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News - Market Insight - Market Insight 2025Market Insight: Hybrid sales grow electrified shareHybrid sales lead electrified sales mix, accounting for 17.8pc of new-vehicle market11 Nov 2025 By MATT BROGAN HYBRID vehicle sales are leading the electrified sales race ahead of battery electric (BEV) and plug-in electric (PHEV) alternatives, with VFACTS data showing hybrid vehicle sales represented 17.8 per cent of the overall new car market at the end of October.
This represents a 25 per cent uptick in the number of hybrid vehicles sold year-on-year, well ahead of the 4.7 per cent increase in PHEV sales.
BEV sales continue to rise, with the Australian Automobile Association’s quarterly Electric Vehicle Index report showing that all-electric models represent 8.49 per cent of the overall motive power mix year-to-date (compared with 7.72 per cent) a year prior but hitting a new high of 9.7 per cent in the past three months.
“The October results confirm that Australians are increasingly choosing hybrid and PHEV models as a practical path towards lower emissions,” said Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber.
“Hybrids are delivering strong growth right across the market, while PHEVs are also gaining momentum. Petrol-only vehicles, on the other hand, continue to lose ground.
“These shifts underline the pace of change in consumer preferences.”
Petrol models topped the new-vehicle sales list in October with 36,807 delivered, ahead of diesel with 30,073, hybrid with 17,751, electric with 7361, and plug-in hybrid with 4724.
Looking at the sale of various motive power types over the past five years it is obvious as to the important role hybrid-powered vehicles now play in reducing Australia’s transport emissions.
Since 2020, sales of hybrid vehicles have increased by 285.8 per cent. Year-to-date figures supplied by the FCAI show that 161,426 hybrid vehicles were sold to the end of October, just 9000 units fewer than for the entirety of last year.
Battery electric vehicle sales have grown steadily. Year-to-date figures for BEV models rest at 83,805 units and based on current sales trends, it is expected the total number of BEVs sold will exceed 100,000 units by the year’s end, around 10,000 more than in the 2024 calendar year.
Plug-in hybrid sales are at their highest on record with 42,797 delivered in the calendar year to date, a 2550 per cent increase on the total number of PHEVs sold just five years ago and 185 per cent up on the overall sales figure achieved in 2024.
It is evident that electrified vehicles of all motive types (BEV, HEV and PHEV) are taking a toll on pure internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales.
Sales of diesel-powered passenger, light commercial and SUV models are likely to finish 2025 down 15 per cent on last year’s figures, although the overall market share of diesel has remained consistent so far this decade.
Petrol vehicles are forecast to achieve 12 per cent fewer sales this year than during 2024.
While little impact has been made by the adoption of electrified power in the heavy commercial sector, it is worth noting that the number of predominantly diesel-powered models sold here is also down, likely reflecting the current cycle of the Australian economy and a range-wide model refresh underway at market-leading Isuzu.
Heavy commercial vehicle sales are tipped to finish the year at just 45,267 units, the lowest result since 2021 – and a decrease on last year’s tally of 11.8 per cent.
2020-25 vehicle sales by motive power type*:
*All sales data supplied courtesy of VFACTS.
^Year-to-date sales to 31 October.  Read more26th of October 2025  Market Insight: Mazda buyers favour older modelsOlder Mazda models outsell newer ‘premium’ lines by more than seven to one in Aus13th of October 2025  Market Insight: A record year in the making?Third-quarter sales a usual indicator of full-year performance – but what about 2025? |
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