August 2026 New Car Sales: EVs overtake petrol and diesel for the first time, as Model Y takes no.1 spot

Richard Blackburn

Contributor

Electric vehicles have proven to be the most popular vehicle type Australians want to buy this August, as big-name models and brands tumble down the sales charts.

Australians bought a record number of electric vehicles last month, as Tesla’s Model Y outsold the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux to become the country’s number one selling vehicle.

Sales of electric vehicles (27,089) eclipsed both petrol-powered (25,824) and diesel (23,608) vehicles for the first time, while sales of plug-in hybrids (10,591) were up 171 per cent on the same month last year.

One in four vehicles sold in August were electric, while more than half had some form of electrification. Plug-ins made up more than 10 per cent of sales, while conventional hybrids accounted for 18.5 per cent.

Sales of conventionally-powered vehicles are down markedly this year as the fuel crisis and generous EV subsidies appear to have triggered a tipping point in the local market.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said the market was undergoing a significant structural shift.

The Zeekr 7X enjoyed its second month in the top 10.

“The sustained level of BEV sales, together with changing brand preferences, shows how quickly consumer choice and competition are reshaping Australia’s new-vehicle market,” Mr Weber said.

But he warned that the surge in EV sales required immediate action on recharging infrastructure.

“These changes continue to reinforce the need for infrastructure settings that keep pace with the market. Accessible and dependable charging will remain critical to consumer confidence, particularly on highways, in rural and regional areas and for motorists without access to charging at home,” he said.

Tesla recorded 6414 Model Y sales in August, outselling the Ford Ranger – Australia’s number one vehicle for the past three years – by more than two to one.

The result means the Tesla SUV is on track to challenge for the number one spot this year – and become the first electric vehicle to top the sales charts. Utes have held the top spot for the past decade.

Tesla has sold 31,454 Model Ys this year, just behind the Ranger on 32,796 and the Hilux on 32,161.

However, the US manufacturer typically has large peaks and troughs in its deliveries, so it remains to be seen whether it can maintain its current momentum.

The Toyota RAV4 was second for the month of August with 5470 sales, roughly a third of which were the plug-in hybrid version.

It was followed by the Toyota Hilux with 4833 sales and the Toyota Prado with 2475. The Ranger was relegated to fifth place with just 2440 sales, less than half the number sold last August.

Ford Ranger Sport 2026 driving — Ford Ranger sales halved in August.

Ford has been dealing with a large product recall and that is believed to have affected its ability to deliver new vehicles.

The strong demand for electrified vehicles has benefited Chinese importers, whose fleets are dominated by electric and plug-in hybrid models.

While Toyota remained the country’s most popular brand in August, four of the top ten makers were Chinese. BYD’s sales have more than doubled this year, and it was comfortably the second most popular brand last month, while GWM, MG and Geely were all in the top ten.

The Geely EX2

Sales of Chinese imports are up 72.6 per cent this year and six of the top ten selling vehicles for the month were imported from China.

Long-time top seller Mitsubishi is the latest household name to drop out of the top ten, following the likes of Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen, who are all struggling to compete with their cut-price Chinese rivals.

A Toyota spokesperson said the company was pleased with the performance of the new RAV4 and said the brand remained on track to hit its annual target of 230,000, thanks to improved supply from head office.

The brand’s sales are still down by 17.3 per cent, but its August result was just 5.2 per cent down on the same month last year.

Mitsubishi’s upcoming Pajero. The Japanese carmaker has fallen out of the top 10.

Japanese brands continue to spiral down the sales ladder. Mazda sales are down 15.9 per cent, Subaru is down 27.5 per cent, Mitsubishi 29 per cent and Nissan 33.6 per cent.

Overall, the new-car market was up 4.8 per cent for the month at 108,760 sales, compared with 103,695 last August. Year-to-date, 819,209 vehicles have been sold, up marginally from 815,603 last year.

Sales of 4WD utes were down by more than 27 per cent last month, while sales of large American-style pick ups were up by 18 per cent.

August top ten models