The BYD Sealion 7 knocked off the Tesla Model Yas the best-selling electric car in Australia in July, marking the second month this year the Chinese electric SUV has managed this feat.
In July, BYD delivered 1427 examples of the Sealion 7 – which only landed in showrooms six months ago – to find almost three times as many buyers as the Model Y, which slumped to 555 for the month.
It came as overall electric vehicle (EV) sales in July increased 7.1 per cent year on year, despite a significant slump for Tesla.
To the end of July, the Tesla Model Y still leads the EV sales charts in Australia with 10,986 deliveries. The Sealion 7 sits in second place with 5183 deliveries, though this still puts it ahead of the Tesla Model 3 (4077), Kia EV5 (3227) and MG 4 (2429).
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Clickhereto get a great deal.
While July was only the second time it was ahead of the Model Y – April being the previous month, with 743 sales against 280 for the Tesla – the Sealion 7 has outsold the Model 3 every month since April 2025.
The Sealion 7 outsold both combined in July, the Model 3 adding 362 sales for a Tesla brand total of 917 vehicles.
The Tesla remains ahead year-to-date by a healthy 5803 vehicles, but the US automaker continues to struggle to return to its previous heights.
It posted its first global sales decline in its history in 2024 – including a 16.9 per cent fall in Australia.
A strong June result – the brand’s highest in a year – now appears a false dawn for Tesla after a torrid July where its sales fell 64.6 per cent year-on-year.
BYD, in contrast, saw sales growth of 158 per cent in July, following on from its June result where it became the first Chinese car brand to make the top five best-sellers in Australia.
BYD Sealion 7 vs Tesla Model Y sales in 2025
| Sealion 7 | Model Y | |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 | 465 |
| February 2025 | 157 | 924 |
| March 2025 | 573 | 1725 |
| April 2025 | 743 | 280 |
| May 2025 | 488 | 3580 |
| June 2025 | 1795 | 3457 |
| July 2025 | 1427 | 555 |
| Total year-to-date | 5183 | 10,986 |
MORE: Explore the BYD Sealion 7 showroom
MORE: Australia’s best-selling EVs for the first half of 2025