Best-selling plug-in hybrid cars in Australia over first nine months of 2024

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The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV may lose its long-held title as Australia’s top-selling plug-in hybrid for the second time in five years, thanks to a new competitor from BYD.

Data published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows 15,546 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were reported as sold over the first nine months of 2024, up 120.5 per cent on the same period last year.

More than a third of the 8495 additional PHEVs sold this year were one vehicle that was not on sale this time last year – the BYD Sealion 6 family SUV.

While the Outlander still leads year-to-date PHEV sales on 4438 sales, the Sealion 6 is rapidly closing the gap, and is already the second-best selling plug-in hybrid so far this year (3207 vehicles) despite only registering its first deliveries in June.

In the past two months, BYD has delivered 60 per cent more Sealion 6 SUVs than Mitsubishi did Outlander PHEVs – or an average of 412 additional cars per month.

If it continues this pace, the BYD Sealion 6 will overtake the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the final days of December to become the nation’s top-selling PHEV, by a margin of five cars.

It would mark the second time in five years the Outlander – which is considered the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, launched in its first generation in 2014 – has not led the annual PHEV sales race.

But it would be the first on outright merit, as the MG HS Plus EV’s sales win in 2022 was assisted by a change-over between old and new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV generations in the first half of the year that saw showrooms short on stock.

Following the Outlander and Sealion 6 is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV (1944 sales), ahead of the Mazda CX-60 (1193 sales), Volvo XC60 Recharge (624) and MG HS Plus EV (533), which is in run-out ahead of a new model next year.

Together, about two in three plug-in hybrids sold so far this year was a Mitsubishi or BYD.

Sales of plug-in hybrids is being boosted by an exemption on Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) for vehicles purchased through novated leases.

This is due to end in April 2025 – within months of the country’s first plug-in hybrid utes, the BYD Shark, Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Cannon Alpha Hi4-T, arriving in showrooms.

Note: Ferrari and Lamborghini PHEV sales shares calculated as a percentage of total Ferrari and Lamborghini sports-car sales.

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