FCAI, the Australian automotive industry lobby group, has today published a new and rather interesting report on sales of zero and low emission vehicles. I will focus on selling 100% battery electric zero emission vehicles.
FCAI Executive Director Tony Weber said:
“VFACTS data is the premier source of vehicle sales information for decision makers and commentators across Australia. This report will be vital in identifying progress in the penetration of zero and low emission vehicles into Australia’s light vehicle fleet.”
“An essential part of the journey to a zero-emissions light-duty vehicle fleet is the introduction of an ambitious but achievable fuel efficiency standard.”
Electric vehicle (EV) sales will continue to grow throughout 2022 as more models become available from a growing range of brands.
This growth was achieved despite manufacturing challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic, which included microprocessor shortages, plant closures and logistical issues.
Starting from almost nothing, EV sales in Australia last year went from less than 1% per month in January to nearly 6% in December. The trendline has been tangled up with shipping delays and other issues, meaning some months less power has landed at our ports compared to others.
Australians love SUVs, and the rising trend in SUV sales over the past year clearly shows that.
This is one of the reasons why, love them or hate them, most of the new EV models coming on sale in Australia over the next few years will be SUVs rather than other types of vehicles such as station wagons, hatchbacks and the like.
Another vehicle segment Australia loves is Utes. The reason electrics aren’t in the sales statistics is because there aren’t many EV ute options in Australia yet.
The next two graphs are not a surprise. Tesla dominates EV sales in Australia by a wide margin in daylight second place.
Several Chinese and Korean brands are doing their best to catch up. Let’s see if brands like Kia, MG, BYD and Hyundai can bring enough cars on board in 2023 to chip away at Teslas dominant market share.
Last but not least, where are the electric cars sold in Australia made? China is very much in the lead as Australian Teslas are made there, as well as BYD, MG, Polestar, Volvo and BMW’s IX3.
Korean automakers (Kia and their minority owner Hyundai) have some award-winning EV technology and design. Let’s see if they manage to supply enough electricity to import into Australia this year to catch up with their Chinese-made rivals.
