A BYD Sealion 06 EV is displayed at the Guangzhou auto show in November 2025. [Photo by Li Fusheng/chinadaily.com.cn]
Battery-electric vehicles made up one in five of all new vehicle sales in Australia in May, hitting a record high and marking a major shift away from fossil fuels on the back of more Chinese carmakers helping to power the green transition, according to latest industry figures.
More broadly, electric vehicles — which include battery, conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions — accounted for nearly half or 46 percent of a total of 100,206 new vehicle sales in May, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, or FCAI, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The FCAI, which is the apex industry body for the automotive sector in Australia, highlighted the considerable gains made by major Chinese makers such as BYD, Omoda Jaecoo and Geely. BYD, fueled by its popular Sealion EV series, alone achieved sales of 8,211 vehicles in May, a 155 percent increase year-on-year.
Three Chinese carmakers are among the top 10 models by sales volume for the month, according to the FCAI.
