Plugin Vehicles Hit 19% Share in Australia
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- Australia's plugin vehicle share climbed from 16% in January 2026 to roughly 19% in February, with 11,100 battery EVs and 5,854 plug-in hybrids sold — nearly 17,000 total, almost double February 2025, out of over 91,000 light vehicles
- Tesla Model Y reclaimed the top spot in February with 2,791 sales, overtaking the BYD Sealion 7 (1,327 units) which had outsold it in January; year-to-date, the Model Y leads at 3,079 versus the Sealion 7's 2,498
- BYD dominated the top 20 best-selling EV models with six entries, while South Korean vehicles didn't appear until #12 (Kia EV5) and Japanese vehicles until #15 (Toyota BZ4X)
- General Motors' three Cadillac models — the Optiq, Lyriq, and Vistiq — priced from AU$84,000 to AU$123,000, have registered zero sales in Australia, and none are available for viewing in Queensland, the article notes
- The Tesla Model Y L has been confirmed for Australian sale, with NIO's budget Firefly sub-brand and a stripped-down MG 4 also slated for the local market
- Globally, CleanTechnica reports plugin vehicles held 18% of the auto market to start 2026, with 100%-plus growth rates in markets including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea
Why it matters: Chinese brands are reshaping Australia's EV landscape: BYD claimed 6 of the top 20 spots and Tesla's Model Y reclaimed #1, while GM's three Cadillacs priced up to AU$123,000 have collectively sold zero units. The data shows Australia's transition is accelerating from the bottom up rather than the luxury top down.
