Tesla Model Y sales boom in Australia

The 2023 Tesla Model Y was Australia’s third-most-popular car in May, rising up to sit behind only the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes, according to VFACTS new-vehicle sales figures released today.

The American brand’s Chinese-built battery-electric mid-size SUV racked up 3178 sales during May, which was enough to make it not only the top-selling EV in the land, but the number-one SUV and best-selling car from a prestige brand.

Combined with strong sales from the Tesla Model 3 sedan, the US electric car-maker has also been catapulted into the top 10 best-selling brands in Australia this year, currently sitting in eighth position with 18,559 sales across the five months ending May 31.

That’s split between the Model 3 on 10,117 sales – enough to place it in fifth place overall on a year-to-date basis – and the Model Y on 8442, with the latter believed to be attracting more orders than the sedan while battling supply restrictions.

With a new tow pack added to its repertoire and a major upgrade set for 2024, the Tesla Model Y is fast becoming an Aussie favourite.

Together with a strong showing from the BYD Atto 3 SUV on 1448 sales, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 (4476 combined) made up the majority of the 8124 electric cars sold across all brands in Australia last month.

That handed EVs a 7.7 per cent share of the entire Australian new vehicle market and now sees the full-electric brigade with a 7.0 per cent share for the year to date.

This time last year, EVs accounted for just 1.95 per cent of the market, so the upward trend is clear.

The Tesla Model Y is no flash in the pan either, having snagged the title of world’s best-selling new car for the first quarter of 2023.

It was also the fourth best-seller in Australia in April and, supply permitting, could play a key role in getting Tesla close to 50,000 sales for the full year.

The Tesla Model 3 outsold the evergreen Toyota Camry as Australia’s best-selling mid-size car in 2022 and is currently on track to becoming the best-selling passenger car bar none.

Buyers of entry-level Model Y rear-drive variants are currently looking at a delivery time of between one and two months, which is a stark contrast to Toyota RAV4 Hybrid models which have had their wait times blow out as far as three years.

All Tesla vehicles sold in Australia are sourced from the American brand’s Chinese factory in Shanghai.

Pricing for the Tesla Model 3 RWD starts at $61,300 plus on-road costs, rising to $74,300 plus ORCs for the Long Range and topping out at $88,555 plus ORCs for the Performance version.

The Tesla Model Y RWD opens the ledger at $69,300 plus ORCs while the Long Range and Performance AWD models cost $82,300 and $98,855 plus ORCs respectively.

You can read our full May VFACTS report here.

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