Most popular non-Tesla EVs for 2021

While Tesla, far and away the leader in the burgeoning electric car market, refuses to disclose its sales data in Australia, we do now have the data on every other battery EV on sale.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the top-selling EVs, beyond the ubiquitous Model 3, over the course of 2021.

Overall sales of (non-Tesla) EVs grew 191.1 per cent during 2021, to 5149 units. That’s an all-time record, but still barely 0.5 per cent overall market share.

For context, sources such as Tesla tracker VedaPrime suggest the American company delivered in excess of 10,000 Model 3s last year. We’re working hard to secure the requisite data.

The leader in the sales race was the $44,990 drive-away Chinese MG ZS EV, also Australia’s cheapest electric car (we won’t count BYD until its cars are widely available and sales reported).

This means the two most-purchased EVs in Australia are made in China, with the Tesla Model 3 also sourced from Shanghai.

Staggeringly, next in line was not a sharply-priced bargain EV but rather one of the priciest: the Porsche Taycan. The German brand’s first EV found 531 customers last year and plenty are still waiting in line for their chance at snapping one up.

The Taycan’s sales tally for 2021 also eclipsed that of the Porsche 911 (528), Boxster (109), Cayman (147) and Panamera (48).

Next in line was the Hyundai Kona with 505 sales, ahead of the Mercedes-Benz EQA and Nissan Leaf each on 367. Next were the Hyundai Ioniq (339), Mercedes-Benz EQC (298), Mini hatch (291), Kia Niro (217) and Volvo XC40 (207).

You can view the full list below. Note that some of these cars were only on sale for a month or two due to late-2021 launches.

You’d expect the sales of EVs to further spike in 2022 from their higher base, as various State rebates and tax cuts start to take hold and as customer choices proliferate.

Just a few of the most anticipated EVs launching this year – most, like the cars already listed, will be subject to short supplies for the foreseeable – include (alphabetically):

• BYD Yuan Plus
• Cupra Born
• Genesis GV60
• Great Wall Motor Ora Cat
• Kia EV6
• Mercedes-Benz EQS
• MG ZS EV update
• Polestar 2 (cars are here already but sales commence in earnest this year)
• Tesla Model Y
• Toyota bZ4X
• Volvo C40

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