Australia’s new vehicle market edged higher in September 2026, and the powertrain story stayed just as loud as the brand leaderboard. On the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) VFACTS release, dealers delivered 102,924 vehicles, up 0.9% on September 2025. When Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) Tesla and Polestar deliveries are added to that VFACTS base, the broader monthly market reaches 108,778, up about 1.8% year on year.
This AussieMotor report uses both tallies on purpose. The official FCAI / VFACTS headline is 102,924. The 108,778 combined market is the base FCAI itself uses when it says battery electric vehicles from all sources took 24.2% of September sales, and it is the only way to place the Tesla Model Y in the overall top four. The gap is not a mystery: Tesla and Polestar do not report through VFACTS; the EVC recorded 5,854 combined deliveries for those two brands in September (102,924 + 5,854 = 108,778).
On that all-source view, battery electric vehicles again outsold petrol-only cars for a second straight month, by a slim 269 units. That follows the August crossover covered in our electric cars outsell petrol report. September was still a ute and SUV month at the top of the charts: the Ford Ranger led, the Toyota RAV4 ran second, and the Model Y nudged the Toyota HiLux for third when EVC volumes are included.
Browse live stock on our new cars directory while you read the tables below.
Two September totals and which one this article uses
Tally | September 2026 units | YoY change | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
FCAI VFACTS | 102,924 | +0.9% | Brands that report through VFACTS |
Combined market | 108,778 | +1.8% | VFACTS plus EVC Tesla and Polestar deliveries |
Tesla + Polestar (EVC) | 5,854 | n/a (EVC monthly report) | Outside the VFACTS pool |
How to read this piece: when we quote the FCAI media release or the VFACTS only model top ten, we use 102,924. When we discuss all sources BEV share (24.2%), EV versus petrol volume, or a combined model ranking that includes the Model Y, we use 108,778. FCAI’s own September release already frames the BEV share on an all-sources basis, so the broader base is not an unofficial invention. It is the same methodology needed to reconcile the chamber’s percentage with EVC Tesla / Polestar counts.
VFACTS year to date through September sits at about 914,312, essentially flat on the same point in 2025. A single strong EV month still does not rewrite the year-to-date powertrain order.
EVs outsold petrol again, but only just
On the combined September market (excluding heavy commercials in the powertrain split published alongside industry tallies), battery electric vehicles were again the largest individual powertrain category:
Powertrain | September 2026 sales | Approx. share |
|---|---|---|
Battery electric | 26,287 | 24.2% |
Petrol only | 26,018 | 23.9% |
Diesel | 25,173 | 23.1% |
Conventional hybrid | 17,843 | 16.4% |
Plug-in hybrid | 10,072 | 9.3% |
That puts BEVs 269 units ahead of petrol-only cars and also ahead of diesel when each category is counted alone. FCAI reported BEV share from all sources at 24.2%, more than double the 11.3% recorded in September 2025. Plug-in hybrid sales rose 122.7% year on year; conventional hybrids rose 20.7%; petrol fell 36.2%; diesel fell 18.4%.
Add BEVs, conventional hybrids and PHEVs and electrified powertrains were about 49.8% of the combined September market: close to half of all new deliveries, but still not a majority once petrol and diesel are combined.
September is still not a year to date for EV wins
A monthly crossover is easy to overread. Through the end of September, petrol- and diesel-led battery electric vehicles on cumulative volume:
Powertrain | Sales YTD to the end of September 2026 | Approx. YTD share |
|---|---|---|
Petrol | 269,691 | 28.2% |
Diesel | 232,714 | 24.3% |
Battery electric | 180,591 | 18.9% |
FCAI puts the year-to-date BEV share at 18.9%, up from 8.1% at the same point in 2025. That is rapid growth, not a cumulative overtake. Fleet deliveries, model launches and Tesla’s familiar delivery rhythm can still swing monthly share. Treat September as the second monthly BEV over petrol result, not proof that EVs have already won 2026.
VFACTS alone recorded about 20,433 battery electric sales inside its reporting pool for the month. The all-source BEV total of 26,287 adds the EVC Tesla and Polestar block. If you only read the VFACTS BEV line, you will understate the national electric share that FCAI quotes at 24.2%.
Ford Ranger reclaimed the top spot
After a softer August, the Ford Ranger returned as Australia’s best-selling new vehicle in September with 5,062 deliveries, up about 4.0% from September 2025. The Toyota RAV4 followed on 4,624, up a sharp 81% year on year, as hybrid demand stayed strong in the medium SUV class.
On the combined ranking, the Tesla Model Y took third with 4,476 EVC reported deliveries (about 14% up on September 2025), narrowly ahead of the Toyota HiLux on 4,455. FCAI’s VFACTS only top ten puts HiLux third and omits Tesla, because Model Y volume sits outside VFACTS.
The BYD Sealion 7 remained the highest-selling VFACTS-reported BEV and the clear fifth-place model overall on 2,687.
Australia's combined top sellers in September 2026
The table below is the combined view buyers usually care about: VFACTS model counts plus EVC Model Y volume in third. Units match FCAI for VFACTS-reported nameplates and the EVC for Model Y.
FCAI’s published VFACTS only top ten is identical from Ranger through D Max except that Tesla is absent; HiLux sits third, and the MG ZS fills tenth on 1,805. The Sealion 7, Tiggo 4, Jolion and EX5 show how quickly Chinese-built SUVs have moved into high-volume mainstream territory. The EX5’s year-on-year jump (hundreds of percent from a low 2025 base) is a launch ramp effect as much as a permanent popularity order.
Just outside the top ten on the combined list, the Zeekr 7X (1,628) and BYD Shark 6 (1,492) underline that electric SUVs and plug-in ute alternatives are no longer niche footnotes.
VFACTS is only the top ten if you exclude Tesla
For readers who need the chamber’s own model table without EVC brands:
Both tables are correct for different questions. Use the VFACTS-only list when quoting FCAI model rankings. Use the combined list when asking which vehicles Australians actually took delivery of in September, including Tesla.
Brands: Toyota still leads, BYD holds second
On VFACTS manufacturer sales, Toyota remained clear first with 17,682 vehicles. BYD held second on 8,191, ahead of Ford on 7,592. Kia (5,901), Mazda (5,702), GWM (5,212), Hyundai (5,073), MG (4,635), Geely (4,473) and Chery (4,205) completed the VFACTS top ten brands.
When Tesla’s EVC reported 5,654 September deliveries are folded into a combined brand view, Tesla sits around sixth, ahead of GWM on the month. Polestar contributed the balance of the 5,854 Tesla plus Polestar block. The EVC also noted Model Y accounted for about 76% of that Tesla / Polestar September total, with the Tesla Model 3 on 1,178 (up 60% year on year).
China was again the largest source country on FCAI figures, supplying 35.5% of the VFACTS market in September, ahead of Japan (22.5%), Thailand (17.3%) and South Korea (9.6%). On the combined market, Chinese built volume sits even higher once Tesla’s Shanghai sourced cars are included. That production geography helps explain why BEV and value SUV share rose so quickly; it is market context, not a quality ranking of any one badge.
SUVs and utes still run the show
Australia remains an SUV market with a large light commercial footprint. On the combined September split, SUVs were about 64.1% of deliveries, light commercials about 19.0%, passenger cars about 13.8%, and heavy commercials about 3.1%.
FCAI noted a 13.2% fall in light commercial sales versus September 2025, offset by 6.3% growth in passenger vehicles and 6.1% growth in SUVs inside the VFACTS pool. The Ranger and HiLux still bookend the top of the charts, but the middle of the top ten is now crowded with small and medium SUVs, including several electrified options.
If you are shopping the volume end of that SUV wave, start with priced shortlists such as new cars under $25,000 drive away, the cheapest electric cars in Australia 2026 guide, and best electric SUVs under $60,000. For running cost trade offs between petrol, hybrid and electric, see our petrol vs hybrid vs electric explainer. Broader list price context sits in average new car price in Australia 2026.
Ranger versus HiLux: the ute race tightened again
The Ranger led HiLux by 607 units in September (5,062 versus 4,455). That is a clearer monthly gap than the Model Y versus HiLux contest for third on the combined list, where only 21 units separated Tesla’s crossover from Toyota’s ute.
HiLux still matters enormously for fleets, trades and regional buyers who need diesel torque, payload and a dealer footprint that electric utes cannot yet match at scale. The BYD Shark 6 on 1,492 shows plug in ute interest is real, but September’s podium still belonged to conventional one tonne leaders plus a runaway electric SUV.
What Model Y's third place really means
The Model Y was Australia’s best selling new vehicle of any type in August. In September it slipped to third on the combined ranking while still delivering 4,476 units and remaining the country’s highest volume electric nameplate. The EVC attributes a large share of Tesla’s September result to the wider Model Y family, including long wheelbase demand.
That matters for buyers comparing medium SUVs. The RAV4’s 4,624 result shows hybrid petrol remains a default family choice. The Model Y’s 4,476 shows a full electric alternative can sit in the same volume band when pricing, charging access and deliveries line up. Neither result cancels the other; they describe parallel demand in the same body style class.
For shoppers still deciding whether an EV fits daily use, revisit the August milestone context in electric cars outsell petrol, then check current Model Y and rival stock via the new cars directory.
How to read VFACTS without getting tripped up
VFACTS is FCAI’s monthly sales census for participating brands. It is the standard industry scoreboard for most manufacturers sold in Australia. It is not a complete national delivery count while Tesla and Polestar report separately through the Electric Vehicle Council.
Practical rules of thumb:
VFACTS total (102,924 in September) excludes Tesla and Polestar.
All sources BEV share (24.2%) needs the EVC Tesla / Polestar block added to the market base.
Model rankings change depending on whether Model Y is included.
Monthly share is not the same as year to date share.
BEV only is not the same as BEV plus PHEV or all electrified (BEV + hybrid + PHEV).
When a headline says EVs took roughly one in four new sales, check whether it means BEV only for one month (yes for September’s 24.2%) or a longer period that mixes PHEVs. Our August piece already separated that monthly BEV claim from first half plug in totals; September’s story is the second monthly BEV over petrol result on the same all sources basis.
What September means if you are buying now
For private buyers, September’s tables are a demand snapshot, not a shopping shortlist on their own. High volume models can still be the wrong car for your driveway, tow rating, garage charging or budget. Use the leaderboard to see which segments are liquid, then price the actual variants you can live with.
Practical next steps:
Compare Ranger, HiLux and Shark 6 only if you need a ute’s payload and towing case, not because they top a chart.
Shortlist RAV4 hybrid against Model Y, Sealion 7 and EX5 if you want a medium SUV and are open on powertrain.
Treat promotional drive away prices as dated offers; confirm state on road costs in writing.
If insurance is part of the ownership maths, keep compulsory third party separate from comprehensive cover using our CTP vs third party vs comprehensive guide.
What to watch in the next VFACTS update
October and the final quarter will show whether BEV share holds above the low twenties after two monthly wins over petrol, whether Ranger keeps the monthly lead, and whether RAV4’s hybrid surge continues. Watch also whether Tesla’s delivery pattern repeats another quarter end spike, and whether Chinese brand SUVs keep half of the VFACTS top ten crowded.
FCAI’s next monthly release remains the primary source for VFACTS totals and brand tables. EVC Tesla and Polestar reports remain essential for all sources BEV maths until those brands join the VFACTS pool.
Bottom line
September 2026 was a 102,924 vehicle VFACTS month and a 108,778 vehicle combined market once Tesla and Polestar are counted. The Ford Ranger led, the Toyota RAV4 chased hard, and the Tesla Model Y sat third on the combined list ahead of the Toyota HiLux. Battery electric vehicles took 24.2% all sources share and again outsold petrol only cars, this time by 269 units, while year to date petrol and diesel volumes remain ahead.
That is a clear continuation of Australia’s 2026 powertrain shift, not a finished transition. Read the dual tallies carefully, keep monthly and year to date figures separate, and shop the cars that fit your use case rather than the chart alone.