The latest VFACTS figures on Australia’s new vehicle market have revealed it remained exceptionally strong in August, with demand for battery electric vehicles playing a leading role in driving sales to 108,760, which is an increase of 0.4 per cent on the same month last year.

Chinese manufacturers took four spots in the top 10 brands list as 34,910 BEVs were sold, constituting 24.9 per cent of the entire new vehicle market. That’s an astounding increase of 171 per cent compared to August 2025 and sets a monthly record for battery-electric sales. BEVs also outsold petrol and diesel vehicles for the first time ever.

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Plug-in hybrids made up 10.5 per cent of the total vehicles moved, with conventional hybrids at 18.5 per cent, with the Toyota RAV4 coming second on the list of the top 10 models, behind the Tesla Model Y. They were followed by the HiLux, Prado, Ford Ranger and BYD Sealion 7.

Chinese automakers supplied four of the top 10 models: the Sealion 7, Cherry Tiggo 4, Geely EX5, GWM Haval Jolion and the Zeeker 7X.

The VFACTS announcement revealed that Toyota remained Australia’s best-selling brand for the month, followed by BYD, Kia, Mazda, Hyundai, GWM and Ford. SUVs were easily the most popular class, recording 66,629 sales, followed by light commercial vehicles on 18,081, passenger vehicles with 13,592 sales, and heavy commercial with 2997.

“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,” said Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber.

“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.”

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Top 10 brands (August 2026)

  1. Toyota: 19,712
  2. BYD: 8231
  3. Tesla: 7685
  4. Kia: 6500
  5. Mazda: 6203
  6. Hyundai: 5355
  7. GWM: 4870
  8. Ford: 4816
  9. MG: 4767
  10. Geely: 450
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Top 10 models (August 2026)

  1. Tesla Model Y: 6414
  2. Toyota RAV4: 5470
  3. Toyota HiLux: 4833
  4. Toyota Prado: 2475
  5. Ford Ranger: 2440
  6. BYD Sealion 7: 2213
  7. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro: 2012
  8. Geely EX5: 1947
  9. GWM Haval Jolion: 1891
  10. Zeekr 7X: 1748