Electric vehicle sales in March reached an all-time high in Australia, reaching a record number of 15,839 and a record share of 14.5 per cent – nearly double the share in the same month last year – as consumers searched out EVs amid the global fuel crisis.
The EV sales were led by China’s BYD, which once again overtook Tesla in total brand sales, but could have been higher were it not for many companies running out of stock. Tesla last week promised more ships, and more deliveries, after the wait time for its Model Y electric SUV blew out to several months.
BYD, which has a number of different models, sold a total of 4,206 EVs in March, beating Tesla with 3,485, although the Model Y regained its position as the top selling EV with 2,818 – which would put it at number 3 in the overall list behind the popular Ford and Toyota diesel utes.
Other EV makers also boosted sales, helped by multiple incentives that were already in place in March before Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, soaring prices and concerns about fuel supply as many servos ran out of fuel.
In March last year, EVs accounted for only 7.5% of total new car sales.
EV Sales Breakdown – March 2026
| FCAI vFacts | 12,194 |
| EVC (Polestar + Tesla) | 3,645 |
| EV Sales Total (FCAI + EVC) | 15,839 |
| Total Vehicle Sales (FCAI + EVC) | 108,703 |
For the first three months of the year, EV sales have doubled in Australia. Last year they totalled 17,901, and 2026 already shows 34,382 new electric cars made it onto the road.
In March, PHEV sales increased from the previous month, with 8,215 PHEVs sold, up from over 5,000 in February.
Looking into the EV models that made up the top 5 Tesla sales, the Tesla Model Y stayed at the top spot with 2,818 sales. The Sealion 7 SUV came in the second spot with 1,970 sales.
The third spot went to Zeekr’s 7X, raking in 679 sales during the month. Tesla Model 3 and Geely EX5 made up the rest of the top 5.
Other notable mentions include the BYD Atto 1, Australia’s cheapest EV, which saw 488 sales in its best month to date. Omoda Jaecoo J5 EV also showed solid growth in the SUV segment, surpassing 500 sales in the month.
The best-selling EVs in March 2026 were:
- Tesla Model Y – 2,818 sales
- BYD Sealion 7 – 1,970 sales
- Zeekr 7X – 679 sales
- Tesla Model 3 – 667 sales
- Geely EX5 – 606 sales
- Kia EV5 – 587 sales
- BYD Atto 2 – 572 sales
- Omoda Jaecoo J5 – 569 sales
- BYD Atto 1 – 488 sales
- MG S5 – 475 sales
- BYD Atto 3 – 466 sales
- Kia EV3 – 461 sales
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers regarding sales of some EV models, and this will be updated once they are received. You can see our detailed data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026 – by model and by brand
FCAI CEO Tony Weber said it is too early to determine whether this represents a structural shift in the market. “More consumers are considering EVs due to the disruption to fuel supply caused by conflict in the Middle East, along with the review into the fringe benefits tax concession for EVs,” he said in a statement.
“The automotive industry would welcome a sustained shift to EVs, given its substantial investment in bringing more than 100 EV models to the Australian market and the industry’s efforts to meet ambitious NVES targets.
“A long-term shift to EVs will require Australian governments to sharpen their focus on public charging infrastructure, particularly in regional areas and locations where home charging is not practical.”
Will the recent growth in interest and EV lead times being pushed out for brands like Tesla and others impact upcoming monthly sales? Time will tell.
See full details of EV sales for each month of the year in our database here.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.