Chinese-made cars contribute over a third of sales in Australia

Vehicles produced in China accounted for the largest share of new car sales in Australia last month at 35 per cent, far exceeding Japanese-made cars at 21 per cent and more than doubling the sales of vehicles manufactured in Thailand at 16 per cent. According to data compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council, cited by Australian news site Drive on Wednesday local time, a record surge in electric vehicle (EV) sales last month helped China achieve such a strong position, given that many electric cars are produced in China. Unprecedented interest in electric vehicles saw one model, the Tesla Model Y, become the top-selling vehicle in the monthly sales list for the first time. May proved to be an unprecedented month for electric vehicle sales. Almost one in five new vehicles sold (19.9 per cent) was a battery electric vehicle. This surge in interest comes amid fuel supply uncertainty and price rises caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Although the Chinese-made Tesla topped the May sales chart with 5,605 units, the Ford Ranger, produced in Thailand and South Africa (4,474 units), and the Thai-built Toyota Hilux (4,005 units) took second and third place. The only other Chinese-made cars to break into the top ten in May were the Jaecoo J5 in seventh place (2,172 units) and the Chery Tiggo 4 in eighth place (2,123 units). Toyota has consistently maintained its status as the best-selling car brand in Australia for more than two decades, since first topping the sales list in 2003.