EV sales October 2023: BYD Dolphin, Ford Mach-E and Kia EV9 join market 

Three new electric vehicles are appearing in Australian showrooms, at three very different ends of the market. 

The BYD Dolphin hatchback, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Kia EV9 have all appeared in the latest EV sales figures, albeit in small numbers.  

At the one end, the BYD Dolphin represents one of the most affordable battery electric options on the auto market.  

The Ford Mach-E seeks to holds fast to the American brand’s famed Mustang DNA, though it does so in an SUV-like format. 

The Kia EV9 sits at the other end of the spectrum from the Dolphin – this tank-like large SUV is, with the exit of the Tesla Model X, now the only new EV available with seven-seats. It is due to launch officially in the coming weeks. 

The presence of all three indicate increased choice for drivers in a broadening Australian EV market, though official deliveries of the Mach-E and EV9 have not yet officially commenced.

That said, electric vehicle sales dipped slightly in October as fossil-fuelled utes claimed all three top spots again according to the latest figures from Vfacts. 

Year-to-date though, EV sales tipped over the 70,000 mark and are holding steady at 7 per cent for the year, notably now trailing not far behind US sales. 

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

The Tesla Model 3 made a return to the best-selling EV last month, with 1,178 vehicles delivered to customers as the Model Y took a backseat, returning to number three with just 810 sales after a bumper September, when 3,811 were delivered (its second highest month for the year to date.) 

Tesla – the only all-electric manufacturer in the top ten - held its September place at eighth position, claiming 4.7 per cent of the market, and has so far this year delivered almost 40,000 EVs to customers – 24,267 Model Ys and 15,718 Model 3s to be exact. 

The BYD Atto 3 compact SUV was the second-best top seller for the month with 912 sales - is the third-best for the year with almost 10,000 delivered to customers to the end of October. 

The MG MG4 – a competitor to the BYD Dolphin – claimed number four spot after the Model Y, with 751 sales for the month. MG has now sold more than 4,000 EVs for the year, although sales for the MG ZS EV for the month are yet to be confirmed. 

Special mention goes to the Volvo XC40 Pure Recharge SUV, of which the Swedish brand has fulfilled almost 2,500 orders. It has also delivered 1,000 C40s and as of the end of October, 37 per cent of the brand’s sales (3,464 in total) are now all-electric.

It has a goal to reach 100 per cent EV sales in Australia by 2026 and the EX30 small SUV on the way, and it is well on the way.

Other top-selling brands as far as EVs go for the month are Mercedes-Benz (2,802 sales), Kia (2,176 sales), Polestar (1,867 sales) and Hyundai (1,830 sales.)