Electric vehicle sales increased significantly in March, reaching their highest share of the Australian market to date, the latest release of VFACTS sales data shows.
A total of 15,839 battery electric vehicles from all sources were sold in March, accounting for 14.6 per cent of total sales. By comparison, battery electric vehicles accounted for 7.5 per cent of sales in March 2025.
Overall, 105,058 vehicle sales were recorded by VFACTS in March 2026, which is 3.3 per cent lower than March 2025.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said the March report showed strong growth in EV demand but cautioned that the increase may reflect short-term influences.
“It is too early to determine whether this represents a structural shift in the market. More consumers are considering EVs due to the disruption to fuel supply caused by conflict in the Middle East, along with the review into the fringe benefits tax concession for EVs,” Mr Weber said.
“The automotive industry would welcome a sustained shift to EVs, given its substantial investment in bringing more than 100 EV models to the Australian market and the industry’s efforts to meet ambitious NVES targets.
“A long-term shift to EVs will require Australian governments to sharpen their focus on public charging infrastructure, particularly in regional areas and locations where home charging is not practical.
“Ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with consumer demand will be critical to enabling sustainable growth in EV adoption beyond short-term influences.”
Toyota was the market leader in March with sales of 16,574, followed by Kia (7,320), BYD (7,217), Mazda (7,156) and Ford (7,149). The top models were the Ford Ranger (4,452), Toyota HiLux (4,167), Nissan X-Trail (2,438), Mitsubishi Outlander (2,318) and Hyundai Kona (2,316).
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 MARCH 2026
Summary by Class:
Key Points:
- The March 2026 market of 105,058 shows a decrease in new vehicle sales of 3,548 (-3.3%) compared to March 2025 (108,606). There were 25.5 selling days in both March 2025 and March 2026 resulting in a decrease of 139.1 vehicle sales per day in March 2026.
- The Passenger Vehicle Market is down by 1,062 vehicle sales (-7.5%) over the same month last year; the Sports Utility Market is up by 582 vehicle sales (0.9%); the Light Commercial Market is down by 2,570 vehicle sales (-10.5%) and the Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market is down by 498 vehicle sales (-12.0%) versus March 2025.
- Toyota was market leader in March, followed by Kia and BYD. Toyota led Kia with a margin of 9,254 vehicle sales and 8.8 market share points.
SALES RESULTS:
Top 10 Models (by sales volume): State/Territory results (by sales volume):
Total Vehicle Sales – Year to Date:
