Hyundai says Australia's EV sales have turned a corner

Hyundai Australia sees the current record market share for electric vehicles (EVs) as the new normal, suggesting the boom in sales has marked a turning point.

Record EV sales in Australia have cemented their broader acceptance, with recent growth set to continue, according to Hyundai, as it increases its shipments to around 1000 per month.

Speaking at the launch of the updated Staria people mover and Staria Load commercial van in Sydney – which will be joined by the Staria Load EV later this year – Hyundai Australia chief operating officer (COO) Gavin Donaldson said the momentum behind EVs is permanent.

“I think, based on the current incentive programs that are in place, we think EV sales will continue to go at the pace that they're going, and maybe grow [further] based on the current incentive programs that are available to the Australian public.”

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When asked if those incentives should remain, the Hyundai COO added: “We've got a broad range of EV product portfolio that should take advantage of those incentives that are in place.”

Incentives for buyers include the Electric Car Discount, which provides a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for salary-packaged EV purchases and was earlier this year extended by the Australian Government until at least March 31, 2027.

EV buyers can also access discounted finance rates through brands including Hyundai which, through Hyundai Capital Australia and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), offers discounts of up to 1.0 percentage point per annum on customer finance rates.

Sales of EVs reached a record 16.4 per cent market share in April 2026 before climbing to a new high of 19.9 per cent in May, led by the Tesla Model Y, which topped overall vehicle sales regardless of powertrain.

Hyundai Australia's EV sales increased 111.4 per cent year-on-year, led by the Kona Electric SUV, which contributed 633 of the brand's 1852 EV sales to the end of May.

In addition to broader growth in EV popularity – driven in part by record petrol and diesel prices – Hyundai expanded its EV lineup with the flagship Ioniq 9 three-row SUV in 2025 and the mid-size Elexio SUV this year, helping deliver the strong year-on-year increase.

Hyundai Australia plans to introduce the Ioniq 3 small electric hatch to Australian showrooms early next year.

Meanwhile, the automaker has also announced an electric version of the Staria Load, scheduled to join the range later this year alongside the recently updated diesel and hybrid Staria Load models.

At the local launch of the Staria Load and Staria people mover last week, the automaker said its short-term focus will be on expanding its hybrid lineup, which helped deliver overall sales growth of 8.1 per cent across the Hyundai range so far this year.

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