Australia’s most popular SUV isn’t a Toyota or even anything made in Japan – but a fully-electric Tesla Model Y from China.
The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger have almost always taken the top two spots in the monthly car sales charts this year – occasionally swapping places.
But outside of the Thai-built utes, the Chinese-made Tesla Model Y has been Australia’s most popular SUV, taking the spot in September, June and May, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data showed.
Last month, 3,811 Model Ys were ordered, making up almost three-quarters of the 5,177 new Teslas finding a home in September.
The Model Y has been in the top 10 without fail since March, with the Toyota LandCruiser also making that cut seven times.
Australia’s most popular SUV isn’t a Toyota (RAV4 pictured) or even anything made in Japan – but a fully-electric Tesla Model Y from China
Outside of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes, the Chinese-made Telsa Model Y has been Australia’s most popular SUV, taking that spot in September, June and May, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data showed
The Toyota RAV4, available as a petrol-price electric hybrid, was Australia’s most popular SUV in August and April, and has been in the top 10 nine times this year.
The Mitsubishi Outlander was the most popular four-wheel drive in March, with the MG ZS, available with an all-electric version, taking that spot in July.
The Mazda CX-5 was the most popular SUV in February while the smaller Mazda CX-3 had that title in January but in both months, the Tesla Model 3 sedan outsold both Mazdas.
So outside of the bestselling utes, Tesla had Australia’s most popular car in five out of nine months.
SUVs in 2023 have comprised 56 per cent or 505,581 of the 899,286 new vehicles sold.
Tesla was in eighth place with a 4.2 per cent market share, with 37,997 sold so far this year, or more than double the 14,023 level of the first nine months of 2022.
This put it ahead of all-wheel drive specialist Subaru and Isuzu Ute.
Battery electric vehicles last month accounted for eight per cent of sales, with more than half of them Teslas.
From January 1, 2024, the New South Wales Labor government is axing $3,000 rebates for new EVs introduced by the previous Coalition government in 2021.
It was available for the first 25,000 electric or hydrogen cars bought since September 1 that year, worth up to $68,750.
The Toyota RAV4 was Australia’s most popular SUV in August and April, with the Mitsubishi Outlander (pictured) the most popular four-wheel drive in March
Stamp duty exemptions had also been offered for new and used electric vehicles worth up to $78,000, leading to potential subsidies of $5,540.
The end of sweeteners could see a run on Teslas in the final months of 2023, with Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber revealing an end to EV supply constraints.
‘Our advice is that the supply of vehicles into Australia, including electric vehicles, continues to improve so those consumers who want to buy a new vehicle should visit a dealer or manufacturer,’ he said.
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