Electric Vehicle Statistics in Australia 2026 show 205,434 battery electric vehicles sold from January to October 2026, with BEVs taking 23.1% of new car sales in October. BYD leads BEV brands with 49,953 sales year to date, and the ACT leads the states and territories on EV share.
Electric Vehicle in Australia 2026 – Introduction
Electric Vehicle Statistics in Australia now read like a different country from a year ago. Australians bought 24,845 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in October 2026, against 7,361 in October 2025. BEVs took 23.1% of new vehicle sales and outsold petrol-only cars for the third month running. BYD sits at the top of the brand table, Tesla follows close behind, and newer entrants such as Geely, Zeekr and Jaecoo are rising fast.
This report pulls the 2026 numbers into one place. You will find monthly BEV sales, market share, BYD and Tesla results, the best-selling models, state and capital city rankings, and the policy scorecard for each government. Figures come from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) and state data. Sources differ slightly on some model counts, because some trackers include plug-in hybrids and Tesla counts sales at delivery. Each section names its source, so you can see which count it uses.
Interesting Facts About Electric Vehicle in Australia 2026
KEY 2026 EV NUMBERS (each █ = 5,000 vehicles)
BEV sales, Jan to Oct | █████████████████████████████████████████ 205,434
BEV sales, October | █████ 24,845
BYD BEV sales, YTD | ██████████ 49,953
Tesla sales, YTD | █████████ 45,755
| Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| BEV sales, January to October | 205,434 |
| BEV share of new sales, October | 23.1% (7.3% a year earlier) |
| BEV sales, October | 24,845 |
| Petrol-only sales, October | 23,605 |
| BYD BEV sales, year to date | 49,953 |
| Tesla sales, year to date | 45,755 |
| Best-selling EV, year to date | Tesla Model Y, 39,035 |
| EVs in the national fleet, June 2026 | 612,000 |
| Electric Vehicle Council H1 EV sales | 157,957 (25.8% share) |
Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Electric Vehicle Council combined data, via The Driven, November 2026; Electric Vehicle Council, State of EVs 2026.
The October result is the headline. BEVs outsold petrol-only cars by 24,845 to 23,605, and share almost tripled in a year. Diesel still led by 804 vehicles at 25,649. BYD and Tesla together hold roughly 47% of BEV sales this year, with 95,708 vehicles between them. Buyers are responding to fuel costs, more choice and the Electric Car Discount.
The fleet numbers add scale. The EVC counted 157,957 EVs sold in the first half, which includes 103,716 BEVs and 54,241 plug-in hybrids. That equals one EV every 100 seconds. The national EV fleet reached 500,000 in March 2026 and 612,000 by June.
Electric Vehicle in Australia 2026: Monthly BEV Sales by Month
BEV SALES BY MONTH, 2026 (each █ = 1,000)
Jan | ███████ 7,409
Feb | ███████████ 11,134
Mar | ████████████████ 15,839
Apr | ███████████████ 15,459
May | █████████████████████ 21,303
Jun | █████████████████████████████████ 32,570
Jul | ████████████████████████ 23,510
Aug | ███████████████████████████ 27,078
Sep | ██████████████████████████ 26,287
Oct | █████████████████████████ 24,845
| Month | BEV Sales |
|---|---|
| January | 7,409 |
| February | 11,134 |
| March | 15,839 |
| April | 15,459 |
| May | 21,303 |
| June | 32,570 |
| July | 23,510 |
| August | 27,078 |
| September | 26,287 |
| October | 24,845 |
| Year to date | 205,434 |
Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council combined BEV totals, as compiled by The Driven, November 2026.
Sales started the year at 7,409 in January and peaked at 32,570 in June, a rise of about 4.4 times in five months. June is the highest month so far. July fell to 23,510, then August recovered to 27,078. Tesla and Polestar alone delivered 7,821 BEVs that month, up 148% on August 2025. September came in at 26,287 and October at 24,845, which is 5.5% below September and 23.7% below the June peak.
The yearly picture is still strong. October sales ran about 3.4 times the 7,361 recorded a year earlier. Across ten months the market averaged about 20,500 BEVs a month. The EVC’s first-half count of 103,716 sits within 2 vehicles of the monthly figures here, which sum to 103,714 for January to June.
EV Market Share Australia 2026: BEVs vs Petrol and Diesel Sales
OCTOBER 2026 NEW VEHICLE SALES BY FUEL (each █ = 1,000)
Diesel | █████████████████████████▌ 25,649
BEV | ████████████████████████▌ 24,845
Petrol-only | ███████████████████████▌ 23,605
| Measure | October 2026 |
|---|---|
| BEV sales | 24,845 |
| Petrol-only sales | 23,605 |
| Diesel sales | 25,649 |
| BEV share of new vehicle sales | 23.1% |
| BEV share, October 2025 | 7.3% (7,361 sales) |
| Total market with Tesla and Polestar | 107,493 |
| FCAI VFACTS market, excluding Tesla and Polestar | 103,325 (up 3.8%) |
| Tesla and Polestar deliveries | 4,168 |
Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFACTS, October 2026; Electric Vehicle Council Vehicle Sales Report, October 2026.
BEVs took 23.1% of new sales in October, up from 7.3% a year earlier. That is a rise of about 3.2 times. BEVs beat petrol-only cars for the third straight month, 24,845 to 23,605, though diesel still sat ahead at 25,649. The all-sources share counts Tesla and Polestar, which sit outside VFACTS and supplied 4,168 of the 24,845 BEVs, about one in six.
Two market totals appear in reports. FCAI’s VFACTS counted 103,325 new vehicles, up 3.8%. Adding Tesla and Polestar lifts the total to 107,493. The EVC’s State of EVs 2026 report adds the half-year view: EVs, including plug-in hybrids, took 25.8% of new sales in the first half, up from 12.1% in the first half of 2025, and sales rose 117%. EV sales had already risen 91% year on year across the first eight months of 2026.
BYD Sales Australia 2026: BEV Totals, Share and Top Models
BYD 2026 SALES (each █ = 2,000)
BYD BEV YTD | █████████████████████████ 49,953
Sealion 7 YTD | ███████████ 22,488
Atto 2 BEV-only YTD | ████▌ 9,420
Atto 3 YTD | ██▌ 5,070
| BYD Metric | 2026 Value |
|---|---|
| BEV sales, October | 5,271 |
| BEV sales, year to date | 49,953 |
| Share of October BEV sales | 21.2% |
| October sales, BEV and plug-in hybrid | 10,025 |
| Share of total new vehicle market, October | 9.7% (second to Toyota’s 20,649) |
| October 2025 sales, all powertrains | 3,959 |
| Sealion 7 sales, year to date | 22,488 |
| Atto 2 BEV-only sales, year to date | 9,420 |
| Atto 3 sales, year to date | 5,070 |
Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFACTS, October 2026; Electric Vehicle Council; The Driven, November 2026.
BYD sold 5,271 BEVs in October, which is 21.2% of all BEVs. Year to date it has 49,953, ahead of Tesla’s 45,755 by 4,198. Adding plug-in hybrids, BYD recorded 10,025 sales in October. That is 9.7% of the whole new vehicle market and second only to Toyota at 20,649, or 20.0%. BYD’s October total was about 2.5 times the 3,959 it sold a year earlier.
Three models carry the brand. The Sealion 7 has 22,488 sales this year, which is 45% of BYD’s BEV total. The BEV-only Atto 2 has 9,420, and the Atto 3 has 5,070. Those three add up to 36,978, about 74% of BYD’s BEV volume. Zecar also reports that BYD delivered its 150,000th vehicle in Australia. CleanTechnica counts six BYD models among the top twenty BEVs. One caution: FCAI lists 1,943 Atto 2 sales for October, which includes more than the BEV-only count of 747.
Top EV Brands in Australia 2026: BYD, Tesla, Geely and Zeekr Compared
OCTOBER 2026 BEV SALES BY BRAND (each █ = 250)
BYD | █████████████████████ 5,271
Tesla | ████████████████ 4,050
Geely | ████████████▌ 3,139
Zeekr | ███████▌ 1,874
| Brand | October BEV Sales | Share of October BEVs |
|---|---|---|
| BYD | 5,271 | 21.2% |
| Tesla | 4,050 | 16.3% |
| Geely | 3,139 | 12.6% |
| Zeekr | 1,874 | 7.5% |
| Top four combined | 14,334 | 57.7% |
Source: Electric Vehicle Council and Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, October 2026 data, as reported by The Driven and Zecar, November 2026.
BYD led October with 5,271 BEVs, followed by Tesla on 4,050, Geely on 3,139 and Zeekr on 1,874. Those four brands took 57.7% of all BEV sales, or 14,334 vehicles. Tesla’s October deliveries rose 342% from 916 a year earlier, but fell 28.4% from September’s 5,654. Tesla counts sales at delivery, so its monthly numbers swing with delivery timing. Polestar added 118 deliveries in October.
Year to date, BYD holds 49,953 and Tesla 45,755, which together make 95,708 or about 47% of the 205,434 BEVs sold. Geely and Zeekr belong to the same Chinese group family, and between them they sold 5,013 in October, 20.2% of the market. Jaecoo is another new name: its J5 sold 1,714 in October and 12,378 so far this year.
Best-Selling Electric Cars in Australia 2026: Top Models Year to Date
BEV SALES BY MODEL, YEAR TO DATE (each █ = 1,000)
Tesla Model Y | ███████████████████████████████████████ 39,035
BYD Sealion 7 | ██████████████████████▌ 22,488
Geely EX5 | ██████████████▌ 14,534
Jaecoo J5 | ████████████▌ 12,378
BYD Atto 2 | █████████▌ 9,420
Tesla Model 3 | ██████▌ 6,720
MG4 Urban | ███▌ 3,824
| Model | October 2026 | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 3,105 | 39,035 |
| BYD Sealion 7 | 2,524 | 22,488 |
| Geely EX5 | 1,789 | 14,534 |
| Jaecoo J5 | 1,714 | 12,378 |
| BYD Atto 2 (BEV only) | 747 | 9,420 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 945 | 6,720 |
| MG4 Urban | 894 | 3,824 |
Source: The Driven, monthly EV sales by model, November 2026; CleanTechnica, November 2026; Electric Vehicle Council and FCAI data.
The Tesla Model Y leads with 39,035 sales, about 19.0% of all BEVs. Its October result was 3,105, down 30.6% from September’s 4,476. The BYD Sealion 7 sits second on 22,488, or 10.9%. Together the two best-sellers account for 61,523 vehicles, about 30% of the market. The Geely EX5 and Jaecoo J5 follow on 14,534 and 12,378.
Smaller models fill out the list. The BEV-only Atto 2 has 9,420, the Tesla Model 3 has 6,720 and the MG4 Urban has 3,824. The Model 3 posted 945 in October after a weak July of 134. The EVC links the surge in demand to cost-of-living pressure, high fuel prices and a wave of more affordable models. Model counts differ across trackers because some count plug-in versions under the same name, so check which fuel types a source includes before you compare.
EV Rankings by State and Capital City in Australia 2026: ACT, NSW and Perth
EV INDEX SCORE BY CAPITAL (each █ = 5 points)
Canberra, ACT | ████████████████▌ 84.37
Perth, WA | ████████████▌ 62.57
Sydney, NSW | ██████████▌ 53.43
| Rank | City | Chargers per 100,000 People | EV Share of Registered Vehicles | Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canberra, ACT | 83.78 | 3.06% | 84.37 |
| 2 | Greater Perth, WA | 63.81 | 1.33% | 62.57 |
| 3 | Greater Sydney, NSW | 46.92 | 1.76% | 53.43 |
Source: Nationwide EV-friendly cities study, as reported by WhichCar, 2026; ACT Government and NSW Government EV data via Savvy, 2026.
Canberra tops the capital city ranking with a score of 84.37. It has 83.78 charge connectors per 100,000 people and 3.06% of its vehicles are electric. Perth ranks second at 62.57 on 63.81 connectors, though only 1.33% of its fleet is electric. Sydney ranks third at 53.43 and has a higher fleet share than Perth at 1.76%. Darwin posted the fastest growth in EV adoption at 130.5% a year.
Among jurisdictions, the ACT leads on share of new sales. Second-hand reporting puts its EV share at 40.1% in the second quarter of 2026, and EVs outsold petrol-type vehicles there 2,060 to 1,514. NSW has the most EVs on the road, passing 100,000 registered by November 2025, and the highest count of new EVs bought since 2022 at 133,871. The ACT also reported a 34% share of new zero-emission registrations in April, about double the national figure of roughly 17% at the time. Its zero-emission fleet reached 15,596 vehicles in early May, or 4.04% of all registered vehicles. Treat these state figures as indicative and confirm them with state transport departments.
Australia EV Fleet Size and State Policy Scores 2026: Who Is Leading and Who Is Failing
EV FLEET SIZE (each █ = 25,000)
March 2026 | ████████████████████ 500,000
June 2026 | ████████████████████████▌ 612,000
| Measure | 2026 Result |
|---|---|
| EV fleet, March 2026 | 500,000 |
| EV fleet, June 2026 | 612,000 |
| Federal Government score | 7 out of 10 |
| ACT score | 7 out of 10 |
| NSW score | 7 out of 10 |
| Victoria | Bare pass |
| Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory | Failed |
| Fleet growth needed for 2035 target | About 10 times current size |
Source: Electric Vehicle Council, State of EVs 2026, September 2026.
The national EV fleet passed 500,000 in March 2026 and reached 612,000 by June. That is growth of 112,000 vehicles in about three months. The EVC says the fleet would still need to grow about 10 times to help Australia meet its 2035 emissions target. Electric trucks and vans remain below 1% of their markets, so passenger cars carry nearly all of the growth. The EVC notes that the UK offers up to $250,000 per electric truck, while New Zealand, India and France also offer more support than Australia.
The scorecard ranks governments on policy settings. The Federal Government, the ACT and NSW each scored 7 out of 10. Victoria earned a bare pass. Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory all failed. The pattern matches the sales map, with the ACT and NSW ahead on both policy and uptake. Strong policy and strong sales tend to travel together, though the data does not prove one causes the other.
Frequently Asked Questions About Electric Vehicle in Australia 2026
How many electric vehicles were sold in Australia in 2026?
Australians bought 205,434 BEVs from January to October 2026. The EVC counted 157,957 EVs, including plug-in hybrids, in the first half alone.
What is the EV market share in Australia in 2026?
BEVs took 23.1% of new vehicle sales in October 2026. EVs, including plug-in hybrids, held 25.8% in the first half.
Are EVs outselling petrol cars in Australia?
Yes. BEVs outsold petrol-only cars in October 2026, 24,845 to 23,605, for the third month in a row. Diesel still led at 25,649.
Which brand sells the most EVs in Australia in 2026?
BYD leads BEV sales with 49,953 year to date. Tesla follows with 45,755.
How many cars did BYD sell in Australia in October 2026?
BYD sold 10,025 vehicles across its BEV and plug-in hybrid range, second only to Toyota at 20,649. Its BEV sales were 5,271.
What is the best-selling electric car in Australia in 2026?
The Tesla Model Y leads with 39,035 sales year to date. The BYD Sealion 7 is second with 22,488.
How many Teslas were sold in Australia in October 2026?
Tesla delivered 4,050 vehicles, up 342% on October 2025, but down from 5,654 in September.
Which state has the most electric vehicles in Australia?
NSW has the most EVs registered, passing 100,000 by November 2025. The ACT has the highest EV share of new sales.
Which Australian city is best for EV owners in 2026?
Canberra ranks first, with 83.78 chargers per 100,000 people and 3.06% of vehicles electric.
How many EVs are on Australian roads in 2026?
The EVC counted 612,000 EVs in the national fleet as of June 2026, up from 500,000 in March.
Which governments scored best on EV policy in 2026?
The Federal Government, the ACT and NSW each scored 7 out of 10 in the EVC’s State of EVs 2026 report.
Did EV sales rise or fall in October 2026?
October BEV sales of 24,845 were 5.5% below September but about 3.4 times the 7,361 of October 2025.
How much did EV sales grow in the first half of 2026?
EV sales rose 117% compared with the first half of 2025, according to the EVC’s State of EVs 2026 report.
How many Polestar cars were sold in Australia in October 2026?
Polestar delivered 118 vehicles in October, and Tesla delivered 4,050. Both sit outside the FCAI VFACTS count.
Did Tesla sales rise in Australia in 2026?
Yes. Tesla has 45,755 sales year to date and its October deliveries rose 342% on a year earlier.
What share of new cars in the ACT are electric?
The ACT reported 34% zero-emission share in April 2026. Second-hand reports put EV share at 40.1% in the second quarter.
How many electric trucks and vans are sold in Australia?
Electric trucks and vans each make up less than 1% of their markets, according to the EVC.
Which Australian states failed the EV policy scorecard in 2026?
Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory all failed. Victoria earned a bare pass.
Where can I find official Australian EV sales data?
Use the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries VFACTS releases and the Electric Vehicle Council’s monthly sales reports.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.