Sales of electric vehicles in Australia reached a record high of 16.46 per cent in the month of April, as buyers continued to turn to EVs in the face of high fuel prices and the uncertainty of future supplies because of war in the Middle East.
The latest month was led by a surge from Chinese EV makers BYD, now the dominant brand in the market, along with Geely and Zeekr. Tesla also more than doubled its sales from last April, although its deliveries tend to be lower at the start of a new quarter.
The new data released on Tuesday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council shows that 15,459 full battery electric vehicles were sold in April, down slightly from 15,839 in March.
However, in terms of market share that was an improvement from the previous record level of 14.5 per cent a month earlier. In April last year, EVs accounted for just 6.6 per cent of the market, and year-to-date EV sales are already more than 40,000, more than double last year’s total at the same stage.
Chinese car maker BYD was again the leader in the EV pack, and the second biggest brand overall behind Toyota, with the BYD Sealion 7 taking the top spot in the electric table with 1,780 sales. It also boasted strong results from the its lower priced Atto 3, Atto 2, Atto 1, and Dolphin.
The Sealion 7 SUV is also inching closer to the Tesla Model Y as the best selling car in the year to date, with sales trailing by less than 500 cars.
EV Sales Breakdown – April 2026
FCAI vFacts
14,001
EVC (Polestar + Tesla)
1,458
EV Sales Total (FCAI + EVC)
15,459
Total Vehicle Sales (FCAI + EVC)
94,049
Indeed, the Sealion 7 SUV is chasing down the Tesla Model Y in year to date terms, although Tesla does start each quarter slowly. The Sealion 7 is now less than 500 cars behind.
The Model Y actually fell to fourth place in April, with 822 sales, beaten by the Geely EX5, which accumulated 1,202 sales during the month, on the back of a new finance incentive, and the Zeekr 7X, which had its highest month of deliveries, coming in third and approaching close to 1,000 sales for the first time.
Other notable mentions include the Kia EV5, which came in fifth with 794 sales, and the Omoda Jaecoo J5 EV, which also showed solid growth in the SUV segment, surpassing 500 sales in the month.
The best-selling EVs in April 2026 were:
BYD Sealion 7 – 1,780 sales
Geely EX5 – 1,202 sales
Zeekr 7X – 973 sales
Tesla Model Y – 822 sales
Kia EV5 – 794 sales
Omoda Jaecoo J5 – 692 sales
BYD Atto 3 – 664 sales
BYD Atto 2 – 660 sales
BYD Atto 1 – 533 sales
MG MG4 – 522 sales
Toyota bZ4X – 483 sales
BYD Dolphin – 445 sales
See the full details of EV sales for each month of the year in our database here.
The Driven is waiting to hear back from various manufacturers regarding sales of some EV models, and this will be updated once they are received.
In April, PHEV sales increased with 9,628 PHEVs sold during the month. This is up from over 8,200 in March.
Image: Riz Akhtar
FCAI CEO Tony Weber said the increase in supply of EVs since the introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Scheme, combined with higher petrol prices and the continued support provided through the Federal Government’s Electric Car Discount (which is to be extended) is now translating into stronger demand.
“There are around 110 EV models available to Australians, and the supply of EVs continues to increase,” he said. “The Electric Car Discount has provided important stimulus to the market, and its continuation will support the growth of EVs.”
The uptick in EV sales shows demand is now at an all-time high compared to previous years, with YTD EV sales more than doubling in 2026.
What is likely to follow is that those brands with EV stock and large shipments, such as BYD, will see a huge amount of first-time EV buyers become customers, especially as we approach the busiest period of the car sales calendar, EOFY.
See also: “A good outcome:” Full FBT exemption for EVs to stay for another year, despite calls to scrap it
And: Motoring groups reports five-fold surge in EV interest, led by BYD, MG and Chery
See The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.
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Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.