VFACTS August: Tesla takes top-10 sales spot

The strongest signs yet that new-vehicle supply lines are improving in Australia have surfaced today, when official VFACTS sales figures showed the local auto industry notched up its best August result in five years, including the highest monthly tally of electric cars on record.

A total of 4235 EV sales last month was primarily down to long-awaited shipments of the Tesla Model 3 sedan – 2380 examples of which found their way to customers – and first deliveries of the Tesla Model Y SUV (1017).

That elevated Tesla into the top 10 list of brands, tucking in behind Ford in seventh position and outselling MG, Subaru and Volkswagen – plus a raft of big players further back such as Isuzu, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Honda.

What’s more, the Tesla Model 3 was the fourth-best-selling vehicle in the nation, deferring only to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger (the biggest-selling utes), and the Toyota RAV4 (the number-one SUV).

As a result, EVs took a 4.4 per cent share of the total new-vehicle market in August – the highest ever in a single month in Australia – as the market rebounded with 95,256 sales across all segments, up 17.3 per cent on the corresponding month last year.

“This gives hope that the supply of vehicles to the Australian market is beginning to show signs of improvement,” said Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Tony Weber.

The FCAI chief added that electrified vehicles are now holding a share of more than 10 per cent of total new car sales for the year to date.

However, EVs currently account for only two per cent of these (14,524), compared to hybrids at 7.6 per cent (54,699) and plug-in hybrids at 0.6 per cent (4059).

The latest deliveries from China of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y see the market-leading EV brand with 8054 sales this year, which places it well ahead of brands like Land Rover (3217), Jeep (4748), Lexus (4950), Peugeot (1437) and Renault (6435). Honda (9809) is also now in Tesla’s firing line.

At the top of the table, Toyota posted a typically dominant 20,616 sales in August (+3.3%) and the HiLux held sway as the biggest-selling model with a defiant 6214 sales.

The HiLux comfortably held off a resurgent Ford Ranger that managed 4497 sales in the first full month of customer deliveries of the new-generation model, the battle between the two utes now raging again but the results for the remainder of the year hinging on production and supply.

Toyota has the upper hand, with ‘unbreakable’ HiLux sales needing to fall off a cliff to be overtaken by Ranger. The current running tally is at 44,626 versus 27,225 in favour of the red team.

Ranger made up 77 per cent of Ford’s total sales volume last month, keeping the Blue Oval brand in sixth position (5839, +15.4%) as the top five Japanese and Korean brands all turned in excellent performances.

Behind Toyota, Mazda comfortably held onto its accustomed second place with 8824 sales (+15.4%), buoyed by the CX-5 (2325), while Kia was outstanding in third (6780, +33.9%) with Sportage (1237) the most impressive from its strong-performing contingent of SUVs.

Hyundai was close behind in fourth (6643, +32.4%), relying heavily on i30 (1975) and Tucson (1719) for volume, while Mitsubishi rounded out the top five (6380, +32.9%) thanks to Triton (2087) and Outlander (1568).

The triple-diamond brand is hanging on to third position for the year to date, but only 2137 units separates third from fifth – and Kia is only 829 units in arrears.

It’s also very tight at the bottom half of the top 10 table this year as supply largely dictates sales performance and, to some extent, tests brand loyalties, so the run into the final quarter will be telling if we see a wave of shipments from some brands and not others.

In August, Tesla’s spike to seventh placed it ahead of a softer MG (3074, +2.1%), a struggling Subaru (2960, -8.4%) and a weak Volkswagen (2868, -24.4%).

That left Isuzu out in 11th (2800, -9.6%), followed by GWM/Haval (2637, +44.6%), BMW (2395, +51.8%) and Mercedes-Benz Cars (2386, +25.2%), the latter still holding onto premium market leadership and a top 10 position for the year to date – for now, at least.

Positive results were seen across all key market segments last month, though no surprises that mid-size SUVs (137,025, +16.9%) and 4x4 utes (128,965, +15.1%) were out in front.

Large and small SUVs both racked up more than 90,000 units apiece, handing SUVs a 51 per cent share of the total market.

That compares to light commercials on 24 per cent and passenger cars on 21 per cent.

Top 10 brands (2022 year to date)
1. Toyota – 161,558
2. Mazda – 66,635
3. Mitsubishi – 53,739
4. Kia – 52,910
5. Hyundai – 51,602
6. Ford – 38,840
7. MG – 30,599
8. Isuzu – 24,337
9. Subaru – 22,779
10. Mercedes-Benz Cars – 19,321

Top 10 vehicles (August 2022):
Toyota HiLux – 6214
Ford Ranger – 4497
Toyota RAV4 – 2482
Tesla Model 3 – 2380
Toyota LandCruiser – 2379
Mazda CX-5 – 2325
Toyota Corolla – 2115
Mitsubishi Triton – 2087
Hyundai i30 – 1975
Isuzu D-MAX – 1928

Related: Check previous VFACTS sales stories