The MG 4 has made its mark in Australian automotive history by becoming the first electric vehicle (EV) to outsell Tesla in a single month
In October 2024, MG delivered 1,486 units of its compact electric hatchback, nearly doubling its previous monthly record of 835 deliveries set in November 2023. It also more than tripled its average monthly sales of 419 units from January to September.
The MG 4 comfortably surpassed the Tesla Model Y, traditionally Australia’s best-selling EV, which saw 1,042 deliveries in October. This marked Tesla’s seventh consecutive month of sales declines.
This is the first time another brand’s EV has outsold Tesla in a month since the company began sharing its sales data with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) in March 2022, and later the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).
While it’s unclear whether Tesla was ever outsold before it began reporting figures, the brand wasn’t the first to introduce an EV to Australia. Other models such as the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, and Mitsubishi i-MiEV had already been on the market before Tesla’s arrival.
Despite Tesla’s downturn, the overall EV market grew by 5.9% compared to October 2023, suggesting that Australian buyers are increasingly turning to other brands. In contrast, the broader new car market shrank by 6.4% year-on-year, with petrol car sales down by 12.3% and diesel car sales falling by 19.5%.
The Tesla Model 3 placed third in October with just 422 deliveries, a sharp 64.2% decline from the same month last year. However, it still outsold the BYD Atto 3 (330) and the BYD Seal (313).
The MG 4’s strong sales performance in October pushed it into fourth place in the year-to-date EV rankings, with 5,258 deliveries—just two units ahead of the Atto 3. The BYD Seal ranks third with 5,621 deliveries, while the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 remain dominant with 17,739 and 14,475 registrations, respectively.
Whether the MG 4 can sustain its impressive growth remains to be seen. The model benefitted from price cuts of over $10,000 to its base variant heading into October, though the discount has since been reversed. Even so, the MG 4 remains the most affordable EV in Australia, with the entry-level version priced at $32,990 drive-away until January 31, 2025.
