EVs hit record 20% of TIV in Australia in May – among SUVs, EVs up 167%, PHEVs up 377%, petrol down 31%

A record 20% of all new vehicles sold in Australia last month were battery-electric vehicles (EV), Xinhua reports, citing Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (CAI) data. The previous record was 16.4% set just the month before (April).

Including hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, the CAI said that all electrified vehicles accounted for 46% of the total industry volume (TIV) in May, and that in the SUV segment, EVs grew 167%, PHEVs soared 377% and petrol SUVs contracted 31%, year-on-year (YoY).

Number one in May was Toyota as usual, but its sales have dropped from 100,753 vehicles in the first five months of 2025 to 76,017 in the same period in 2026. Second in May was BYD with 8,211 units (+155% YoY), and together with GWM and Chery, the three Chinese brands have sold 78,168 units in Australia so far this year (+70% YoY).

BYD VP Liu Xueliang was recently reported as saying that the carmaker is open to manufacturing components or potentially complete vehicles in Australia, following prime minister Anthony Albanese’s recent suggestion that technology advances accompanying the global rise of EVs could provide an opportunity for Australia to reboot its automotive manufacturing industry.

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