EV sales in Australia reach record high

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) of Australia published data on Wednesday showing that electric vehicle (EV) sales in Australia reached a new record high in May 2026. FCAI data reveals that battery electric vehicles accounted for 20 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Australia in May, an increase from the previous record of 16.4 per cent set in April. According to the FCAI, all electrified vehicles, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, contributed 46 per cent of new sales in May.

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber stated that the shift towards electric vehicles is particularly evident in the SUV segment, where EV sales were 167 per cent higher in May compared to 12 months prior, and plug-in hybrid sales surged by 377 per cent, while petrol-powered SUV sales fell by 31 per cent. Leading Chinese manufacturer BYD sold 8,211 new vehicles in Australia in May 2026, a 155 per cent increase from the same month the previous year. By the end of May, BYD and other Chinese manufacturers, GWM and Chery, had sold 78,168 new vehicles in Australia in 2026, up from 46,023 sales during the same period in 2025. Toyota remains the leading manufacturer in Australia for May, though its sales declined from 100,753 vehicles in the first five months of 2025 to 76,017 sales in the same period of 2026.