WE HAVE ALWAYS ARGUED that hybrids and PHEVs tend to make more sense than EVs in a country as large as Australia, and it seems buyers are coming to the same conclusion.
January’s sales figures show that 3822 electric cars were sold, a decrease of 21.7 percent compared to last year.
Of the 87,625 vehicles sold, EVs represented just 4.3 percent.
This may well change with the flood of new models, especially from China, and steadily diminishing gap in price between ICE vehicles and EVs.
Tesla, meanwhile, sold 33 percent fewer cars than it did last year, with just 739 new registrations. The Tesla Model Y managed sales of 465, while the Model 3 was down 62 percent at 274 sales. The new Model Y is planned for May, with a price rise.
The second most popular EV was the MG 4, down 18.1 percent and selling 440.
Kia’s EV5 managed 289 sales, easily outselling the EV6 (52 sold, down 73.9 percent), EV9 (22, down 53.2 percent) and Niro (16 sold).
BMW’s push into electrification continues, taking three of the top ten spots. The iX1 sold 123 to take fifth place, the i4 (108 units) and iX2 (108 units) were in equal eighth place.
Over at Audi, the Q4 e-tron managed 121 sales. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 sold 109.
The BYD Atto 3 took tenth place with 105 sales, but significantly down 77.4 percent over last year.
The charge to hybrids is led by Toyota with the RAV4, Corolla and Corolla Cross, selling an impressive 14,836, an increase of 51.5 percent. Also selling well are the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage hybrids.
Meanwhile PHEVs jumped 88.5 percent in popularity to nab 1908 sales, led by the Mitsubishi Outlander (651), followed by the BYD Sealion 6 (433) and Mazda CX-80 (186).
TOP 10 electric cars in January 2025
| Rank | Model | Volume January 2025 |
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | 465 |
| 2 | MG4 | 440 |
| 3 | Kia EV5 | 289 |
| 4 | Tesla Model 3 | 274 |
| 5 | BMW iX1 | 123 |
| 6 | Audi Q4 e-tron | 121 |
| 7 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 109 |
| 8 | BMW i4 | 108 |
| 8 | BMW iX2 | 108 |
| 10 | BYD Atto 3 | 105 |
TOP 10 hybrid cars in January 2025
| Rank | Model | Volume January 2025 |
| 1 | Toyota RAV4 | 5076 |
| 2 | Toyota Corolla | 1532 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla Cross | 903 |
| 4 | Hyundai Tucson | 757 |
| 5 | Hyundai Kona | 532 |
| 6 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 488 |
| 7 | Toyota Yaris Cross | 487 |
| 8 | Toyota Camry | 479 |
| 9 | GWM Haval H6 | 409 |
| 10 | Toyota Kluger | 356 |
TOP 10 plug-in hybrid cars in January 2025
| Rank | Model | Volume January 2025 |
| 1 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 651 |
| 2 | BYD Sealion 6 | 433 |
| 3 | Mazda CX-80 | 186 |
| 4 | Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | 157 |
| 5 | Mazda CX-60 | 126 |
| 6 | Cupra Formentor | 37 |
| 7 | Volvo XC90 | 33 |
| 8 | Audi Q5 | 26 |
| 9 | MG HS | 21 |
| 10 | Kia Sorento | 19 |