Tesla had a record year in Australia in 2023, but its sales dropped in 2024 and it looks like 2025 will see another decline.
The Electric Vehicle Council has released November sales figures for Tesla and Polestar, which show both brands were up on the same month last year. Neither brand reports its sales tallies to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries for inclusion in the monthly VFACTS report, the next issue of which is due tomorrow.
Compared to last November, Tesla deliveries rose by 4.4 per cent to 2702 units, while Polestar was up 119.7 per cent from admittedly a low base to 167 units.
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While Polestar was up year-to-date, however, with a 42.6 per cent increase, Tesla’s deliveries in the first 11 months of this year tallied 26,271 units. That represented a decline of 24.4 per cent over the same period last year.
It’s unlikely Tesla will be able to claw back enough ground in December to avoid another drop in sales compared to last year, when it delivered 38,347 vehicles.
Despite the launch of an updated Model Y mid-size SUV – Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle (EV) – this year, slumping Model 3 sedan sales continue to weigh the brand down.
In November, Tesla delivered just 433 Model 3s (down 51.2 per cent on November 2024), and 2269 Model Ys – up 37.3 per cent.
Arch-rival BYD has pushed past Tesla in overall sales, though it’s buoyed by strong demand for its range of plug-in hybrid vehicles; looking purely at EV sales, Tesla remains in the lead.
Nevertheless, in October its Sealion 7 managed to out-sell its Model Y rival in October, while the Model 3 – traditionally the best-selling vehicle in its segment – was also overtaken by the BMW 3 Series. Tesla’s sedan remains in the lead year-to-date, however.
As for Polestar’s performance in November, its new SUVs – the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 – are giving it a significant bump in sales.
Polestar delivered 56 examples of the Polestar 3 large SUV, up 1766.7 per cent, and 98 examples of the Model Y-rivalling Polestar 4 mid-size SUV, up 157.9 per cent.
The older Polestar 2 fastback continues to decline in popularity, slumping 62.9 per cent month-on-month to just 13 units.
Tesla
| Model | November 2025 deliveries | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 433 | -51.2% |
| Tesla Model Y | 2269 | +37.3% |
| TOTAL | 2702 | +6.4% |
Polestar
| Model | November 2025 deliveries | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Polestar 2 | 13 | -62.9% |
| Polestar 3 | 56 | +1766.7% |
| Polestar 4 | 98 | +157.9% |
| TOTAL | 167 | +119.7% |