Battery electric accounted for 17.7% of sales, up from 7.7%, while plug in hyrbrids ncreased from 4.2% to 9%.
The national EV fleet is now estimated at around 650,000 vehicles - about 3% of cars on Australian roads.
BYD was Australia's second-largest-selling brand with 7,857 vehicles, while Geely, Zeekr and Omoda Jaecoo all recorded strong growth. The Tesla Model Y series led EV sales with 4,644 vehicles, followed by the BYD Sealion 7 with 2,548, Geely EX5 with 2,034 and Zeekr 7X with 1,892.
EV Manufacturer Reactions
Tesla said the company continued to experience strong consumer interest in Australia.
"Tesla continues to see strong enquiry for EV adoption across Australia. While market conditions influence demand, our growth is aligned with what customers want and continues to drive sustained demand for Australia's favourite electric vehicle," a spokesperson said.
Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard said demand remained encouraging following the end-of-financial-year sales period.
"While July is typically a quieter sales period after the end of the financial year, we're encouraged by the continued strength of EV demand across Australia. Interest in premium electric vehicles remains high, and we look forward to giving Australians even greater choice as the market continues to evolve."
Volvo Car Australia Managing Director Stephen Connor said EVs now represented a growing proportion of the company's Australian sales.
"Volvo Cars continues to see strong momentum in EV adoption. Year-to-date, fully electric vehicles account for 42% of our total sales, up from 32% for the same period last year. In July alone, EVs represented 65% of our sales mix, compared with 30% in July 2025, demonstrating growing consumer confidence in electric mobility and Volvo's expanding EV offering."
Volkswagen Group Australia said greater competition was making electric vehicles increasingly relevant to a broader range of motorists.
"The continued evolution of Australia's EV market is creating greater choice for customers than ever before," a Volkswagen Group Australia spokesperson said. "Drawing on Volkswagen Group's position as the electric vehicle market leader in Europe, Volkswagen Group Australia, together with its brands Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles, Audi, Škoda, CUPRA and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, remains committed to offering electric vehicles and services that meet a diverse range of customer needs, helping make electric mobility increasingly accessible and relevant for Australian drivers."
Hyundai is marking 40 years in Australia during August, having sold more than 2.2 million vehicles nationally over that period.
"Hyundai has always believed progress comes from challenging expectations," Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO Don Romano said."We've never been afraid to do things differently, and I think our customers have recognised and rewarded that over the past 40 years."
