MG leads growth in electric SUV sales, but Australia still lags world EV push

Electric SUV sales have jumped in Australia, albeit from a very small base, thanks to the introduction of more models including the cheapest electric offering currently available in Australia, the recently released $43,990 MG ZS EV.

However, the near six-fold increase in electric SUVs in January, to just 213, was overshadowed by a big increase in petrol and diesel SUVs as the number of new fossil vehicles sold in Australia jumped 10 per cent, or nearly 8,000, to more than 79,000 vehicles.

The modest gains for EVs in Australia in January were accompanied by a call from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for federal and state governments to work together to banish unhelpful policies and regulations if the auto industry is to achieve net-zero goals.

However, it stopped short at calling for a clear transition to electric vehicles, instead of pushing for consumer education to “let the market decide”.

Auto sales are bouncing back after as new figures in from Vfacts for January show the industry has instead seen an 11.1% jump, after a tumultuous 2020 which saw a 13.7% drop in sales from January to December.

It’s still early in the year of course but one thing is certain: Australians continue their love affair with SUVs, and while conventional hybrid engines have gained, plug-in electrics still account for a very minor total, despite the presence of the Kona Electric, which in 2021 was the most popular electric SUV in Australia, and the MG ZS EV.