September 2026 new car sales see EVs surge again as Ford Ranger returns to number one
Australia’s new vehicle market edged higher in September 2026, while the shift toward electrified powertrains kept accelerating. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) recorded 102,924 VFACTS sales for the month, up 0.9 per cent on September 2025.
When Tesla and Polestar deliveries reported through the Electric Vehicle Council are folded into all-sources tallies used by industry bodies, the broader market reaches about 108,778 vehicles for the month, according to the Australian Automotive Dealer Association’s review of VFACTS and EVC data. That all-sources reading is the figure most often used when comparing battery-electric volumes with petrol.
Battery electrics keep climbing
FCAI says battery electric vehicles from all sources accounted for 24.2 per cent of the market in September, up from 11.3 per cent in September 2025. Year to date, BEVs represent 18.9 per cent of the entire market, compared with 8.1 per cent at the same point in 2025.
On the VFACTS powertrain mix, FCAI reports plug-in hybrid sales up 122.7 per cent and hybrid sales up 20.7 per cent versus September 2025. Petrol sales fell 36.2 per cent and diesel declined 18.4 per cent. Absolute petrol and diesel unit totals are not restated in the FCAI HTML summary used for this draft, so percentage changes are the verified figures quoted here.
Separately, the Electric Vehicle Council’s September report covering Tesla and Polestar only recorded 5,854 combined BEV deliveries for those two brands, including 4,476 Tesla Model Y family deliveries. VFACTS-brand BEV volumes plus those EVC deliveries underpin the all-sources BEV share FCAI quotes.
The Australian Automotive Dealer Association notes that battery electric vehicles again outsold petrol and diesel vehicles for the second consecutive month on the combined reading. That claim depends on counting Tesla and Polestar with VFACTS brands. Pure VFACTS-only totals still show a smaller market because Tesla and Polestar do not report through VFACTS.
Related reading covers earlier months when electric cars outsold petrol on combined tallies, plus our Tesla and Polestar September delivery report.
Ford Ranger leads the VFACTS model chart
FCAI’s VFACTS top 10 models for September were headed by the Ford Ranger on 5,062 sales, ahead of the Toyota RAV4 on 4,624 and the Toyota HiLux on 4,455.
Rank (VFACTS) | Model | September sales |
|---|---|---|
1 | Ford Ranger | 5,062 |
2 | Toyota RAV4 | 4,624 |
3 | Toyota HiLux | 4,455 |
4 | BYD Sealion 7 | 2,687 |
5 | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro | 2,059 |
6 | GWM Haval Jolion | 2,018 |
7 | Geely EX5 | 2,008 |
8 | Toyota Prado | 2,006 |
9 | Isuzu D-Max | 1,866 |
10 | MG ZS | 1,805 |
Because Tesla reports through the EVC rather than VFACTS, the Tesla Model Y does not appear in the VFACTS top 10 even though EVC data put Model Y family deliveries at 4,476 for the month. All-sources rankings that include Tesla therefore look different from the VFACTS-only table above.
Chinese brands again feature heavily inside the VFACTS top 10 through BYD Sealion 7, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, GWM Haval Jolion and Geely EX5. That pattern aligns with China’s rising share of total vehicles sold.
Brand leaders and market mix
Toyota led manufacturers on VFACTS with 17,682 sales, followed by BYD (8,191), Ford (7,592), Kia (5,901), Mazda (5,702), GWM (5,212), Hyundai (5,073), MG (4,635), Geely (4,473) and Chery (4,205).
China was the largest source of vehicles sold in September at 35.5 per cent, ahead of Japan (22.5 per cent), Thailand (17.3 per cent) and South Korea (9.6 per cent).
Light commercial sales fell 13.2 per cent year on year, while passenger vehicles rose 6.3 per cent and SUVs rose 6.1 per cent. AADA notes SUVs continue to dominate year to date at about 65 per cent of sales. The soft light-commercial result sits against the Ranger’s return to the VFACTS model lead, showing how a single popular dual-cab can still top the chart even when the broader commercial segment is down.
Year-to-date context
AADA’s combined VFACTS and EVC reading puts year-to-date sales at 957,698 units, up 2.0 per cent. FCAI’s BEV year-to-date share of 18.9 per cent shows how quickly the electrified share has risen against 8.1 per cent at the same point in 2025.
Monthly snapshots can bounce with Tesla shipment timing, fleet deliveries and model launches. Treat one month as a trend marker, not a finished annual result. Shoppers comparing new stock can browse current listings under BYD Sealion 7 and other high-volume models, or start from the broader affordable EV guide when the shortlist is electric-first.
How to read VFACTS versus all-sources
Two reporting layers sit behind most September headlines. VFACTS covers brands that report to FCAI and is the right source for the Ranger-led model table and manufacturer ranking above. All-sources market share adds Tesla and Polestar EVC deliveries so BEV share and petrol comparisons are not missing those volumes.
When a claim says battery electrics outsold petrol, check whether it is using the AADA or FCAI all-sources reading. When a claim says which model finished number one, check whether Tesla is included. Mixing those layers is the fastest way to misread the month.
Bottom line
September 2026 was a modest volume uptick on VFACTS and another strong electrification month on FCAI’s all-sources BEV share of 24.2 per cent. The Ford Ranger reclaimed the VFACTS model lead on 5,062 sales, while Tesla Model Y volumes reported to the EVC remain large enough to reshape all-sources rankings. Compare VFACTS-only and all-sources tables carefully before drawing headline conclusions.
