Australia makes gains in electric vehicle uptake – pv magazine Australia
The number of motorists opting to buy an electric vehicle in Australia continues to rise with new-car sales data showing almost 157,000 EVs were purchased in 2025 with total sales increasing by 38% compared to the previous year.
Image: BYD
New figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) reveal a record 156,753 electric vehicles (EVs) were purchased across Australia last year with EVs making up 13.1% of all new car sales, up from 9.6% in 2024.
Across the 2025 calendar year Australian motorists purchased 103,269 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), accounting for 8.3% of all new-car sales for the year, up from 7.4% in 2024. Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) sales more than doubled to 53,484 units, an increase of 130.9% compared to 2024.
The annual results came on the back of a solid finish to the year with December marking one of the strongest months on record for EV sales.
EVs accounted for 16.7% of all new cars sold in Australia in the final month of 2025, the highest monthly EV market share yet recorded. Of 16,303 EVs sold last month, 10,384 were BEVs and 5,919 were PHEVs.
The results bring Australia’s total EV fleet to more than 454,000 vehicles.
EVC Chief Executive Officer Julie Delvecchio said the results point to a sustained shift in buyer priorities with EVs “now an established and growing part of Australia’s car market” but others were less enthusiastic.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said growth in the BEV segment has been slower than expected.
“The growth of battery electric vehicle market share has been anaemic, increasing by 1.1 percentage points over the past two years, well below earlier projections,” he said, adding stable policy support and continued investment in recharging infrastructure are required to support growth.
“International experience shows that sustained EV uptake is closely linked to the availability of consumer incentives and supporting infrastructure,” he said.
“While the industry is investing heavily in battery electric technology, uptake ultimately depends on consumer readiness and the availability of reliable public recharging infrastructure.”
Tesla remained Australia’s highest-volume EV brand in 2025, despite experiencing a notable year-on-year decline.
The United States car giant saw its total Australian sales fall by 24.8% year-on-year, with 28,856 vehicles delivered in 2025.
Despite the dropoff, Tesla still topped the annual EV sales charts ahead of Chinese giant BYD which delivered 25,287 vehicles nationally across the calendar year, representing a 77.3% increase year-on-year.
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