After an enormous first half of 2023, the gross sales progress of battery electrical automobiles in Australia has slowed.
The query now’s whether or not BEVs have reached their logical gross sales share – for now, a minimum of – or if that is solely a lull on the way in which to market domination.
Whereas gross sales of BEVs are nonetheless stronger than they had been 12 months in the past, they’ve come off a bit within the final couple of months from the June excessive when a Tesla bonanza led an 8.8 p.c share.
They had been seven per cent of the market in July and solely 6.4 p.c in August in keeping with VFACTS knowledge issued by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
That’s the second lowest share for the yr for BEVs solely forward of January when it was 5.7 per cent for the month.
Nevertheless, the 6984 electrical automobiles offered in Australia in August was nonetheless the third highest for the yr and properly forward of the 4235 recorded in the identical month in 2022.
The August 2022 determine was the strongest gross sales month ever recorded for BEVs in Australia, reflecting the influence of the Tesla Mannequin 3 (2380 gross sales versus none the yr earlier than) and the primary supply month for Mannequin Y (1017 gross sales) in Australia.
The favored BYD Atto 3 was not but a part of the VFACTS report in August 2022. It joined in November, which implies it would solely then have an effect on the BEV gross sales numbers hole yr on yr.
Compounding the slowing fee of BEVs gross sales progress year-on-year, the general market is increasing with August an all-time document for the month pushed by rising provide and the achievement of again orders that stretch again years for fashions just like the Toyota RAV4.
Toyota additionally reported an all-time August document as manufacturing bottlenecks eased.
FCAI chief govt Tony Weber cited that issue when requested to evaluate the current dip in BEV gross sales share.
“We’re persevering with to see the Australian market normalise following provide shortages from earlier COVID plant shutdowns, microprocessor shortages and logistics and delivery bottlenecks,’ he stated.
He reeled out the stats to argue the gathering power of battery electrical and electrified hybrid automobiles in Australia.
“Though this [6.4 per cent] is small portion of general gross sales – you will need to word, this a rise of 64.9 per cent in EV gross sales from August 2022,” he stated by way of an emailed response to questions.
“EVs have seen a year-to-date enhance of 291.9 per cent in contrast with the identical time final yr.
“As customers proceed to embrace low emissions applied sciences, we’re seeing progress in electrical, plug-in and hybrid automobile gross sales. A couple of in six automobiles offered within the month of August featured low emissions applied sciences.”
12 months thus far to the tip of August, the BEV share of Australian new automobile gross sales sat at 7.2 per cent, fractionally down from the 7.4 per cent excessive after June.
12 months on yr in uncooked numbers, BEVs gross sales are up from 14,524 to 56,922.
Dropping gross sales within the final couple of months for dominant electrical automotive market chief Tesla performed a key function within the cooling of the BEV market.
Its August whole of 3309 gross sales was ok for twelfth out there general. 12 months thus far its sits eighth.
The Mannequin Y SUV’s 2314 gross sales additionally positioned it eighth for the month. In June the Mannequin Y was second outright in gross sales and in July it was fourth.
The Mannequin 3 sedan achieved 995 gross sales, which was truly up practically 400 gross sales comparted to July. It continues to dominate the sedan phase, with greater than double the gross sales of the Toyota Camry yr thus far.
World normal supervisor of auto valuation knowledgeable Redbook, Ross Sales space, stated the BEV pause was prone to be a brief one triggered by a scarcity of BEV provide somewhat than an absence of demand.
“I feel it’s a mixture of plenty of ICE boats arriving and never so many Teslas,” he stated. “Every thing now we have seen signifies persons are nonetheless on the lookout for EVs.”
EV month/yr gross sales by mannequin damaged out within the August 2023 VFACTS report included:
Audi e-Tron: 12/87
Audi e-Tron GT: 13/225
BMW i4: 14/130
BMW i7: 10/43
BMW iX: 47/604
BYD Atto 3: 803/8004
Cupra Born: 116/376
Genesis GV60: 14/155
GWM Ora: 90/212
Hyundai Ioniq 5: 105/631
Hyundai Ioniq 6: 46/388
Jaguar I-Tempo: 0/24
Kia EV6: 243/945
Lexus RZ: 41/140Mazda MX-30: 57/432
Mercedes-Benz EQA: 153/617
Mercedes-Benz EQB: 127/507
Mercedes-Benz EQC: 29/212
Mercedes-Benz EQE: 30/330
Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV: 11/12
Mercedes-Benz EQS: 3/27
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV: 10/11
Mercedes-Benz EQV: 1/8
MG4: 296/296
Nissan Leaf: 62/349
Polestar 2: 225/1678
Porsche Taycan: 22/321
Renault Megane E-Tech: 1/1
Tesla Mannequin 3: 995/13,174
Tesla Mannequin Y: 2314/19,648
Volvo C40: 122/903