New car sales fell 3.9% in March from 12 months ago to 97,251, but the shift to electric vehicles is well underway in Australia

Monthly figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that sales of battery electric vehicles are up 19.5% from March 2022 figures, while sales of plug-in hybrids are up 33.3%. % increased.

From less than 2% 12 months ago, EVs now represent nearly 7% of new car sales.

The shift comes as Tesla cut the price of its three local Model 3 variants by about $3,000 this week. It is the second time Elon Musk’s car company has cut Australian prices this year, with increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers such as MG and BYD.

The cost of a base Tesla Model 3 is now $60,900, plus road costs.

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said March was a solid month for new car sales given limited supply, and demand for electric cars is clear, although the challenge is to meet consumer tastes for cars and SUVs.

“This growth shows that Australians who can afford a battery electric vehicle that suits their lifestyle will buy them,” he said.

“The top three bestsellers for March 2023 were utes. It is noteworthy that there are no passenger cars in the 10 best selling vehicles for March. Consumer preference for cars and SUVs is an important factor to consider as we move towards a zero-emission light vehicle fleet, as these vehicles are more difficult and more expensive to electrify.”

The passenger car market was down 4,817 car sales (-21.9%) compared to 12 months ago; the Sports Utility Market increased by 2,633 car sales (5.2%); the light commercial vehicle market is down 2,182 car sales (-9%) and the heavy commercial vehicle market is up 384 car sales (9.3%).

Weber said there needs to be more investment in changing options for EV buyers.

“If we want more zero- and low-emission vehicles on our roads, then we need to provide the necessary charging infrastructure and take steps to implement an ambitious but achievable fuel efficiency standard that will encourage manufacturers to allocate more of Australia’s limited supply. point,” he said. .

So far, sales of vehicles sourced from China are up 70.7% in 2023, with 15,124 vehicles sold in March. Japan remains Australia’s largest source of vehicles (25,538). Thailand is our second largest (21,729) and Korea the fourth (12,771).

Toyota led the market with a total of 13,223 vehicles sold. Mazda was second (8,243), followed by Ford (6,485), Kia (6,403) and Mitsubishi (5,863).

The Toyota Hi-Lux was the best-selling model with 4,583 sales, followed by Ford’s Ranger with 4,508. Isuzu’s D-Max was third with 2,789, followed by Mitsubishi’s Outlander (2,169) and Tesla’s Model Y (1,938).

When it comes to EVs, Tesla remains the market leader, but its rivals are pushing ahead. The Tesla Model 3 was 11th in the total new car market with 1,640 EVs and the top selling passenger car in the country, but it was surpassed by the crossover SUV, Model Y, in 5th place with 1,938 cars