Tesla News

These are officially Australia's favourite cars.

There’s a new king in the global electric vehicle (EV) sales race.China’s BYD has officially dethroned Tesla as the best-selling EV carmaker in the world based on sales data from 2025.BYD claims to have sold a total of 2.26 million EVs during 2025, which is up 27.9 per cent year-on-year.For context, Tesla claims to have sold a total of 1.64 million cars during 2025, which is down 8.3 per cent year-on-year.It’s worth noting BYD’s EV sales now make up just under half of the Chinese carmaker’s total vehicle sales. A total of 2.29 million BYD plug-in hybrids (PHEV) were sold during 2025, which is down 7.9 per cent year-on-year.During 2025 BYD sold a total of 4.6 million vehicles globally, including 57,000 commercial vehicles like buses and trucks.BYD’s sales rise comes as Tesla growth has slowed due to incremental updates, changes or additions to existing models, weaker demand for the Cybertruck than originally projected, plus a slower rollout of its robotaxi service.Additionally, it’s likely Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s brief foray into US politics and aligning himself with US President Donald Trump soured the relationship some existing Tesla buyers had with the company.Despite this, Tesla rolled out its 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' semi-autonomous driving software to its vehicles in Australia during 2025. It was the first right-hand drive market to do so.Locally, full 2025 vehicle sales data hasn’t been released yet, however until November BYD has sold a total of 45,672 vehicles which is up 147.3 per cent year-on-year.The company’s best-selling vehicle in Australia is the Shark 6 PHEV dual-cab ute with a total of 16,398 examples sold until the end of November, followed by the Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV.Tesla on the other hand sold a total of 26,271 vehicles in Australia until the end of November, which is down 24.4 per cent year-on-year.Although the Model Y mid-size electric SUV is still the best-selling EV in Australia with a total of 20,241 examples sold until end-November, sales of the Model 3 electric sedan tanked in comparison.Only 6030 examples of the Model 3 were sold until the end of November, which is down 60.7 per cent year-on-year. This is one of the steepest sales declines in terms of outright sales volume in Australia during 2025.Looking to 2026, BYD appears set to extend its lead and potentially become a top-three best-selling brand. It has a number of new vehicles launching in Australia, plus its new premium (and separate) Denza brand.It’s unclear what Tesla has in the pipeline for Australia during 2026. It just launched the updated Model Y Performance locally which is made in Germany unlike the rest of the local line-up which is made in China.The company has been rolling out the stripped-back Standard versions of its Model 3 and Model Y to more markets and it’s unclear whether Australia is part of that plan.

The only constant is change – a smart person once said that.

China is about to ban a popular feature on new cars.Retractable door handles on cars will be banned in China from January 2027, according to a public notice from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).Under the draft rules, cars will be required to have mechanical emergency releases for exterior and interior door handles. Exterior door handles must be positioned within accessible areas on the door or door frame. For interior side doors, they must have at least one mechanical interior handle, and a minimum of one interior handle must be visible to occupants.Many manufacturers had been adopting retractable door handles on their vehicles, with it quickly becoming the latest premium gimmick.There are also some other more practical benefits such as aiding aerodynamics by reducing drag when the car is moving. Despite the points in favour, there have been several safety concerns raised, including a fatal fire-related incident in China recently. In situations where electric vehicles become submerged or catch alight, the electrics can malfunction and halt the operation of any electric door handles, leaving occupants trapped. This latest ban will require manufacturers to rethink their approach to door handle design if they want to continue selling their cars in China.This will likely have knock-on effects for Australia given it's an important export market for many Chinese carmakers.Among the many carmakers utilising electric door handles are Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, as well as plenty of Chinese competitors. Similar concerns around electric door handle safety have also been raised in Australia.The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has adapted its safety testing protocols from 2026, placing emphasis on electric door handles. “Increasingly popular electrically-operated door handles – which sit flush with bodywork when not in use – should remain operable after any crash,” a press release read. ANCAP’s official 2026 changes brochure expands on this. “We’re asking that cars with electric door handles – those powered by the cars’ 12 volt auxiliary battery – provide the ability for all side door handles to be in the extended/ready-to-open position immediately after a crash,” it reads. “They’ll also need to remain operable from the inside, or provide a manual override, so that occupants can exit, or first-responders can gain access inside the vehicle after a crash.”

As we prepare to close the curtain on 2025, the Australian new car market looks a very different place than it did at this time last year.

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