Australians are rapidly changing the type of vehicles they buy, with new VFACTS data released today showing a significant shift away from petrol and diesel models toward electrified alternatives.
Battery electric vehicles accounted for a record 20 per cent of all new vehicle sales from all sources during May 2026, marking the highest monthly market share recorded to date.
VFACTS data shows Australians purchased 100,206 new vehicles during May, with overall sales declining by 4.8 per cent compared with May 2025.
Electrified vehicles more broadly, including battery electric vehicles, conventional hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, accounted for 46 per cent of new vehicle sales from all sources during the month.
FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said the results demonstrated the pace of consumer adoption of lower-emission technologies in response to an international shock.
“The shift is particularly evident in the SUV segment, where consumer preferences are changing rapidly. Today’s SUV buyer is increasingly choosing hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric options,” Mr Weber said.
In the dominant SUV segment, EVs were up 167 per cent compared with May 2025 and plug-in hybrids increased by 377 per cent, while sales of petrol SUVs declined by 31 per cent and diesel models fell by 41 per cent over the same period.
Toyota remained Australia’s leading brand during May with 16,342 sales, followed by BYD (8,211), Ford (7,195), Hyundai (7,007) and Kia (6,761). Emerging brands continued to record strong growth, reflecting increasing competition across the market.
BYD increased sales by 155 per cent compared with May 2025, while Omoda Jaecoo recorded growth of 729 per cent and Geely increased sales by 416 per cent.
Stronger EV adoption places greater pressure on charging infrastructure.
“As the number of EVs on the road continues to grow, charging infrastructure must become more of a priority. Continued investment and enabling policy settings will be essential to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with consumer adoption,” Mr Weber said.
Yesterday’s findings by Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry reinforce what consumers and industry have been saying for some time.
“Charging infrastructure rollout must accelerate if Australia is to maintain consumer confidence and support continued uptake,” Mr Weber said.
FCAI and its members continue to respond to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) by increasing the supply of low-emission vehicles in the Australian market.
“The evidence increasingly demonstrates that NVES is encouraging manufacturers to bring more low emissions vehicles to Australia, increasing both consumer choice and technology availability,” Mr Weber said.
“Regulatory stability and growth in public charging infrastructure is now critical to maintaining investment, consumer confidence and continued growth, particularly during a period of global economic uncertainty.”
VFACTS is the authoritative source of vehicle sales in Australia, providing compliance support, new car sales reports, market intelligence and data insights across passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including all drivetrains in the Australian market.
VFACTS APRIL 2026
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