Tesla outsells Jaguar, MINI and Peugeot
Long-awaited Tesla Model 3 leads to Australian sales boom for US EV brand in 2019New figures reveal Tesla sold more vehicles in Australia last year than it did during the previous seven, as the popularity of the bourgeoning electric car-maker soars due to the small and cheaper Model 3 sedan.
Internal sales numbers obtained by carsales.com.au show Tesla sold 3793 vehicles in 2019, boosting its overall sales to 7071 since officially launching with the Roadster in 2012.
Despite a general lack of demand for EVs Down Under, Tesla’s Australian sales last year eclipsed established car-makers including Jaguar (2274 sales), MINI (3204 sales) and Peugeot (2445 sales).
Tesla does not disclose its sales figures in Australia under the conventional VFACTS reporting system, but its internal numbers reveal the US brand commands a 56 per cent share of the combined EV and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) market Down Under.
A Tesla Australia spokesperson declined to comment on the figures, however, Tesla is expected to shed more light on its Australian and global operations in an earnings call later this month.
Tesla’s big sales jump in 2019 was no doubt driven by the new Model 3’s arrival in August, which prompted a sales spike of 2112 in the space of eight weeks. It’s thought the bulk of these sales went to the Model 3, which joined the Model S and Model X in Tesla showrooms.
Priced from $67,900, the battery-powered mid-size sedan drove home a huge second half of 2019 for Tesla; figures show that in the first six months of the year, the car-maker imported just 250 vehicles, compared with 3543 in the second half.
Tesla’s 2019 sales are in stark contrast with demand for other pure-electric models on sale in Australia. By way of comparison, the $124K-plus Jaguar I-PACE electric SUV notched up 155 sales in 2019.
Nevertheless, Aussies bought more EVs and hybrids than ever in 2019 thanks to the arrival of new models including the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, demand for which has outstripped supply. Between them, the Hyundai IONIQ and Nissan LEAF found almost 1000 Aussie homes.
According to VFACTS, even without government incentives and a nation-wide EV charging network, electric and hybrid vehicle sales more than doubled (up 114 per cent) in 2019, from 15,680 to 33,566.
Including Tesla, that figure grows to 37,359, which still represents only 3.5 per cent of the 1.06 million new vehicles sold in Australia last year.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
