The biggest year for the adoption of electric vehicles in Australia was calendar 2022. In a market where more than 1.08 million vehicles were sold, according to recently released data from the Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries and its vFacts publication, EV sales made up 3.1% of all new car sales.
33,410 brand-new, fully electric vehicles were sold in Australia in total in calendar year 2022, with December being a standout month with 5,084 BEV sales and a market share of 5.8% – the best ever for Australia but still far behind markets in Europe and China.
Of course, Tesla was the market leader, accounting for almost two-thirds of all battery electric vehicles sold in the nation with the help of the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover.
With 10,877 sales, the Tesla Model 3 not only outsold the Toyota Camry, which had 9,538 sales in 2022, but also was the best-selling EV overall.
According to vFacts, the Tesla Model Y also accounted for 8,717 sales, which is quite an accomplishment considering that this electric SUV was only locally introduced in June 2022, with deliveries starting in August.
Newer brands like BYD and Polestar, which both had a very successful year, outsold many conventional automotive brands in Australia, are among the top 5 best-selling EVs for the calendar year.
With 1,268 sales, December was the highest sales month for the BYD Atto 3 to date. It happened after the five-star ANCAP-rated EV’s deliveries resumed in full force.
As a result, the Atto 3’s total annual sales increased to 2,113. With a starting price of just over $50,000 to end the year, it is still Australia’s most affordable entirely new electric vehicle.
Polestar joined the group as well and completed its first full year of deliveries and sales, accounting for 1,524 of the year’s battery electric sales. With over 259 sales, December was one of the brand’s busiest sales months.
The Kona EV, with 1,096 sales, was Hyundai’s best-selling battery electric vehicle for the year.
Deliveries of the new model began in the second half of the year. MG also introduced their new ZS EV in the Australian market. The Driven is awaiting the total sales figures from MG Australia after MG sold more than 1,000 electric vehicles during the year.
Tony Weber, Chief Executive Officer of FCAI, discussed the outlook for zero and low emission vehicles in 2023:
“While 2022 has been a year of resilience and recovery, 2023 is shaping up as one of the most significant in recent history, particularly in terms of the development of policies that set the direction for the future decarbonisation of the light vehicle fleet.”
In addition to the fuel efficiency standard, Weber said that to reduce emissions and ensure a sustainable automotive industry, a technology mix, infrastructure investment, and behavior change initiatives were also necessary.
The sales of 81,786 mild hybrids, 5,937 plug-in hybrids, and 15 hydrogen vehicles during the calendar year are also noteworthy statistics.
An extremely exciting year for EV adoption is 2023. This year will see a significant increase in EV adoption as supply-chain issues are resolved and more EV models reach our shore.
Leading companies like Tesla will continue to lead the pack, and during the year, local sales of the more family-friendly Model Y are predicted to surpass those of the Model 3.
Many Australians will be able to make the switch to an environmentally friendly EV thanks to more affordable models like the MG4, ORA Cat, and BYD Dolphin, which will go really well.
