Hybrids and EVs overtake sales of petrol cars in Australia

Combined sales of hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and electric vehicles (EV) overtook sales of petrol cars last month.

A total of 42,007 electrified vehicles were delivered across Australia in March 2026, compared to just 34,694 petrol-powered models and 28,364 diesel vehicles, based on figures provided by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council.

While petrol and diesel vehicles combined still account for the overall majority, electrified vehicles – which include hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs – made up almost 40 per cent of all new-car sales last month.

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In the previous month, that figure was less than 34 per cent, while in March 2025, combined sales of electrified vehicles were just shy of 30 per cent.

It’s unclear whether this latest trend will continue, with some of the rush to electric and plug-in hybrids being attributed to the current fuel crisis, which has seen supply of petrol and diesel reduce in some parts of Australia, as prices have skyrocketed.

However, while the fuel crisis is believed to have helped a spike in sales, trends show that buyers were already moving towards hybrid and electric cars – with figures from the FCAI and EVC showing they have been experiencing double- and triple-digit growth in recent months, based on year-on-year comparisons.

In December 2025, hybrid cars recorded an almost 30 per cent jump compared with 12 months prior, while electric and plug-in hybrid sales shot up by 93.3 and 170.5 per cent in January 2026, versus January 2025.

Last month also saw a record month for EVs, representing almost 15 per cent of the total market alone – an increase of 88.9 per cent.

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