Tesla electric car sales hit the brakes in April

After a strong start to the year, Tesla sales evaporated last month as the company joined the long list of car manufacturers impacted by severe stock shortages.

Tesla electric car sales hit the brakes in Australia last month, according to official VFACTS industry data released this week.

Just 52 examples of the Model 3 sedan were reported as sold in April 2022, a fraction compared to the 4417 reported as sold the month prior.

For reference, market leader Toyota delivered 17,956 vehicles during the same 30-day period and Porsche reported 481 cars as sold.

Even using Tesla’s March 2022 figure of 4417 sales as a total for the first three months of 2022, the April 2022 tally of 52 deliveries is well below the three-month average of 1472 vehicles per month.

Drive understands Tesla imports vehicles in batches at the beginning of each quarter-year period (March, June, September, and December).

Tesla’s April 2022 data highlights the fact that monthly sales figures don’t tell the full story.

Using sales data for the first three months of year, Tesla is approximately in 15th position on the new-car sales charts in Australia.

This places Tesla ahead of Honda and Audi but behind Subaru and BMW – among Australia’s most popular brands.

Last year electric cars accounted for roughly 1.6 per cent of all new car sales in Australia, up from 0.5 per cent in 2020.

Of those sold in 2021, approximately 88 per cent – or 12,058 – were Tesla Model 3 sedans according to registration data compiled by Drive.

Tesla previously did not release data via official industry statistician VFACTS, however the US electric-car specialist was exposed by Drive earlier this year for exaggerating its Australian sales figures.

Tesla subsequently agreed to report its sales via the peak industry body – the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries – and began last month.

April 2022 represented the first instance Tesla published a monthly sales figure via the VFACTS report since the brand went on sale locally in 2011.

Despite wait times blowing out to between nine and 12 months, the Chinese-built Model 3 is currently the only Tesla offered in Australia.

After years on sale the Model S and Model X (shown above) have been pulled from the local market, while the Model Y is yet to launch.

Tesla continues to take deposits for the Cybertruck ute, however employees of the company have told Drive they do not believe it will be sold here.

Tesla is also taking deposits for the long-delayed Tesla Roadster sports car, however a timeline for local deliveries is yet to be announced.

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