Tesla sales dip in October, but Model Y remains well ahead of last year

Résumé détaillé

Tesla sales dipped in October as the EV giant's familiar quarterly delivery cycle continued. Meanwhile, Polestar also recorded a quieter month as its Australian sales continue to lag behind 2025.

Tesla has recorded another dip in Australian EV sales, with October deliveries falling to their lowest level since April.

According to new data from the Electric Vehicle Council, Tesla sold 4,050 electric cars in October, down 28 per cent from the 5,654 recorded in September and well below the 7,685 delivered in August.

As usual, the Model Y accounted for the bulk of those sales, with 3,105 deliveries during the month, down from 4,476 in September and 6,414 in August.

But the latest figures need to be viewed in the context of Tesla’s notoriously uneven delivery schedule in Australia, which is heavily influenced by the timing of shipments from its Shanghai factory.

The first month of a quarter is often a quieter period for Tesla, as production and exports are directed towards different international markets and vehicles destined for Australia make their way through the shipping and local delivery process.

The result is something of a quarterly rollercoaster, with relatively quiet months followed by significant surges as shipments arrive and deliveries are completed. That pattern has been particularly evident in 2026, with Tesla recording just 501 sales in January, before jumping to 3,274 in February and 3,485 in March.

The pattern repeated in April, when deliveries fell to 1,225, before surging to 6,433 in May and a remarkable 8,670 in June.

July brought another dip to 4,778, followed by a rebound to 7,685 in August.

September’s 5,654 deliveries were something of an exception to the usual end-of-quarter surge, with the peak arriving earlier in the quarter.

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