The Australian appetite for new cars shows no sign of abating from the latest new vehicle figures, however EV sales have slowed slightly.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ April figures for new vehicles have set a highest-ever year-to-date sales result selling more than 50,00 new vehicles more than at the same point in 2023.
The FCAI count show a total of 97,202 vehicles were sold in April, propelling the year-to-date sales to 401,654.
Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles made up 18.3 per cent of the market compared to 7.5 per cent in 2023 but full EVs dropped slightly to 6.4 per cent from 7.9 per cent at the same time last year.
In another upset, Toyota’s RAV 4 has knocked off the two large utes, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux for the top spot for new cars sold, after the pair dominated the top two spots throughout 2023.
The RAV4 cracked 5,000 sales for the first time in March and of these, 93.3 per cent or 4,728 cars were Hybrid Electric – according to Toyota.
It was the first time Toyota has sold more than 10,000 hybrids in any month and the first time its Hybrid Electric tally has accounted for more than half its total monthly sales.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing & Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the April figures confirmed the healthy underlying demand that has been curtailed by previous supply issues.
“Record deliveries are not a goal in themselves,” Mr Hanley said. “They highlight the pent-up demand for hybrids and the success being achieved in substantially reducing customer wait times.”
“While it would be easy to assume this result is simply driven by historic demand, it is not the full picture. Customer orders in April remained high, demonstrating a growing number of Australians are seeking fuel-efficient hybrids that are practical, capable and affordable.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the continued growth in the market has seen the industry break ten record monthly sales results in the past year.
“April’s result highlights strong consumer confidence in purchasing new vehicles, surpassing our expectations and is a testament to consumer choice and the industry’s resilience in a challenging economic landscape.”
The SUV category continues to dominate sales, representing 55.7 per cent of total market share in April.
Light Commercials held steady, claiming 22.0 per cent of sales, reflecting ongoing demand for vehicles that meet the work and lifestyle requirements of Australians. Passenger vehicles accounted for 17.8 per cent of sales.
Toyota was the market leader with sales of 20,771, followed by Ford (8,648), Mazda (7,301), Kia (6,653) and Mitsubishi (5,314).
The Toyota RAV4 was Australia’s top selling vehicle with sales of 5,857, followed by the Ford Ranger (5,569), Toyota HiLux (4,693), Ford Everest (2,400) and Isuzu Ute D-Max (2,380).