- 43% of Australians would like to own a Toyota EV, according to a recent survey conducted by Savvy
- BYD was the next most common choice at 28%, ahead of Tesla (25%), Kia (22%) and Hyundai (20%)
- Tesla was the second-most popular EV make in a 2021 survey, marking a slide in popularity in the five years since
Tesla’s time as Australia’s most sought-after electric vehicle may well be coming to an end, as a recent Savvy survey found that it was the third-most popular manufacturer among prospective buyers.
The survey of 1,121 Aussies saw Japanese giant Toyota come out on top, with 43% of respondents placing it among the top three carmakers they’d most like to own.
Budget Chinese manufacturer BYD caught the eye of 28% of Aussies, leaving Tesla to tumble down to third place with 25%.
The results point to Aussies leaning towards name recognition as a main factor in their decision-making, as Toyota currently only has the bZ4X SUV on sale in Australia among fully electric vehicles (though an electrified HiLux is soon to reach our shores).
2021 results highlight clear shift towards affordable models
Five years is a long time in the automotive industry. When Savvy’s initial EV sentiments survey was conducted, the market was still in its infancy.
2021 saw a significant spike in EV sales compared to the previous year, but its annual total of 20,653 amounts to about one fifth of overall sales in 2025.
Indeed, 2026 is shaping up to be yet another big year in the electric space, with some forecasting EVs holding a market share of 15% by the end of the year.
Tesla’s Model 3 was far and away the most popular EV at the time, accounting for seven out of ten EVs sold throughout that year.
Although Tesla still holds a very decent market share in Australia today, an increasing number of affordably priced competitors are cropping up each year.
The same Savvy survey found that 73% of Aussies would only be willing to spend up to $50,000 on their next car, which rules out both Tesla models and all of fellow 2021 high-flyer Hyundai’s EV range except for the Inster.
BYD is a clear example of a manufacturer lowering the bar to entry, with three electric models available in its Australian range priced under $32,000, but Chery, GWM, GAC and Zeekr can all be counted among the up-and-coming brands of the future.
| Most desirable EV brands: 2021 | Most desirable EV brands: 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hyundai | Toyota |
| 2 | Tesla | BYD |
| 3 | Mazda | Tesla |
| 4 | MG | Kia |
| 5 | Nissan | Hyundai |
| 6 | Kia | Mazda |
| 7 | Lexus | BMW |
| 8 | Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-Benz |
| 9 | BMW | Audi |
| 10 | Audi | Chery |
Tesla, Musk far less popular among women
Although Tesla remained third among male respondents at 30%, behind BYD (40%) and Toyota (37%), it could only crawl into sixth place among women.
While Toyota snapped up votes from over half of female respondents (51%), the American carmaker only mustered preferences from 19% of them.
That not only places it behind Toyota, but also Kia (33%), BYD (26%), Hyundai (26%) and Mazda (24%).
While name recognition is undoubtedly a factor, part of this issue could be tied to Tesla’s controversial CEO Elon Musk, who has consistently found popularity among women harder to come by.
A 2025 US poll by The Economist and YouGov found that only 33% of women held a favourable view of Musk, compared to 51% of men.
These are American figures, though; in Australia, Musk’s general support is far lower, with a Talbot Mills Research poll conducted last year finding that 59% of respondents viewed him unfavourably.
