Once the punchline of motoring jokes, Chinese made vehicles have become the most coveted rides in Austrealia. Forget hesitancy, Aussies car buyers are pulling the trigger on deposits before wheels even roll off the dock. So much so the EV market has just had it’s best quarter and the momentum keeps rolling on.
Take the Zeekr 7X: within a week of its local pricing drop, over 1,000 pre orders flooded in. Starting at $57,900 before on road costs, this electric SUV undercut Tesla’s offerings and came packing a 450 kW charge rate that can top 80 percent in under 15 minutes. And it is not just hype, people are putting real money down. The 7X is a a great looking car and backs it up where it matters the most, the hip pocket.
And VFACTS data continues to fuel the frenzy.
In June 2025, Chinese brands accounted for two spots in the top five best selling brands with BYD clocking 8,156 deliveries, up a staggering 367.9 percent year on year, while GWM captured 5,464, a 30.9 percent increase. VFACTS lists BYD fifth overall, rubbing shoulders with the industry giants..
Curated news for men,
delivered to your inbox.
Join the DMARGE newsletter — Be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive stories on style, travel, luxury, cars, and watches. Straight to your inbox.
Earlier in 2025, both Chery and BYD reported staggering year on year growth, with February deliveries more than doubling compared to 2024..
Overall sales may have dipped, but VFACTS shows June was still the best June on record, proof that Chinese brands are lighting the path through the gloom.
One reason for the surge is simple economics. Unlike the US or EU, Australia does not apply tariffs to Chinese imports, allowing brands like Zeekr, BYD and MG to price their cars aggressively.
BYD has been especially magnetic. Infact, their growth is down right bonkers.
In April, its Sealion 7 PHEV dethroned the Tesla Model Y as Australia’s best selling EV. Their futuristic Sydney megastore, complete with showroom robots, did not just sell cars, it sold trust. March sales surged 196 percent year on year, while Tesla plunged 53 percent in the same month.
And it is not just EV only brands. MG climbed from fewer than 600 cars sold in 2017 to more than 58,000 in 2023, ranking seventh overall in Australia. With MG’s premim IM brand dropping soon, you can only see things motoring on for the Chinese makers.
This is more than a novelty. It is a tidal shift. Australian drivers are choosing performance, range and price over legacy brand cache. It’s no wonder European brands like Audi are on the ropes after years of very few exciting product releases in Australia. BMW is fairing better thanks to their wacky design language and ability to colour outside the lines with EVs. Mercedes-Benz continues to be a great choice for middle-aged women and Sydney’s underworld.
Chinese cars are now seen as bold, affordable and technologically advanced, and they are winning customers at record speed. Yikes!
