More Australian drivers embrace electrified cars, as hybrid SUV sales triple

The Driven

Australian drivers are embracing electrified drivetrains, with new auto sales figures from Vfacts showing hybrid car sales continue to double compared to the same period in 2019.

The biggest increase is from the tripling of hybrid SUV sales compared to 12 months ago, which in turn led the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) to declare “green shoots” for the broader industry that is now in its 31st month of declining sales.

It was largely due to the big increase in hybrid sales that reduced the monthly decrease in overall sales to just 1.5% in October, compared to the same month a year ago.

But all-electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales also played a role, to a smaller extent – and notably it must not be forgotten that the quoted figures from Vfacts do not include sales of Tesla EV, as the Californian electric car maker does not report local sales figures to the industry body despite being a member of it.

For the first time, FCAI boss Tony Weber acknowledged the role that electric drivetrains are playing in the shift in sales patterns in Australia.

“Electrified vehicles also experienced a surge during the month, more than doubling in their total sales compared to October 2019.  This shows that Australian consumers are willing to explore new drive train technologies,” Weber said.

To read the full version of this story, please go to our EV-focussed sister site, The Driven and click here…