SYDNEY: Electric vehicle (EV) sales increased significantly in March, reaching their highest share of the Australian market to date, the latest release of VFACTS sales data shows.
VFACTS is the authoritative source of vehicle sales in Australia, providing compliance support, new car sales reports, market intelligence and data insights across passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including all drivetrains in the Australian market.
A total of 15,839 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from all sources were sold in March, accounting for 14.6 per cent of total sales.
By comparison, battery electric vehicles accounted for 7.5 per cent of sales in March 2025.
Overall, 105,058 vehicle sales were recorded by VFACTS in March 2026, which is 3.3 per cent lower than March 2025.
Toyota was the market leader in March with sales of 16,574, followed by Kia (7,320), BYD (7,217), Mazda (7,156) and Ford (7,149).
The top models were the Ford Ranger (4,452), Toyota HiLux (4,167), Nissan X-Trail (2,438), Mitsubishi Outlander (2,318) and Hyundai Kona (2,316).
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said the March report showed strong growth in EV demand but cautioned that the increase may reflect short-term influences.
“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,” Mr Weber said.
“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.
“Ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with consumer demand will be critical to enabling sustainable growth in EV adoption beyond short-term influences.”
