Hybrids gain momentum
Sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles rose sharply across the ditch last month as the new-vehicle market recorded a total of 99,588 registrations.
This number was up 1.2 per cent from October 2024, when there were 98,375 sales, according to new figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Hybrids represented 17.8 per cent of last month’s activity, PHEVs 4.7 per cent and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) 7.3 per cent.
The FCAI notes the figures represented 25 per cent growth for hybrids, when compared with October last year, and a 95 per cent increase for PHEVs. The volume of BEVs remained stable.
Total sales for the year-to-date now stand at 1,014,027 – down 1.1 per cent from the same period last year – with hybrids up 12 per cent over the same period and PHEVs rising 137.4 per cent.
Tony Weber, FCAI chief executive, says the latest statistics show Australians are increasingly choosing hybrid and PHEV models as a practical path towards lower emissions.
“Hybrids are delivering strong growth right across the market, while PHEVs are also gaining momentum,” adds Weber, pictured.
“Petrol-only vehicles, on the other hand, continue to lose ground. These shifts underline the pace of change in consumer preferences.”
The top models for October were the Toyota Hilux on 4,444 units followed by the Ford Ranger with 4,402 and Toyota’s RAV4 on 4,401.
Ford’s Everest with 2,435 registrations and the Toyota Land Cruiser on 2,090 completed last month’s top five models, which represented 17.8 per cent of sales.
Toyota was the market leader in October with 19,726 sales. Next was Ford on 7,570, Mazda with 7,140, Kia on 6,610 and Hyundai with 6,403.
The FCAI reports that SUVs again dominated the market, accounting for 61.7 per cent of total sales. Medium SUVs alone accounted for one in four vehicles sold, the most popular segment nationally.
Chinese-built vehicles strengthened their position as the third-largest source market, with sales from China rising 40 per cent year-on-year.
