2025 Half-Time EV Sales Wrap - Records, Rumbles & What’s Next
Well, that’s half the year gone - and the scorecard for EV sales in Australia is in. It’s been a mix of record highs, rapid shifts, and a few teething issues (looking at you, BYD). So, how’s the first half of 2025 really tracking?
EV Sales: Better Than Expected
By 30 June, 72,858 electric vehicles were sold in Australia - a mix of BEVs and PHEVs - accounting for 11.7% of all new vehicle sales. That’s a solid lift from 9.6% in 2024 and shows the curve is continuing to trend upward - even as global uncertainty lingers and global tariff talk continues to make a few OEMs twitchy.
June 2025 alone saw nearly 16% of all new vehicle sales go electric - an all-time monthly record. No doubt EOFYeah! offers helped grease the wheels, but with more models hitting the market and confidence growing, this isn’t just incentive-driven sugar high - it’s a maturing, growth-market.
Top 10 EVs - H1 2025 (BEV + PHEV combined)
In the words of the great Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, …” - well, let’s just say the folks at BYD clearly haven’t figured out the demonstrator and pre-registration game yet (...to snag that first place!).
- Tesla Model Y - 10,431 units
- BYD Shark 6 - 10,424 units
- BYD Sealion 6 - 4,375 units
- BYD Sealion 7 - 3,756 units
- Tesla Model 3 - 3,715 units
- Kia EV5 - 2,765
- MG 4 - 2,268 units
- BYD Atto 3 - 1,854 units
- Geely EX5 - 1,845 units
- BYD Seal - 1,609
(Source: VFACTS / CarExpert / Drive)
Chinese OEMs now account for 7 of the top 10, says a lot really - particularly on how price sensitive the new vehicle market is AND how far advanced the Chinese OEMs are in developing and manufacturing EVs to meet that demand. And for what it’s worth, Aussie-sold Teslas are also built in China... just saying.
Special mention to the Mitsubishi Outlander with 11,399 sales, however the split between petrol and PHEVs variants hasn’t been quantified.
Eyes will now shift to the second half of the year and the crystal ball here at zuup HQ sees new models like the Volvo EX30, Kia EV5, and Smart #1 making moves - watch this space.
BYD: Booming Sales, Mixed Signals
There’s no denying BYD is moving the needle - the Shark and Sealion are selling hard. But the brand’s aftersales experience has copped a bit of a hammering in recent months. Not excusing BYD here, but I get it - sales have gone from 0 to 100 in next to no time and their distribution network simply hasn’t been able to keep up.
To their credit, BYD isn’t pretending it’s not an issue. In fact, they’ve now taken direct control of their Aussie operations, turfing EVDirect as distributor. That’s a major move that should tighten up logistics, improve service delivery, and restore confidence.
Read more here → BYD promises confidence after taking over from local distributor – Drive
NVES is Live… N-Wuh?
As of 1 July, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is in full effect. It’s not flashy, but it’s a huge deal for the local EV scene.
OEMs now face emissions targets on their vehicle fleets they sell - miss the mark, and they cop financial penalties. The upside?
- More EVs entering the Aussie market
- Broader range and better supply
- Stronger incentives for brands to shift away from high-emission Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), aka petrol, models.
We’re not saying it’ll double EV sales overnight - but it lays a foundation that’s long overdue.
The Road Ahead: How Soon Can We Hit the Big M?
zuup’s internal modelling (yep, we’re keeping an eye on the scoreboard too) still have us landing around 148,000 EVs sold in 2025. That’s a modest upgrade on earlier forecasts and suggests the second half will continue steady - if not marginally better - growth.
Looking MUCH further ahead:
- Approx. 880K EVs on Aussie roads by December 2027
- 1 Million EVs on Aussie roads by May 2028
That’s a little short of the Electric Vehicle Council’s target of 1M by end-2027, but we reckon we’ll get there - just a few months later in mid-2028. And yep, 1M is a bold figure which would require the EV market to grow by a compounding 30% year-on-year, but if the first half of 2025 is anything to go by, then we're right on track.
Charging Infrastructure: The Next Frontier
As EV adoption grows, so does the need for accessible charging infrastructure - kudos to the charging operators such as AmpCharge, Evie, EVX, and JOLT who have been very active over the past six months rolling out this expensive kit. Solutions like zuup Roam are stepping in to simplify the charging experience, offering a singe platform to find, charge and pay for charging across various networks.
Final Thoughts
The first half of 2025 has shown that Australia is embracing the electric revolution. With strong sales, supportive policies, and improving infrastructure, the road ahead looks promising. However, continued efforts are needed to address challenges and ensure a smooth transition to a sustainable transportation future. We’ll keep doing our part.
Seen more EVs or charge stations around your neighbourhood lately? What’s your take?
Drop us your thoughts below.
Charge on, legends! ✌️
Author: James Kleine | zuup Founder / EV enthusiast (and petrol-head at heart).