Aussie drivers are dumping combustion-powered cars as fuel prices continue to bite.

Electric vehicles have outsold petrol vehicles for the second month in a row, proving that a landmark moment in August was no fluke.

New vehicle sales statisticsshow that EVs outsold petrol cars in September, and that diesel-powered cars have fallen by about 16.5 per cent this year.

Closer analysis shows that diesel SUV sales have dropped by 24.5 per cent, comparing last month’s sales with September 2025, as buyers choose more efficient options.

And light commercial vehicles such as diesel dual-cab utes have fallen out of favour with private buyers, who are switching to smaller and more efficient vehicles.

Private sales of utes have fallen from about 70,000 sales in the first nine months of 2025 to about 55,000 sales in the same period this year.

Utes still remain popular, with Ford’s Ranger riding on top of the national sales charts once again, for the month of September.

Toyota’s hybrid-powered RAV4 SUV ranked second, followed by the Tesla Model Y and Toyota HiLux.

Affordable sub-$50,000 SUVs from Chinese newcomers Geely, GWM, and Chery ranked in the top 10.

BYD’s Sealion 7 joined them in a strong month for the brand, powered by sharp drive-away deals across the BYD range.

September New Car Sales: Top 10 Models

1Ford Ranger5062
2Toyota RAV44624
3Tesla Model Y4476
4Toyota HiLux4455
5BYD Sealion 72687
6Chery Tiggo 42059
7GWM Haval Jolion2018
8Geely EX52008
9Toyota Prado2006
10Isuzu D-Max1866

Sources: FCAI VFacts, EV Council

Dianne O’Hara, acting chief executive for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said Australian drivers have shown a clear shift to electrified vehicles.

“Australian motorists are embracing a broader range of powertrains, following greater model choice offered by manufacturers and growing competition,” she said.

“The changes seen throughout this year are continuing. Many consumers are making practical decisions and selecting from the range of available technologies that best meet their needs.”

Sales of cars sourced from China continue to gather momentum.

Chinese cars represented about 35 per cent of new vehicles sold last month, up from about 18 per cent in September last year.

The nation has overtaken Japan and Thailand as the number one source of new cars in Australia.

New brands such as Geely have turbocharged the performance of Chinese car companies, rocketing from selling about 3000 cars in the first nine months of 2025 to more than 23,000 vehicles for the year to date.

Extracted in full from: https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/motoring-news/electric-cars-outsell-petrol-vehicles-in-australia/news-story/81c0d04de3c4a956ccf0c30f6e3ea94b

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