Australia EV Sales — January 2026 Update, Spotlight on the BYD Atto 1 - CleanTechnica

In January 2026, electric vehicle (EV) sales in Australia showed significant growth, with over 12,000 new EV buyers contributing to a 16% penetration rate among light vehicle sales. Out of 87,092 vehicles sold, 7,409 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 5,161 were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Although this represented a slight decline from the previous month, it marked a substantial year-on-year increase from just 4% BEV sales in January 2025. The surge is largely attributed to the introduction of budget-friendly models like the BYD Atto 1 and Atto 2, which have quickly climbed the sales charts, with BYD dominating six of the top ten best-selling BEV models. Other notable brands in the top sellers include Tesla, Kia, and Geely, but Chinese manufacturers clearly lead the market. PHEV sales also showed strong growth, particularly from Chinese brands such as BYD and G