The Tesla Model 3 electric car was the most popular passenger vehicle in Australia during March, and the fifth top-selling vehicle overall.

    It’s far and away the best recorded performance by an electric car.

    The reported Model 3 monthly sales figure for March is 3097 units, making it the nation’s fifth top-selling vehicle overall behind the Toyota HiLux (6324), Toyota RAV4 (4610), Mitsubishi Triton (3808), and Mazda CX-5 (3772).

    But in the passenger car-specific sales race it topped the charts. Next was the Hyundai i30 on 2455 monthly sales, Toyota Corolla with 1924 sales, and MG 3 with 1528 sales.

    On a year-to-date basis the Tesla Model 3 has found 4417 owners, equal to two-thirds of Australia’s entire electric car sales.

    Tesla doesn’t have consistent monthly tallies because customer orders tend to be delivered in gluts or batches.

    Tesla this month agreed to publish its sales data in Australia’s VFACTS monthly reports, compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, after long withholding its figures for mystifying reasons.

    Given car sales are considered an important economic indicator, this has caused some consternation in industry circles.

    Here’s hoping this month’s sales data is more accurate than last time Tesla Australia submitted its sales to an industry body – in that instance the EV Council.

    MORE: Tesla Australia overstated 2021 sales, says EV Council
    MORE: Everything Tesla Model 3

    Mike Costello
    Mike Costello is a Senior Contributor at CarExpert.
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