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Electric-car sales broke records again in 2024, but it was far from smooth sailing – and deliveries in the second half of the year were down 7 per cent. Here's how every vehicle sold.
Electric Cars
Sales of electric vehicles in Australia broke records in 2024 – for at least the sixth year running – despite a slowdown in the second half of this year, and a slump in Tesla sales.
It is a 4.7 per cent increase on the 87,217 reported in 2023 – setting a record – and with electric heavy commercial vehicles (such as trucks) added, the 2024 total grows to 91,493, up 4.6 per cent on 87,430 vehicles in 2023.
Electric-car sales growth outpaced the entire new-car market – which was up 1.7 per cent in 2024 – but there is more to the story than the top-line annual results.
Sales of Tesla cars – which account for two in five electric vehicles sold – were down 16.8 per cent in 2024, compared to an increase of 28.8 per cent for electric passenger, SUV and light-commercial vehicles from all other brands.
In the second half of the year, when Tesla deliveries were down 25.8 per cent, sales of all other EVs were still up 9.6 per cent – though it averaged to a 6.9 per cent decline for the six-month period.
Tesla remained the top seller of electric vehicles, contributing 38,347 cars to the total – down from 46,116 in 2023 according to FCAI data.
It accounted for 42 per cent of electric cars sold – down from 52.9 per cent in 2023, and 59 per cent in 2022 – as its decline coincides with the arrival of new models from other brands.
It was followed by BYD – also the second-biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles globally – with 14,260 electric sales locally, up 14.6 per cent from 12,438 the prior year.
MG finished third on 8239 sales, ahead of BMW with 7787 deliveries.
The top-selling electric vehicle for the second year running was the Tesla Model Y (21,253 deliveries, down 26.1 per cent).
It finished 11th overall – when petrol, diesel and hybrid cars are included – down from sixth last year, and was the eighth-best-selling vehicle that isn't a ute.
In second place remained the Tesla Model 3 sedan – down 1.5 per cent to 17,094 deliveries – ahead of the MG 4 (6934 sales, up 121 per cent), BYD Seal (6393 sales, up 1257 per cent) and BYD Atto 3 (5751 sales, down 47.9 per cent).
Among the electric cars with the biggest sales growth in 2024 was the BMW i4, up 484 per cent to 2062 deliveries.
It is thanks to a new entry-level eDrive 35 variant – eligible for Fringe Benefits Tax exemptions when acquired through a novated lease – which accounted for 82 per cent of sales.
Many electric cars did not grow their sales last year – the Audi e-tron GT was down 75.2 per cent, albeit from a low base (339 to 84), while the Cupra Born fell by 47.6 per cent from 887 to 465 deliveries.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
