EV sales May 2023: Tesla Model Y claims top SUV spot

An extra 32,050 electric vehicles (EVs) have joined Australian roads so far in 2023, according to the latest VFACTS data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

The figures also reveal EVs have claimed a 7 per cent market share of new-car sales year-to-date, hitting 7.7 per cent in May.

May's result is largely thanks to EV mainstay brand Tesla, which hit two milestones in May: surpassing 10,000 year-to-date sales of its Model 3 sedan (10,117 in total, 1298 in May), and cracking 8000 year-to-date sales of its Model Y SUV (8442 in total, 3178 in May).

Notably, these figures mean the Model Y knocks off Toyota's RAV4 off the top SUV seat, and takes the number three spot in overall vehicle sales after the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

Related: Electric vehicle sales in April 2023

Overall, 8124 new EVs hit the road in May. This would have seen EVs claim approximately 10 per cent of the market had it not been for a resurgence in diesel and petrol sales as Toyota and other legacy carmakers delivered vehicles to fulfil long-delayed orders.

Tesla claimed a healthy 55 per cent of the EV market and 4.2 per cent of the broader vehicle market, falling one rung from April to eighth place overall.

Although hybrid sales gained by 2000 from the previous month as Toyota’s deliveries clawed back, BEVs outsold hybrids once more time for the fourth month in a row.

What was Australia’s best-selling electric car in May 2023?

The Tesla Model Y overtook the Tesla Model 3 in May 2023, as double the number of its sedan stablemate were delivered to new customers.

While the Model Y claimed the top spot in the overall SUV segment, the Model 3 was no shirker. It was the fourth-best-selling sedan after the Hyundai i30, the MG MG3 and the Toyota Corolla.

Meanwhile, BYD delivered a record number of Atto 3 compact SUVs (1448), almost fulfilling its local importer’s claimed total monthly production limit.

This came as BYD announced a record month for EV sales worldwide, and the BYD Seal was spotted testing on local roads, hinting at the Chinese EV maker’s next move on the local market.

BMW study finds 48 per cent of drivers want an EV next

A new survey commissioned by BMW, released in May, underlined the importance of fuel efficiency standards to ensure an adequate and affordable supply of EVs to Australians.

According to the survey, 48 per cent of drivers want an EV when they next buy a car, and a whopping 92 per cent expect to own one by 2040.

The largest cohort that says they’d buy an EV next are males aged between 18 and 34, and 67 per cent of Australians said they believe EVs are the future of transport.

Price remains a barrier to uptake, and drivers said this was still the primary reason they had not yet bought an EV.

Range anxiety also remains a concern, emphasising the need for extensive national charging networks such as those being planned by the NRMA.

Whilst range anxiety remains a concern, the survey also found that most Australians only need to drive 30km most days. However, the survey also found only 31 per cent of drivers were aware there are charging stations in their local area.