EVwire brief: The Tesla Model Y ranked as Australia’s third best-selling vehicle of any type, and the best-selling EV in March, as EV adoption reached a record 14.6% market share. The Tesla Model Y recorded 2,818 units sold (+63% YoY), trailing only the Ford Ranger (4,452) and Toyota Hilux (4,167). So in the non-ute segments, we can already say an EV is at the top.
The performance comes as BEVs captured their highest-ever share of the Australian market, rising 88.9% to 15,839 units. At the same time, petrol and diesel vehicle sales declined 20.8% and 10.1% year-over-year, respectively.
The Tesla Model Y dominated Australia’s BEV segment in March
FCAI chief executive Tony Weber stated that the surge in EVs might be due to the disruption in fuel supply caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Still, he stated that Australia welcomes the EV surge.
“The automotive industry would welcome a sustained shift to EVs, given its substantial investment in bringing more than 100 EV models to the Australian market and the industry’s efforts to meet ambitious NVES targets.”
Tesla and BYD’s Australia sales in focus
Tesla’s sales in March reached 3,485 units, just behind BYD, which saw 4,206 EV sales during the month. Year-to-date figures show BYD at 9,954 units compared to Tesla’s 7,260.
Some of BYD’s standout performers in March were Sealion 7, which sold 1,970 units, the Atto 2, which sold 572, and the Atto 3, which sold 466. Year-to-date, the Sealion 7 has sold 4,468, the Atto 2 has sold 1,481, and the Atto 3 has sold 1,084 units.
Tesla’s March surge highlights stronger short-term momentum.
Tesla Australia celebrated 150k Teslas on the road in November 2025
The Tesla Model Y remains Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle year-to-date, with 5,897 units in Q1 2026, including a strong 2,818 registrations in March alone. This marks a robust rebound, with March sales up 63% from 1,725 units in March 2025 and the Q1 total surging +89.4% from 3,114 units in Q1 2025.
Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 continues to lead the premium mid-size sedan segment despite a softer quarter overall. It recorded 667 units in March, bringing its year-to-date total to 1,363. This remains well ahead of traditional luxury rivals such as the BMW 3 Series (182 YTD) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (148 YTD). However, Model 3 sales for the quarter were down around 40% year-on-year.
Source: The Driven, Car Expert, and Drive
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