Tesla Model 3: Australia’s top-selling car

The Tesla Model 3 outsold the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 last month to become the top-selling passenger car in Australia.

Official VFACTS results released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) include Tesla’s sales for the first time since the US electric car brand arrived Down Under in 2010.

The figures show that 3097 examples of the Tesla Model 3, which continues to be Australia’s favourite EV despite recent price hikes, were sold in March – enough to claim top-car billing and the fifth-best-selling vehicle overall behind two utes and two SUVs.

See our top 10 list below for full details, but the Model 3 outsold the Ford Ranger (2960) and was only about 700 sales behind the Mazda CX-5 (3772) and Mitsubishi Triton (3808).

Of course, the Toyota HiLux continued its run out in front with a record 6325 sales for the month, with the RAV4 second on 4610.

Besides the Model 3, only two other passenger cars made it onto the list – the Hyundai i30 (2455) and Toyota Corolla (1924).

In securing top billing as the nation’s most popular passenger car last month, the Chinese-built Model 3 stood head and shoulders above its competitors as the best-selling mid-size car, premium car and, of course, electric car.

For the year to date, Tesla has sold 4417 Model 3 EVs, so the supply lines clearly improved last month – temporarily, we’d suggest – after only 1320 deliveries were made during the first two months of the year.

The company advised on its Australian configurator in February that delivery delays of up to seven months were in place for new orders.

Pricing has since gone up on two separate occasions for the sole Tesla model currently available in Australia (upgraded MY22 examples of the US-built Model S and Model X are experiencing extended delays) and waiting times for the Model 3 have also blown out to “six to nine months”.

But that’s unlikely to dampen enthusiasm for the Model 3, which remains competitive with a starting price of $63,900 plus on-road costs.

The car currently accounts for 65 per cent of all EV sales in Australia, with all other brands combined totalling 2335 units across the first quarter of this year.

Last year, Tesla recorded 12,094 Model 3 sales, accounting for almost one in every two EV sales.

Top 10 vehicles in March 2022:
1. Toyota HiLux – 6324
2. Toyota RAV4 – 4610
3. Mitsubishi Triton – 3808
4. Mazda CX-5 – 3772
5. Tesla Model 3 – 3097
6. Ford Ranger – 2960
7. Hyundai i30 – 2455
8. Isuzu D-MAX – 2447
9. Toyota Prado – 2230
10. Toyota Corolla – 1924

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