Polestar 2 beats Tesla Model 3 in April sales race

Volvo’s spin-off electric brand Polestar bested Tesla in the sales charts last month, with almost twice as many of its 2 model finding homes compared to the Model 3.

In April, 93 examples of the Polestar 2 sold versus just 52 Model 3s out of a total of 866 electric vehicles (EVs) shifted nationwide, according to VFACTS.

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While the Polestar 2 has only been on sale since late February, Tesla’s Model 3 has been available in Australia since 2019. However, both firms only began reporting their sales figures to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) as of March this year.

According to Swedish brand Polestar, by ordering hundreds of preconfigured cars in advance, it has managed to avoid falling victim to the supply constraints and delays affecting the whole automotive industry at present – though customers ordering now can still expect a wait time of around four to five months.

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By comparison, it’s understood the wait time for the Model 3 is closer to between nine and 12 months. With the Model S and Model X no longer on sale locally, the Model 3 makes up Tesla’s sole offering here – with the Model Y expected to launch soon.

Both companies have raised their prices too in recent weeks, with the Polestar 2 and Model 3 now starting from $63,900 compared to $59,900 previously.

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Though electric vehicles are experiencing a boom in Australia, up 203 per cent last month and 507 per cent year-to-date, they still make up an incredibly small number of the total cars sold locally – the figure for April being 81,065.

Currently, Australia’s best-selling EV is the MG ZS EV, followed by the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric – with the Polestar 2 filling out the top three.

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Meanwhile, the Model 3 occupies eighth place – tied with Kia’s first battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the EV6.

In total there are 22 BEVs on sale Down Under, though some have multiple electrified variants on offer and others share their nameplate with an internal-combustion engine model.

EVs sold in Australia – April 2022