3 months ago
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Electric car sales in Brisbane have gone backwards for the first time since they became widely available.
Sales in the city totalled 9530 last financial year, accounting for about 7.53 per cent of all new passenger vehicle deliveries.
It’s a year-on-year fall of just more than 12 per cent, down from 10,900 electric car sales across Brisbane during the 2023-24 financial year.
A Tesla Model Y on Ann Street in the Brisbane CBD on Monday. Credit: William Davis
Every previous year over the past decade had seen sales increases, often by significant margins – including a more-than-tripling between 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The number of electric vehicles on Brisbane roads has increased more than 20-fold since the pandemic began, according to the data from the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business.
Multiple reasons have been cited for the recent downturn in new sales, including the growing second-hand market.
EV owner Sarah was charging her Tesla Model 3 in Bowen Hills on Monday. She bought the used car from her parents just under 12 months ago believing it could help save money, and didn’t regret not purchasing a new one.
“It’s got all these different features that I’ve found really good, as far as safety features and stuff like that,” she said.
“It’s a really good car.”
Tesla still dominates the Brisbane electric car market, with its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV the two most popular models on the road.
Combined, they account for more than half of all electric cars registered in the city.
Chinese-made BYD and MG vehicles have also boomed in recent years.
The Korean Kia EV6 and Hyundai Kona, and Japanese Nissan Leaf, are the only electric vehicles in the top 10 most popular not made in China.
Total vehicles sales in Brisbane also went backwards slightly last year, but by less than 1 per cent.
Statewide, Queensland recorded 20,807 new EV registrations in the 2024-25 financial year.
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