April sales of Chinese vehicles (and Tesla) in Australia:
April 2025
GWM: 3874 sales, #7, up 16%
BYD: 3207 sales, #10, up 127%
MG: 3103 sales, #11, down 18%
Chery: 2287 sales, #14, up 291%
LDV: 1045 sales, #20, down 11%
Tesla: 500 sales, #23, down 76%
Geely: 324 sales, #29, new
JAC: 125 sales, #37, new
Zeekr: 58 sales, #41, new
Leapmotor: 56 sales, #42, new
2025 YTD
GWM: 15453 sales, #7, up 14%
MG: 14508 sales, #8, down 11%
BYD: 11974 sales, #12, up 103%
Chery: 8344 sales, #14, up 234%
Tesla: 5660 sales, #17, down 62%
LDV: 4606 sales, #20, down 20%
JAC: 650 sales, #35, new
Geely: 512 sales, #38, new
Zeekr: 269 sales, #41, new
Leapmotor: 194 sales, #43, new
Not reporting: Deepal, Xpeng.
BYD made the Top 10 for a second month despite expected steep declines in Shark (1293 sales, down 54% from March) and Sealion 6 (275 sales, down 65% from March) after buyers rushed to meet the April 1st deadline for expiry of PHEV tax benefit. Shark 6 was still the #4 ute in April, behind HiLux, Ranger and Isuzu D-Max, and ahead of established second-tier stalwarts like Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara, and all other Chinese utes (and the American "full-size" utes, though the significant RHD conversion costs attached to those vehicles really puts them in a different category, competing more with LandCruiser than HiLux). If Shark can maintain ~1000 vehicles per month going forward, I think that would be a strong showing for a still nascent brand entering an entirely new segment with unique drivetrain proposition. The introduction of Sealion 7 has gone somewhat under the radar as all the focus has been on Shark 6, but it was BYD's #2 vehicle in April with 743 sales, outselling Tesla Model Y and Model 3 combined.
The two SAIC brands MG and LDV have been in sustained decline for a while now, though I think for different reasons. MG has swapped out older models for newer, more refined models at higher price points. While the value proposition has been retained, that shift nonetheless makes a difference at the most price-conscious parts of the spectrum in which MG has traditionally competed. Perhaps more impactful is that Chery has arrived to offer strong competition in many of the same market segments, led by the new Tiggo 4 Pro.
To put some of these figures in context, the Australian vehicle market is currently down 4% YTD. BYD and Chery are sandwiched either side of Volkswagen (9275 sales YTD, #13, down 21%) which was a Top 10 brand here only a few years ago (peaked at #7 IIRC). Early signs aren't amazing for the latest crop of debutant brands, but Xpeng has
it will be rolling out its own public chargers here, which is a sign of commitment. At the end of the day, Australia is still a conservative, low-electrification market (EV+PHEV is still <10% I believe) and I think there is a limit as to how many Chinese brands will find a long-term home here. Tesla is clearly a raging dumpster fire, but I think we should wait to see the first couple months of updated Model Y sales before dancing too hard on its grave.
