Electric Cars Beat Petrol in Australia for First Time, Led by Chinese Brands

Australia crossed a milestone in August 2026: battery electric vehicles outsold petrol and diesel cars for the first time on record. VFACTS data released Wednesday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries showed 27,089 BEVs delivered, representing 24.9% of the new-car market. Petrol sales totaled 25,824 vehicles and diesel 23,608. Including plug-in hybrids (10.5%) and conventional hybrids (18.5%), electrified vehicles made up 53.9% of August sales, leaving combustion-only cars as the minority for the first time. Total market volume was 108,760 vehicles. The shift was driven by a rapid rotation after Iran-related conflict pushed east-coast fuel prices to about AUD $2.40 per litre.