Australia’s vehicle market remained very strong in August, with Chinese manufacturers occupying half of the top 10 brands and demand for battery electric vehicles remaining at elevated levels.
VFACTS recorded 100,939 sales during August, up 0.4 per cent on the same month last year. Year-to-date VFACTS sales reached 811,388, broadly consistent with the same period in 2025.
Across all reporting sources, 27,089 BEVs were sold during August. This represented 24.9 per cent of the entire new vehicle market – a 171 per cent increase compared to August 2025. It was the highest number of BEVs sold in one month in Australia.
Within VFACTS, plug-in hybrid vehicles represented 10.5 per cent of August sales, while conventional hybrids accounted for 18.5 per cent.
Toyota remained the market leader, reporting 19.5 per cent of sales and five Chinese brands ranked among the top 10: BYD, GWM, MG, Geely and Chery recorded a combined 26,610 sales, or 26.4 per cent of the VFACTS market. Other brands in the Top 10 were Kia, Mazda, Hyundai and Ford.
Manufacturers based in China also supplied five of the 10 highest-selling models: BYD Sealion 7, Chery Tiggo 4, Geely EX5, GWM Haval Jolion and Zeekr 7X.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said the August results showed the market was undergoing a significant structural shift.
“The sustained level of BEV sales, together changing brand preferences, shows how quickly consumer choice and competition are reshaping Australia’s new-vehicle market,” Mr Weber said.
“These changes continue to reinforce the need for infrastructure settings that keep pace with the market. Accessible and dependable charging will remain critical to consumer confidence, particularly on highways, in rural and regional areas and for motorists without access to charging at home.”
VFACTS AUGUST 2026
Summary by Class:
SALES RESULTS:
Top 10 Models (by sales volume):
State/Territory results (by sales volume):
Total Vehicle Sales – Year to Date:
