In September 2023 C.E., more than one in ten new cars sold in Australia came with a plug — a first in the country’s history. Of the roughly 110,000 vehicles sold that month, 10.6% were plug-in models: 8,821 battery electric vehicles and 1,264 plug-in hybrids. The milestone marks the end of years of slow, stepwise growth and signals that EV adoption in Australia has entered a new phase.
At a glance
- EV market share: Australia hit 10.6% plug-in penetration in September 2023 C.E., up from just 0.8% only a few years earlier.
- Tesla Model Y: The best-selling battery electric vehicle that month, with 3,811 units sold — placing it third overall behind the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
- Plug-in hybrid growth: PHEV sales rose 141% compared to September 2022 C.E., with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV leading a notable resurgence.
A long road to double digits
Australia’s electric vehicle journey has been one of fits and starts. Penetration sat at a modest 0.8% not long ago. It tripled to 2.4% at the start of 2022 C.E., then climbed to 4% by year’s end. The arrival of the refreshed MG ZS EV, the BYD Atto 3, and the Tesla Model Y in late 2022 C.E. set the stage for faster growth, and for most of 2023 C.E. the monthly rate hovered around 8%.
September’s jump past 10% wasn’t a fluke. It reflected a genuine broadening of the market — more models, more price points, and more buyers ready to make the switch. The Tesla Model 3 outsold the Toyota Corolla that month, a detail that would have seemed far-fetched just two years earlier.
Who’s driving the shift
Chinese automakers are playing a central role. BYD, SAIC (maker of the MG4), and Great Wall Motors are all expanding their Australian footprints. BYD opened a flagship Mega Store in Sydney and announced plans to ramp imports to 9,000 EVs per month in 2024 C.E. The Great Wall ORA, a compact and distinctive city car, has begun appearing on Australian highways in small but growing numbers.
Salary sacrifice and novated leasing schemes are also opening the door for buyers who might have balked at upfront costs. In Queensland, government school teachers gained access to EV options through remserv, making the BYD Atto 3 newly accessible to a large group of public sector workers. These kinds of structural changes — not just new models — are what tend to sustain long-term adoption.
The International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook noted that policy support and expanding model choice are the two most reliable drivers of EV uptake in emerging markets. Australia is now seeing both at once.
The next step change
Analysts and enthusiasts alike are watching three affordable models — the BYD Dolphin, Great Wall ORA, and MG4 — as the likely catalysts for the next leap in market share. The Dolphin’s launch was delayed past its original September date, frustrating early buyers who had organized online communities to track their orders. Still, the pipeline looks strong.
Other newcomers are lining up. The Volvo EX30 is expected early in 2024 C.E. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has begun test drives in Brisbane. Renault is returning to the Australian EV market with the new Megane electric, having previously withdrawn the Zoe. Australian Financial Review coverage of the surge noted that total EV fleet numbers are expected to double over 2022 C.E. figures by year’s end.
It’s worth keeping perspective. Ten percent is a milestone, not a finish line. Australia still lags European markets where several countries have crossed 20% or even 30% EV share. Charging infrastructure outside major cities remains thin, and range anxiety is a real barrier for buyers in rural and remote areas — a significant concern in one of the world’s largest and most sparsely populated countries.
What the shift means
Transport accounts for roughly 18% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and passenger vehicles are the largest share of that. A sustained shift toward electrification won’t eliminate emissions overnight — especially while parts of Australia’s grid still rely on coal — but it moves the needle in the right direction and sets up further gains as the grid itself cleans up.
For a country that was among the slowest wealthy nations to adopt EVs, crossing 10% in a single month is a meaningful turn. The Driven, an Australian clean transport publication, called September 2023 C.E. “a watershed moment” for the local market. Whether that momentum holds — and whether the affordable-model wave delivers another step change before year’s end — is the story to watch.
Read more
For more on this story, see: CleanTechnica
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Renewables now make up at least 49% of global power capacity
- Global suicide rate has fallen by 40% since 1995
- The Good News for Humankind archive on Australia
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