Key Points
- Battery electric vehicles outsold petrol-only cars in Australia for a third straight month in October 2026, with 24,845 sales against 23,605.
- BEVs took 23.8 per cent of light vehicle sales, and BEVs and plug-in hybrids together reached 35.1 per cent.
- Tesla delivered 4,050 vehicles in October, up 342 per cent on a year earlier, and the Model Y was the best-selling BEV with 3,105 sales.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) outsold petrol-only cars in Australia for a third straight month in October 2026. BEVs recorded 24,845 sales, ahead of 23,605 for petrol, according to figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).
BEV sales finished 1,240 ahead of petrol but 804 behind diesel, and rose 237.5 per cent on October last year. Tesla delivered 4,050 vehicles, up 342 per cent year on year, while BYD, Geely and Zeekr all posted strong gains.
October 2026 sales by fuel type
Diesel was the largest fuel type for the month on 25,649, ahead of BEVs, which had led in August and September. BEVs finished second on 24,845, ahead of petrol on 23,605. Petrol sales fell 35.9 per cent from October 2025 and diesel fell 14.7 per cent. BEV sales were down 9.0 per cent on September's 27,309, but still more than three times the 7,361 recorded a year earlier.
Light vehicle sales by fuel type, October 2026
Fuel type | Oct 2026 sales | Share of sales | Change vs Sep 2026 | Change vs Oct 2025 |
Diesel | 25,649 | 24.6% | +1.9% | -14.7% |
Petrol | 23,605 | 22.6% | -9.3% | -35.9% |
Hybrid | 18,434 | 17.7% | +3.3% | +3.8% |
PHEV | 11,745 | 11.3% | +16.6% | +148.6% |
Electric (BEV) | 24,845 | 23.8% | -9.0% | +237.5% |
Total light vehicles | 104,278 | 100.0% | -2.0% | +7.8% |
BEV + PHEV combined | 36,590 | 35.1% | -2.1% | +202.8% |
BEVs held 23.8 per cent of sales, down from 25.7 per cent in September. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose 16.6 per cent month on month to 11,745 sales, lifting their share to 11.3 per cent from 9.5 per cent. The combined BEV and PHEV share held at 35.1 per cent, level with September and just below June's 35.8 per cent peak. Including conventional hybrids, 52.8 per cent of light vehicle sales had some form of electrification.
FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said competition, higher fuel prices, continuing instability in the Middle East and federal tax concessions have supported BEV demand throughout 2026, with little sign of it easing. He also said buyers are making rational choices to cut their costs, and that charging infrastructure needs to keep pace with demand.
Note: The figures below cover light vehicles: passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles. They combine FCAI VFACTS data with EVC-reported deliveries, including Tesla, and exclude heavy commercial vehicles. The total was 104,278 sales.
Top selling BEV models in October
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling BEV with 3,105 sales. The BYD Sealion 7 was second on 2,524, followed by the Geely EX5 on 1,789, the Jaecoo J5 on 1,714 and the Zeekr 7X on 1,441.
The Geely EX2 recorded 1,350 sales, up from 1,211 in September and its best month since launch. The MG4 Urban rose to 894 from 735. Thirteen BEV models sold 500 or more units in October, which shows demand is spreading beyond the top few SUVs.
Top 10 BEVs by sales, October 2026
Rank | Model | Oct 2026 sales | Sep 2026 sales | Change vs Sep 2026 |
1 | Tesla Model Y | 3,105 | 4,476 | -30.6% |
2 | BYD Sealion 7 | 2,524 | 2,687 | -6.1% |
3 | Geely EX5 | 1,789 | 2,008 | -10.9% |
4 | Jaecoo J5 | 1,714 | 1,754 | -2.3% |
5 | Zeekr 7X | 1,441 | 1,628 | -11.5% |
6 | Geely EX2 | 1,350 | 1,211 | +11.5% |
7 | Tesla Model 3 | 945 | 1,178 | -19.8% |
8 | MG4 Urban | 894 | 735 | +21.6% |
9 | BYD Atto 2 (BEV only) | 747 | 936 | -20.2% |
10 | BYD Atto 3 | 709 | 460 | +54.1% |
The Model Y's 3,105 EVC-reported deliveries would place it fourth in the overall October model rankings. Only the Toyota HiLux (5,228), Toyota RAV4 (4,718) and Ford Ranger (4,556) sold more, according to VFACTS.
The VFACTS top 25 lists the BYD Atto 2 on 1,943 sales, but that figure includes the Atto 2 DM-i plug-in hybrid. BEV-only Atto 2 sales were 747.
Top BEV brands in October
BYD led BEV sales with 5,271 units, followed by Tesla on 4,050, Geely on 3,139 and Zeekr on 1,874. Jaecoo (1,714), MG (1,473) and Kia (1,122) completed the top seven.
Top 10 BEV brands, October 2026
Rank | Brand | Oct 2026 BEV sales | Share of BEV sales | Brand total, all fuel types (VFACTS) |
1 | BYD | 5,271 | 21.2% | 10,025 |
2 | Tesla | 4,050 | 16.3% | Not reported to VFACTS |
3 | Geely | 3,139 | 12.6% | 4,365 |
4 | Zeekr | 1,874 | 7.5% | 1,874 |
5 | Jaecoo | 1,714 | 6.9% | 2,330 (Omoda Jaecoo) |
6 | MG | 1,473 | 5.9% | 4,676 |
7 | Kia | 1,122 | 4.5% | 5,801 |
8 | XPeng | 620 | 2.5% | 620 |
9 | GAC | 579 | 2.3% | 1,133 |
10 | GWM | 520 | 2.1% | 4,417 |
BYD recorded 10,025 sales across its BEV and plug-in hybrid range, second only to Toyota's 20,649. That was more than two and a half times the 3,959 it sold in October 2025. BYD's year-to-date total is 86,639, ahead of Ford's 68,414, with Toyota well clear on 173,593. The BYD total includes the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute, which recorded 1,843 sales, according to VFACTS.
Geely sold 4,365 vehicles in total, up 520 per cent on October 2025. The BEV portion was 3,139 across the EX5 and EX2. The remainder was the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid on 1,226. Zeekr sold 1,874 BEVs, up from 216 a year earlier.
Tesla delivered 4,050 vehicles in October, up 342 per cent on the 916 it delivered in October 2025, according to the EVC. The Model Y accounted for 3,105 and the Model 3 for 945. That was 28.4 per cent below September's 5,654, but Tesla's year-to-date total of 45,755 is up 94.1 per cent on the same period of 2025. June remains its record month at 8,670. Tesla is currently discounting new Model 3 and Model Y stock by 5 per cent, up to $3,750, and launched a $45,900 Model 3 RWD in October. Zecar covered both changes:
Models that gained ground in October
Several BEVs recorded sharp gains on September. The BYD Atto 3 rose 54 per cent to 709 sales, buoyed by the release of the updated Atto 3 Evo, its best month in 2026 so far. The BYD Dolphin rose 45 per cent to 489, and the MG4 Urban rose 22 per cent to 894.
The MG S5 rebounded from 26 sales in September to 170, although that is still below the 475 it sold in March. The Nissan Ariya rose from 37 to 149, the Mercedes-Benz EQA from 126 to 271 and the Subaru Trailseeker from 80 to 158. All three were their highest monthly results of 2026. The Leapmotor B05 also reached a 2026 high of 88 sales, up from 19.
BEV models with the biggest gains on September, October 2026
Model | Sep 2026 sales | Oct 2026 sales | Change (units) | Change (%) |
BYD Atto 3 | 460 | 709 | +249 | +54.1% |
MG4 Urban | 735 | 894 | +159 | +21.6% |
BYD Dolphin | 337 | 489 | +152 | +45.1% |
Mercedes-Benz EQA | 126 | 271 | +145 | +115.1% |
MG S5 | 26 | 170 | +144 | +553.8% |
Geely EX2 | 1,211 | 1,350 | +139 | +11.5% |
Nissan Ariya | 37 | 149 | +112 | +302.7% |
Subaru Trailseeker | 80 | 158 | +78 | +97.5% |
The table ranks models by the increase in units. The Mini Aceman also returned with 40 sales after none in September.
About the author
Danny is a consultant and entrepreneur working at the cutting edge of the electric vehicle and energy transition. He is passionate about educating and helping consumers make better decisions through data.
