VFACTS June 2026: BYD falls 243 sales short of toppling Toyota as Australia posts its biggest month ever

Key takeaways

• Australia's biggest sales month ever at 140,058 units
• Tesla Model Y tops the charts again with a record 8,072
• BYD lands 18,881, just 243 sales behind Toyota
• EV share hits a record 23.3% as electrified models near half the market

Australia's new-car market has just posted its biggest month in history. VFACTS June 2026 data confirms 140,058 new vehicles were reported as sold, the first time the market has cleared 140,000 in a single month and comfortably past the previous record of 134,171 set back in 2017. Total sales were up 9.9% year-on-year, helped by the usual end-of-financial-year rush.

For the second month running an electric car led the entire market. The Tesla Model Y registered a record 8,072 sales, well clear of everything else and up sharply on the 5,605 that made it the first EV to top the charts in May. Nearly one in four new vehicles sold in June was electric, and close to half carried some form of electrification.

Tesla Model Y

Buyers registered a record 32,583 EVs in June, 23.3% of the market and up 146.9% on the same month last year. That share has climbed steadily all year, from 14.6% in March to 16.4% in April and 19.9% in May. Add hybrids and plug-in hybrids and electrified models made up 49.5% of everything sold.

High fuel prices tied to conflict in the Middle East continue to push buyers towards vehicles that cut their exposure at the bowser, though carmakers expect the surge to ease once prices settle. Petrol sales fell around 29% to 34,717 and diesel dropped 18.4% to 31,789. Hybrids rose 35% to 20,741 and plug-in hybrids jumped 158% to 16,068.

Top 10 brands - June 2026

Toyota held the top spot with 19,124 sales, but its lead has never looked so slim. The result was down 5.4% year-on-year, with the HiLux (5,175) its best seller and the new RAV4 hybrid (4,115) ramping up quickly.

BYD is the story of the month. The Chinese brand reported a record 18,881 deliveries, up 131.5%, and finished just 243 units behind Toyota. That is the closest any brand has come to knocking Toyota off top spot since the Holden era. A ship BYD owns docked in Australia in early June carrying close to 5,000 cars, most of them sold before it left Shanghai, and the brand concedes it is a feat unlikely to be repeated soon. BYD's first-half tally of 52,335 has already nearly matched its entire 2025 total of 52,415.

BYD Sealion 7

Ford finished third on 9,181, down 9.1%, and hit back at BYD by describing the shipment as part PR and part sensationalism.

Tesla climbed to fourth on the back of the Model Y, recording its best-ever month in Australia with 8,670 sales, up 88.9%. That was enough to outsell both Kia and Hyundai.

Mazda slipped to seventh, down 22.6%, as it ramps up the new-generation CX-5 without a hybrid option and launches its first mass-market EV, the 6e. The Chinese trio of GWM, MG and Chery all posted strong gains.

Top 10 models - June 2026

The Model Y's record 8,072 sales put it clear of the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, one of the biggest single-model results the Australian market has seen in decades.

The BYD Sealion 7 landed fourth on a record 4,730 sales, making it BYD's top seller and pushing it ahead of the Toyota RAV4 in the medium SUV race. The RAV4 followed in fifth, up 70% as hybrid demand builds.

BYD Shark 6

The BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute took sixth on 3,398, a clear sign that electrification is now reaching a segment diesel has long owned.

The BYD Atto 2 cracked the top 10 for the first time on 2,482 sales, giving BYD three models in the list and showing the pull of more affordable electric cars beyond the premium end.

Segment highlights

SUVs

• Medium SUV: Tesla Model Y dominated (8,072), with the BYD Sealion 7 (4,730) now ahead of the Toyota RAV4 (4,115)
• Large SUV under $80k: Ford Everest led on 2,176

Utes

• The Ford Ranger (5,999) stayed ahead of the Toyota HiLux (5,175), while the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (3,398) keeps climbing

Sports

• Sports under $100k: Ford Mustang reclaimed the lead on 156 sales, edging back ahead of the Honda Prelude that topped the class on debut last month

China supplied more than a third of every new vehicle sold in June, at 46,592 units or 35.5% of the market, ahead of Japan, Thailand, Korea and Germany.

June 2026 will be remembered as the month the old order cracked. An electric car led the market again, three of the top ten were BYDs, and the gap between Toyota and its newest rival narrowed to almost nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What was Australia's best-selling car in June 2026?

The Tesla Model Y was Australia's best-selling vehicle in June 2026 with a record 8,072 sales, its second consecutive month topping the overall charts.

How close did BYD come to outselling Toyota in June 2026?

BYD finished just 243 sales behind Toyota, with 18,881 deliveries against Toyota's 19,124. It is the closest any brand has come to leading the Australian market since the Holden era.

What was EV market share in Australia in June 2026?

Electric vehicles reached a record 23.3% of the market with 32,583 sales, up 146.9% year-on-year. Including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, electrified models made up 49.5% of all new vehicles sold.