EXCLUSIVE: Tesla outsells Mercedes S Class, BMW 5 Series & Audi A8 combined

Tesla is intensely secretive about its sales numbers, however, EFTM can reveal that in September, Tesla Model S sales in Australia surpassed all cars in a single category combined, including Mercedes’ S Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi’s A8. Overall performance was also nothing less than stunning.

Sales figures for the Tesla Model S in Australia are not made public through the VFACTS system (Published monthly by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries) which makes tracking the company’s progress in Australia difficult. However, EFTM has obtained data from sources inside the vehicle supply chain in Australia which show delivery numbers that will shock many in the Australian motoring industry.

Pigeonholing vehicles into categories is not easy, but each vehicle on the road fits somewhere into buckets such as Small, Medium, Large, SUV etc. Tesla would argue their Model S doesn’t fit clearly in the Large or Upper Large category, though on price it’s most likely competing for the dollars of the “Upper Large $100k+” segment.

On size alone, we would argue the Model S is a Large Car, competing with the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class and others.

In both categories, the results are stark.

In the Upper Large, a category where US pundits compare Tesla Sales quite regularly, the Telsa Model S outsold every single other make and model in the category combined in September with 29.4% of sales. On year to date sales, it outsells BMW by almost two to one, and Mercedes by the same margin (with an 18.8% share).

Looking at the data provided by VFACTS, EFTM has combined the entire “Upper Large” category, including the Chrysler 300C and Holden Caprice which still puts Telsa in the Number 2 spot behind the locally built Caprice.

Perhaps more worrying though for the established brands is the performance of the Model S when placed into the “Large” car category.

The upper price limit for the category is $170k plus, and the Model S fits well into that space with a starting price at around $120,000 pushing up to $250,000 depending on electric range and other options.

However, when pitted against the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class the results once again will shock many.

The Tesla Model S outsold the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 in September, and leads the Audi year to date while nipping at the heels of the 5 series.

One might argue this is an early adopter spike, but when you consider the brand is now several years into establishing itself in Australia and sales in 2016 look to beat 2015 (EFTM understands around 500 were sold in 2015) the real answer might just be that the established players have a fight on their hands for those valuable dollars here in Australia.

All this, and the Telsa Model X SUV hasn’t even begun delivering into Australia – that happens from December this year.