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Tesla’s struggle to remain as titleholder of best selling EV brand in Australia
February 2025 electric car sales are in and the results are surprising.
Data from the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) and the federal chamber of automobile industries (FCAI) VFACTS report show a 37 percent electric car sales slump at the start of 2025 led by EV-specialist Tesla.
The nation’s top selling EV brand nationally for over three years has seen a 72 percent month-on-month slump: just 1592 units sold in February 2025 compared to 5665 in February 2024.
This follows a pattern set last month, when Tesla sales fell below 1000 units.
| Date | Tesla | BYD |
| July 2024 | 2592 | 1,786 |
| August 2024 | 2393 | 2,021 |
| September 2024 | 2649 | 1,826 |
| October 2024 | 1464 | 1,732 |
| November 2024 | 2540 | 1,552 |
| December 2024 | 3593 | 1,993 |
| January 2025 | 739 | 675 |
| February 2025 | 1592 | 3,281 |
Meanwhile, VFACTS statistics show a steady rise in sales for BYD, with a February 2025 total sales figure of 3281 units — 1732 units more than February 2024.
Polestar continues to find its footing in Australia, with 113 units sold last February and 125 units sold last month.
Initially released in 2022, Tesla’s top performing Model Y is now quite old, in EV terms. Despite discounts of between $4000-$8000, 2025’s slow sales are likely from a combination of low stock and buyers waiting for the new Model Y to go on sale.
The 2025 Model Y ‘Juniper’ has received an expansive interior and exterior redesign, plus improvements to overall efficiency and autonomous driving options. It’s more expensive, too. The Tesla Model Y Launch series costs $73,400 (before on-road costs). That said, it should boost sales upon its expected release in May this year, if the Model 3 is anything to go off.
There’s never been a more competitive domestic market for electric mid-size SUVs in Australia. The Model Y rivals the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5, and Toyota bZ4X more. With Australian buyers having more choice than ever before, perhaps it is unsurprising that potential Tesla customers have been conquered by other manufacturers.
There is also a growing anti-Tesla sentiment, including from existing owners. Some have taken to rebadging their vehicles in response to controversial CEO Elon Musk’s actions.
If Tesla is to remain as Australia’s top selling EV brand, sales will need to improve in coming months. It will be interesting to watch how the new Model Y affects the status quo.
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