Australia recorded 108,778 new-vehicle deliveries in September 2026, an increase of 1.8% compared with the same month last year.
While the overall market recorded modest growth, the composition of those sales changed considerably.
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 26,287 deliveries, narrowly exceeding petrol vehicles on 26,018 and diesel vehicles on 25,173.
Just 269 deliveries separated electric and petrol vehicles, while the gap between electric and diesel was 1,114.
The results place all three powertrain categories within approximately one percentage point of each other in the September market.
Electric vehicles account for almost a quarter of sales
Battery-electric vehicles represented 24.2% of September deliveries, compared with 11.3% in September 2025.
Electric vehicle sales increased 117.7% year-on-year, while plug-in hybrid sales rose 122.7%.
Conventional hybrid deliveries also increased, rising 20.7%.
Petrol and diesel vehicles recorded declines over the same period.
| Powertrain | September deliveries | Market share | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery-electric | 26,287 | 24.2% | +117.7% |
| Petrol | 26,018 | 23.9% | −36.2% |
| Diesel | 25,173 | 23.1% | −18.4% |
| Hybrid | 17,843 | 16.4% | +20.7% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 10,072 | 9.3% | +122.7% |
The figures show substantial changes in the types of vehicles Australians purchased during the month.
However, September’s result does not mean electric vehicles have overtaken petrol and diesel across the full year.
For the first nine months of 2026, petrol vehicles accounted for 28.2% of deliveries, diesel vehicles 24.3% and battery-electric vehicles 18.9%.
The year-to-date figures demonstrate that conventional combustion-engine vehicles remain a significant part of the Australian market despite the rapid growth in electric sales.
Ford Ranger returns to the top of the sales rankings
The Ford Ranger was Australia’s highest-selling vehicle in September, recording 5,062 deliveries.
That represented a substantial recovery from August, when Ranger sales totalled 2,440.
The Toyota RAV4 finished second with 4,624 deliveries, followed by the Tesla Model Y on 4,476 and Toyota HiLux on 4,455.
The Tesla Model Y had led the Australian market in August with 6,414 deliveries but moved to third place in September.
The ten highest-selling models were:
| Rank | Model | September deliveries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Ranger | 5,062 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 | 4,624 |
| 3 | Tesla Model Y | 4,476 |
| 4 | Toyota HiLux | 4,455 |
| 5 | BYD Sealion 7 | 2,687 |
| 6 | Chery Tiggo 4 | 2,059 |
| 7 | GWM Haval Jolion | 2,018 |
| 8 | Geely EX5 | 2,008 |
| 9 | Toyota Prado | 2,006 |
| 10 | Isuzu D-Max | 1,866 |
The rankings include three battery-electric models: the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5.
They also demonstrate the continued importance of utes and SUVs in the Australian market.
Toyota leads, while BYD holds second place
Toyota remained Australia’s highest-selling automotive brand in September, recording 17,682 deliveries.
BYD finished second with 8,191 deliveries, representing year-on-year growth of 61.1%.
Ford followed with 7,592 deliveries, ahead of Kia and Mazda.
Several newer brands recorded substantial growth compared with September 2025.
Geely delivered 4,473 vehicles, an increase of 870.3%, while Omoda Jaecoo recorded 2,310 and Zeekr 2,050.
Those growth rates reflect expansion from smaller sales bases in the previous year.
Several established manufacturers recorded lower monthly deliveries, including Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Volkswagen and Nissan.
Monthly results can be influenced by model availability, new product launches, supply conditions and other factors, so a single month’s figures do not necessarily establish a longer-term trend for an individual manufacturer.
Chinese-built vehicles approach 40% market share
Another significant feature of September’s results was the number of vehicles manufactured in China.
Chinese-built vehicles accounted for 42,358 Australian deliveries, an increase of 63.8% compared with September 2025.
That represented approximately 39% of the total market.
The figure includes vehicles manufactured in China by both Chinese-owned and international automotive brands.
Nine of Australia’s 20 highest-selling models during September were built in China.
Chinese manufacturers also featured prominently in the brand rankings, with BYD, GWM, MG, Geely and Chery all recording substantial sales volumes.
The figures reflect the growing role of Chinese vehicle manufacturing in supplying the Australian market across multiple brands and powertrain categories.
SUVs continue to dominate Australian sales
SUVs accounted for 64.1% of new-vehicle deliveries during September, reinforcing their position as Australia’s largest vehicle category.
Traditional passenger cars represented 13.8%, while light commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 19%.
Medium SUVs were the largest individual market segment, with 34,545 deliveries and year-on-year growth of 26.1%.
The segment includes vehicles using petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains.
Its continued growth provides further context for the strong September results recorded by models such as the Toyota RAV4, Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5.
A changing market beneath modest overall growth
Australia’s September new-vehicle market increased by just 1.8% overall, but the underlying figures show substantial changes in powertrain demand, vehicle manufacturing origins and brand performance.
Battery-electric vehicles narrowly exceeded petrol and diesel deliveries for the month, although petrol remained the leading powertrain across the first nine months of the year.
Chinese-built vehicles accounted for almost four in every ten deliveries, while SUVs represented nearly two-thirds of the market.
The results demonstrate that changes in what Australians purchase, and where those vehicles are manufactured, are occurring much faster than the overall market is growing.
Sources: CarExpert, September 2026 VFACTS analysis; Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries; Electric Vehicle Council.