Australia’s new vehicle market recorded 103,325 sales in October 2026, an increase of 3.8 per cent compared with the same month last year. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 23.1 per cent of sales from all sources, almost three times their share in October 2025.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said growing competition across vehicle brands, models and technologies was giving consumers greater choice, while fuel prices and government tax concessions continued to support demand for electric vehicles.
FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said consumers were responding to options that could reduce their running costs, despite ongoing pressure on household budgets and higher borrowing costs.
“Consumers are making rational choices and are attracted to options that reduce their costs. Despite continuing pressure on household budgets and higher borrowing costs in 2026, the October result shows there is extraordinary resilience in new vehicle demand,” Weber said.
Battery electric share rises year-on-year
In October, the FCAI attributed strong BEV demand to competition, instability in the Middle East, higher fuel prices and federal government tax concessions.
Petrol vehicle sales fell 35.9 per cent compared with October 2025, while diesel sales declined by 14.7 per cent.
Weber said the growing uptake of BEVs would need to be matched by investment in charging infrastructure.
“This increase in new vehicle demand, especially BEVs, must be supported by reliable and accessible charging infrastructure that keeps pace with demand,” he said.
China leads as vehicle source
China was the largest source of vehicles recorded through VFACTS in October, accounting for 36.3 per cent of supply. Japan followed with 23.3 per cent, Thailand with 17.9 per cent and South Korea with 9.2 per cent.
Toyota remained Australia’s top-selling brand, recording 20,649 sales. BYD ranked second with 10,025 vehicles, followed by Ford with 7,310.
The top 10 brands also included Kia, Mazda, MG, Hyundai, GWM, Geely and Chery, reflecting the breadth of competition in the Australian market.
Toyota HiLux leads model sales
The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s best-selling model in October, with 5,954 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger with 4,841 and Toyota RAV4 with 4,718.
The BYD Sealion 7 was the highest-ranked battery electric model in the VFACTS top 10, with 2,524 sales. Other models in the top 10 included the Toyota Prado, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, BYD Atto 2, BYD Shark 6, Geely EX5, and Ford Everest.
The results point to continued demand across both traditional high-volume models and newer electric offerings.
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