VFACTS May: Tesla Model Y takes the crown
An EV at the top of the charts reflects a much wider and more significant industry trendThe News
Demand for electrified vehicles has continued to soar, with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs accounting for 46.4 per cent of all new vehicles sold last month, with the Tesla Model Y taking top honours as the best-selling model.
The Key Details
- Tesla Model Y outsold Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and RAV4 in May
- HEVs, PHEVs and EVs combined accounted for almost half of all sales
- Tesla shifted 5605 Model Ys – almost 1200 clear of the Ranger
- BYD was the second-most popular brand behind Toyota
The Finer Details
Of the 106,887 new vehicles delivered last month, 49,642 of them were meaningfully electrified, with the total comprising 21,303 EVs, 19,024 hybrids and 9315 PHEVs.
The record high electrified share is the direct result of inflated fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, with consumers being aided by the ever-increasing array of genuinely affordable electrified models – hence BYD’s surge to second place on the monthly brand sales chart.
Toyota sat at the top miles clear of the rest (16,342), but BYD (8211) was the only one to get within half of the Japanese marque’s total.
Ford took third with 7195 new registrations ahead of Hyundai (7007) and Kia (6761).
The top 10 was rounded out by Tesla (6433), Mazda (5698), GWM (4660), Chery (4401) and MG (3872) – meaning four of the top 10 brands were Chinese.
As for the best-selling models, the Model Y was almost 1200 units clear of the Ford Ranger (4474) in second and exactly 1600 ahead of the Toyota HiLux (4005).
Positions four-through-10 were held by the Toyota RAV4 (3865), Hyundai Kona (2291), Hyundai Tucson (2287), Jaecoo J5 (2172), Chery Tiggo 4 (2123), Isuzu D-MAX (1916) and Ford Everest (1876).
The Road Ahead
While May 2026 yielded negative growth compared to the same month last year (-2.3%), it was still the third-strongest May on record and undoubtedly a turning point for electrified vehicle sales.
It’s only a matter of time before hybrid, PHEVs and EVs account for more than half of the overall market in terms of sales share and it seems that timeframe will be dictated by fuel prices – petrol and diesel vehicle sales were down 27.1 and 29.8 per cent (YoY) respectively last month.
Best-selling models May 2026
1. Tesla Model Y – 5605
2. Ford Ranger – 4474
3. Toyota HiLux – 4005
4. Toyota RAV4 – 3865
5. Hyundai Kona – 2291
6. Hyundai Tucson – 2287
7. Jaecoo J5 – 2172
8. Chery Tiggo 4 – 2123
9. Isuzu D-Max – 1916
10. Ford Everest – 1876
Best-selling brands May 2026
1. Toyota – 16,342
2. BYD – 8211
3. Ford – 7195
4. Hyundai – 7007
5. Kia – 6761
6. Tesla – 6433
7. Mazda – 5698
8. GWM – 4660
9. Chery – 4401
10. MG – 3872
Related: What is VFACTS?
Related: VFACTS January: Toyota RAV4 stumbles as new gen approaches
Related: New Car Calendar 2026
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