Australia’s EV market saw a major shake-up in January, as Chinese brands claimed four of the top six spots in EV sales, led by BYD’s first-ever No.1 ranking. Latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council show that Australia’s new vehicle market recorded sales of 87,092 units in January 2026, up 0.3% year on year. Total vehicle sales in Australia from 2024 to 2026 During the month, battery electric vehicle sales reached 7,409 units, accounting for 8.4% of total new vehicle sales. Plug-in hybrid vehicles sold 5,161 units, representing a 5.9% share, while mild hybrid vehicles recorded sales of 15,131 units, accounting for 17.4%. The data indicate that Chinese brands grew by 68.6% over the past year. Notably, among the top six EV brands by sales in Australia in January, four were Chinese brands. BYD Sealion 7 BYD ranked first in EV sales for the first time with 2,779 units, posting a year-on-year surge of 640.9% and marking the largest growth among all brands that month. Kia placed second with sales of 535 units. By contrast, Tesla sold only 501 vehicles in Australia during the month, including 288 Model Y units and 213 Model 3 units. This represented a year-on-year decline of 32.2%, marking a cyclical low in the local market and pushing Tesla down to third place. New entrants Zeekr and Geely also delivered strong performances after entering the Australian market. Zeekr 7X Zeekr sold 469 vehicles in January, ranking fourth, while Geely recorded sales of 415 units, placing fifth. SAIC-owned MG ranked sixth with sales of 370 units. At the model level, the top five EVs by sales were all from Chinese brands. The BYD Sealion 7 topped the monthly model rankings with sales of 1,171 units, exceeding the combined sales of Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3. The recently launched BYD Atto 2 ranked second with 562 units sold, followed by the Zeekr 7X with 418 units. The Geely EX5 and BYD Seal followed, with sales of 295 units and 288 units, respectively. In a mature market such as Australia, traditionally dominated by internal combustion vehicles and pickup trucks, the rapid rise of Chinese EV brands is reshaping the competitive landscape of the local electric vehicle market.