China is the new country of origin Australian repair shops are likely to see more of and 2024 was no exception.
Amidst an international war of words over tariffs and protection policies, Australia is a relatively benign market for the growing auto maker, and new brands are making their mark.
China remained behind Thailand and Japan as the top three countries of origin and missed hitting the 200,000 new vehicle sales mark partly due to the fall in Tesla sales, still the leading seller of EVs.
The advent of the NVES introduced this year has led to a proliferation of new Chinese brands, many launched in 2023 while established names have reported some significant growth.
MG is the top selling brand, in seventh position with sales of 50, 592 vehicles a, market share increase of about half a percent.
Pure EV maker, Tesla that still sells about 40 per cent of all battery electric vehicles, however, saw a slowing of sales in line with a slowing growth in pure EVs as consumers turned to hybrids.
According to data from the FCAI and the EV council, Tesla is still the top seller of electric cars – with 38,347 vehicles, or 42 per cent of the total – but it is down 17 per cent or about 8000 vehicles on 2023.
Great Wall Motors
Great Wall Motors finished 2024 with its own record sales and secured a position in the top 10 of the Australian automotive market.
GWM sold 42,782 vehicles in 2024, the largest year-on-year growth among the top 10 manufacturers, with a 17.5per cent increase in sales for 2024.
VFACTS national sales data showed it December alone it sold 4,073 units — a 5.5 per cent increase compared to December 2023 —a record monthly market share of 4.2 per cent.
Its leading vehicle was the Haval Jolion, which sold 1,691 units in December, capturing 14.8 per cent share of the small SUV market.
GWM also sold 11,980 hybrid vehicles in 2024, representing a 61per cent increase and accounting for 28 per cent of GWM’s total volume mix.
“Our growth in Australia highlights the commitment we’ve made to this market,” said Steve Maciver, Head of Marketing & Communications at GWM.
“Expanding our dealer network and achieving record sales through the introduction of multiple new products underscores the brand’s dedication to understanding and exceeding the expectations of Australian drivers. GWM’s success in Australia, showcases the importance of listening to customer needs and investing in long-term relationships. With continued innovation and customer-first service, GWM is set to achieve even greater milestones in the years ahead”.
BYD and Chery
BYD, another Chinese brand that has declared its ambitions in the Australian market, also saw strong growth with 20,538 new vehicles sold in 2024 an increase of 38 per cent over the previous year.
Other brands like Chery recorded sales of 12,603, an increase of 158 per cent year-on-year.
Worldwide Chery is also boasting of its status as one of the largest exporters on the planet, with a record full-year result of 2,603, 916 vehicles for 2024 a 38.4 per cent increase year-on-year.
Chery has now been the top Chinese passenger car exporter globally for 22 consecutive years with its EVs alone selling 583,569 vehicles.