The year is only half gone but sales of new cars are already up almost 9 per cent, signalling a return to the good times.
More importantly, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are booming, with a 16.5 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.
The significant year-to-date milestone highlights the sustained demand for new vehicles across Australia.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) boss Tony Weber said the yearly sales were encouraging, especially considering the ongoing economic challenges.
“The end of the financial year has traditionally been a strong month for vehicle sales and achieving 632,412 sales in just six months is a testament to the resilience of the market,” he said.
While sales of EVs or Battery Electric Vehicles have increased overall, they took a hit in June — down from 8.8 to 8.0 per cent of total new vehicle sales.
So far this year Australians have purchased a total of 50,219 EVs, compared to 43,092 at the same time last year.
However, FCAI is hopeful we reach 100,000 sales by the end of the year.
The figures show Australian customers took delivery of 119,659 new vehicles during June to mark the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
Total sales for the first six months of 2024 were 632,412 vehicles, a year-to-date increase of 8.7 per cent on last year and surpassing the previous record of 605,522 in 2018.
However, monthly sales declined by 4.2 per cent compared with June last year.
Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles have also seen a notable increase in market share, capturing 14.4 per cent of the market compared to 7.8 per cent in June last year, reflecting a growing consumer preference for more sustainable vehicle options.
As customers increasingly turn to electric vehicles, Mr Weber said it was critical that governments focus on the delivery of widespread recharging capability across Australia.
The demand for SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles continues to drive the market, contributing 54.5 per cent and 23.3 per cent respectively to the monthly sales figures.
The ongoing popularity of SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles demonstrates the versatility and practicality these vehicles offer to Australian consumers.
Toyota was the market leader with sales of 20,903 in June, followed by Ford (9493), Mazda (9483), Kia (8225) and Mitsubishi (7723).
Ford Ranger was Australia’s top-selling vehicle with sales of 6289 in June, followed by the Toyota HiLux (5630), Toyota RAV4 (3907), Mitsubishi Outlander (3045) and Tesla Model Y (2906).
Sales in the Australian Capital Territory were the same as June 2023 (1856); New South Wales decreased by 2.1 per cent (36,246); Queensland decreased by 6.3 per cent (26,265); South Australia decreased by 0.5 per cent (7932); Victoria decreased by 4.7 per cent (32,356); Western Australia decreased by 7.6 per cent (12,079), Tasmania decreased by 1.4 per cent (1897) and Northern Territory decreased by 5.3 per cent (1028).
It’s interesting to compare the number and differences in the type of vehicles sold so far this year, across the range of passenger, SUV and light commercials:
| Type | 2023 | 2024 | Difference | Per cent change |
| Diesel | 175,939 | 193,859 | +17,920 | +10.2 |
| Electric | 43,092 | 50,219 | +7127 | +16.5 |
| Hybrid | 38,270 | 81,613 | +43,343 | +113.3 |
| Hydrogen | 0 | 7 | +7 | – |
| Petrol | 294,282 | 272,756 | -21,526 | -7.3 |
| PHEV | 3582 | 8223 | +4641 | +129.6 |
Australia’s best selling car the Ford Ranger.
Hilux still falling
RAV the number one selling car in Australia for July.
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