Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Australia fell in September, while hybrid cars soared compared to the same month in 2023.
Australians brought 6,400 EVs in the first month of spring, down 27 percent on September 2023 and making up just 6.6 percent of new car sales.
On the other hand, hybrid vehicle sales surged 34.4 percent to 13,500 during the same period. Plug-in hybrid car sales also sky rocketed 89.9 percent to 2,400.
“This is in spite of a strong supply of EVs and the addition of a number of new brands and models being introduced into the Australian market. It is important to note that right now EVs are concentrated in limited market segments such as Passenger Medium and Small and Medium SUVs,” he said.
“This trend in lower EV sales and increased hybrid and plug-in hybrids is reflected in markets across the world as production and purchase incentives are being wound back.”
Weber added that customers across the board were showing a willingness to take steps towards lower emission vehicles, with sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid continuing to increase.
Looking at the wider market, Australians purchased 97,020 new vehicles in September, down a 12.4 percent compared to the same month last year. New South Wales (NSW) sold the most cars.
“During the early part of the year, we witnessed record sales numbers. However, the September result shows that the state of the economy is impacting purchasing intentions,” Weber said.
SUVs and utes remain the vehicle of choice for around 80 percent of new car buyers.
“Nine of the top ten vehicles sold during September were in the Medium or Large SUV or Light Commercial segments. By contrast the passenger segment was less than 15 percent of the market,” Weber said.
Toyota was the most popular brand in Australia, followed by Ford, Mazda, Kia, and Mitsubishi.
The Toyota RAV4 was Australia’s most popular car, followed by the Ford Ranger, the Toyota HiLux, the Ford Everest, and the Isuzu Ute D-Max.
Vehicle sales slid 23.1 percent in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 16.8 percent in NSW, 16.5 percent in Victoria, 11.1 percent in Tasmania, 8.3 percent in Queensland, and 0.2 percent in Western Australia.
Bucking the trend, vehicle sales in the Northern Territory rose 5.6 percent.
New Legislation Could Weigh on EV Market in 2025
Despite the declining EV sales, the Australian government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) could push more EV’s and hybrid vehicles to the market in 2025.The legislation, passed this year, regulates emissions from new cars and will apply from early 2025.
The government is also establishing a new regulatory body which will monitor the day to day operation of the legislation.
“This includes, supporting industry to comply with legislation, maintaining the unit registry, monitoring and compliance, reporting and issuing of infringement notices,” the government states.
“A person to whom the standard applies in a particular year must ensure that their final emissions value for the year is zero or less. Failure to achieve this may result in a civil penalty,” the law states.
“There are a number of offences and civil penalties in relation to the vehicle efficiency standard and the registry. A range of compliance and enforcement powers are provided for, primarily by applying the Regulatory Powers Act.”
