Australian Plugin Vehicle Market Steady in October — Update

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.

… with a spotlight on the Great Wall Motor ORA 5 rising star.

CleanTechnica readers were probably hoping for the surge to keep surging Down Under. I was. However, it appears to have remained steady. Not the flash in the pan petrolheads were hoping for at least. In September 2026, 108,778 passenger vehicles were sold, including all drivetrains. See the charts here.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) achieved a market share of 24.2% (26,287 units), outselling petrol-only and diesel-only vehicles. Add in 10,072 plugin hybrid (PHEV) sales and you get a plugin penetration rate of approximately 34%. PHEV sales are the fastest growing segment in Australia — increasing 122% year on year. For those who care, 17,843 HEVs sold in October (a YoY increase of 20%). I am looking forward to peak HEV, followed by peak PHEV, as we have seen in more mature Scandinavian markets.

Australia’s EV penetration rate (including BEV and PHEV) has hovered in the low to mid 30% for the last few months. Not sure what the future holds, but even just maintaining this rate for a few months will make a difference.
Nothing beats lived experience. My neighbours are now asking about how much it costs to fill up. One came for coffee yesterday and stayed to go for a drive in our new Model Y. He was very impressed with the tech, the finish, and above all the running costs. He confided that he had just filled up his wife’s Honda Civic — AU$82 — and his Isuzu D Max — AU$121.

On a recent shopping expedition, we counted 10 electric cars in the car park, out of 50 vehicles. Not just Tesla and BYD, but also Zeekr, Geely, the GWM ORA 5, and a Deepal. Battery electric vehicles are making their presence felt. But not all my friends can see them. They can spot Tesla and BYD vehicles, but they tell me they don’t see any other EVs on the road. Yes, we have tried to educate them, but it is not working just yet. “See if it has an exhaust pipe. Does it have a sealed front?”

One car that I am seeing in ever increasing numbers is the refreshed Great Wall Motors ORA — now in an SUV body and a much cheaper price. When it launched back in 2023, I expected great things (see our review here). Sadly, the Funky Cat (as it is known in China) did not live up to expectations. It was the cheapest EV in Australia at the time (AU$46,000) but couldn’t compete with the BYD Dolphin and the MG 4. Now, relaunched as an SUV and with a more appropriate price (AU$34,000 — scratch that, just got an email that knocks another grand off the price), I am seeing them everywhere — 6 on the highway just yesterday.

So, on to the best-selling BEVs on the Australian market in October 2026:

1. Tesla Model Y — 3,105 units sold in the month — year to date 39,105
2. BYD Sealion 7 — 2,524 — 22,488
3. Geely EX5 — 1,789 — 14,534
4. Jaecoo J5 — 1,714 — 12,378
5. Zeekr 7X — 1,441 — 12,241
6. Geely EX2 — 1,350 — 4,314
7. Tesla Model 3 — 945 — 6,720
8. MG4 Urban — 894 — 3,824
9. BYD Atto 2 — 747 — 9,420
10. BYD Atto 3 — 709 — 5,070

Pretty much the same as last month. Obviously, BYD was the best-selling brand, closely followed by Tesla. BYD has six cars among the top twenty BEVs. There are no cars from Korean, Japanese, or European carmakers in the top ten BEV numbers. When all powertrains are considered, BYD is the second highest selling brand behind Toyota in the Australian market. There seems to be some talk in the auto news about Tesla and BYD being considered “legacy” brands — who would have thought?

Expect big things from Geely as it aggressively expands throughout Australia. Geely recently announced that it has opened 100 dealerships over the past 18 months. Its EX5 sales figures are putting pressure on the competition in the medium-SUV-segment Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Nissan X-Trail.

Utes still dominate the Australian market. When a compelling BEV offering becomes available, the top ten may change again. I was excited to see the KGM Musso BEV ute, but it has failed to gain traction. Only 269 have sold in the past few months. The Toyota BEV Hilux only has 14 units in the country — likely to be demonstrators. PHEV utes seem to be doing much better, led by the BYD Shark. Over 15,000 have sold so far this year.

Now for some newsy titbits: Dealers for established brands are calling for a temporary ban on new car brands (read Chinese made cars) entering Australia, as they cannot compete. The boss of the Australian Automotive Dealer Association says the industry has reached a crisis point, with the last quarter delivering the first loss since the global financial crisis. Chinese brands now own 36% of new car sales.

“This is a clear warning that the commercial settings underpinning our industry are becoming unsustainable,” Mr Voortman said. He speculates on the possible risks to consumers: “… the influx of new brands also puts consumers at risk, as it can lead to rapid depreciation of vehicles, a lag in parts supply, longer repair times, and orphaned vehicles should those companies choose to leave the country.”

Though, what we are seeing in Australia is that legacy brands, mainly European, are the ones leaving the country.

The FUD continues as misconceptions and outdated information are rolled out as facts. If you want to revisit these arguments, check this out. Trigger warning: some of you may wish to yell at the screen. The author twists himself in knots trying to make the argument that the wrong Australians are buying electric vehicles. I would contend that the right people are buying EVs — those commuting from the outer suburbs of our sprawling cities. Data shows that it is these people who are behind the EV sales boom we are currently experiencing, and these are the ones benefitting most from not paying inflated petrol costs caused by Iran’s unwillingness to admit defeat and grovel at the feet of the orange one. Please excuse my sarcasm. All of this is documented in the 10th annual Electric Vehicle Council Report. We reviewed this report here.

Despite the desperate attempt to promulgate fear of “these here new-fangled doodads” — the creation of doubt and uncertainly — every month shows how intelligent the average consumer is as they seek a better, electrified, and brighter future.