Model Y and Model 3.
Electric vehicle uptake in Australia reached a new high with 33,410 EVs being sold in 2022. Today, The Driven publishes the list of models and numbers sold, and looks at the prospects for an even more exciting year in 2023.
Tesla leading the way, making up 58.6% of sales
Tesla, the world’s biggest EV brand made up 58.6% of the total sales in 2022. In total Tesla sold 19,594 EVs in Australia.
As part of the growth later in the year, Tesla aggressively started rolling out its Tesla supercharger sites to try to match the holiday charging demand of the existing and new owners.
Source: vFacts, The Driven. We are still waiting for Mini data, and Volvo XC40.
Tesla also had a price cut across the range to kick things off in 2023 and has the aim to sell more Tesla Model Ys in 2023 to surpass its current best-selling Model 3 sedan.
Mercedes-Benz EQA leads the luxury EV market
Mercedes-Benz, with its EQA, led the EV market in the luxury segment with over 624 sales during the year. EQC SUV was the next bestseller from the brand which accounted for 318 EVs in the total tally.
Mercedes-Benz also launched the EQB in the last quarter of the year which is one of the first EVs in Australia to boast a 7-seater option.
Image: Riz Akhtar
The EQB sold 141 units to close the year off and will play a bigger part in Mercedes-Benz EV sales in 2023.
Its most luxurious EQS model also made an entrance selling 70 EVs in 2022. There are more models that will be landing this year including the EQV, its first luxury people mover.
Volvo hit the ground running with the C40
The latter part of 2022 saw Volvo Cars Australia launch their C40 SUV. It’s sleeker styling, sustainable interior materials and range have meant that 491 of the SUVs were sold around Australia.
2023 XC40 Pure Recharge. Source: Volvo
Around the same period as the C40 launch, Volvo also announced that it plans to stop selling all of its ICE models by 2026, meaning an only EV future.
This was the first announcement from any traditional brand to go all-electric before 2030 in Australia and paints a promising picture of what’s to come.
Porsche Taycan sells 430 EVs in absence of the Tesla Model S
Porsche had a good year in 2022 selling 430 of its sports car heritage EVs in Australia. It’s down from 531 sales in 2021. The surprisingly lower sales were in absence of Tesla’s flagship Model S sedan which Porsche arguably competes with.
The Porsche Taycan GTS. Image: Riz Akhtar
Porsche the luxury sports brand achieved a big milestone in 2022. In November, the 100,000th Porsche Taycan was produced for a customer in France.
With the delay in the launch of the Porsche Macan EV, the Taycan is expected to be Porsche’s best-selling EV for 2023 as well.
Nissan Leaf quietly finishes 2022 with over 300 sales
Nissan Leaf is synonymous with kick-starting the EV uptake in Australia over 10 years ago. In 2022, Nissan sold 331 new Nissan Leafs to local customers. That’s down from the 367 sales it had in 2021.
2022 Nissan Leaf. Supplied
With the launch of EV hatchbacks from various other brands in 2023, it goes to show how far ahead the Leaf was at one stage. Without a model upgrade, the Nissan leaf is unlike to win the support it once did with EV buyers this year.
Kia’s e-Niro refresh and EV6 help Kia reach over 900 EVs
Kia’s had a refresh of its e-Niro in 2022 which helped it sell 371 EVs. Combined with the EV6’s popularity, Kia sold 935 EVs during the year.
The all-new Kia Niro EV. Image: Bridie Schmidt
In 2023, with more focus on FBT rules and a national strategy, the e-Niro and the EV6 are expected to sell more EVs. We’ll be watching this space very closely.
Mazda does sell EVs in Australia
Mazda’s only all-electric version the MX-30 saw 60 sales in Australia in 2022. It offers a 224 km range which is below what’s expected from an EV in 2023. The price is also higher than a Tesla Model 3 which offers twice the range. The MX-30 starts at $71,148.
Source: Mazda
With the brand’s main focus on ICE vehicles, 2023 will not see too many changes in sales.
2023 EV boom
With all signs pointing in the right direction, EV uptake is expected to soar in 2023. Many new electric car models are expected to launch in the year along with an increased supply of existing models on the horizon. This will make up more options for those looking at making the switch to an EV which will ultimately contribute to an EV boom.
Keyword: Australian EV sales data for 2022 by model, with 2023 boom to follow