BYD was the most-financed vehicle brand in Australia during the first half of 2026, according to new finance data from Savvy, with the Chinese manufacturer's Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and Sealion 7 electric SUV outperforming even the Tesla Model Y.
The financial broker says the figures reflect a broader shift towards electrified vehicles, but also highlight a growing divide between Australians who can afford to make the switch and those who cannot.
Drawing on its car finance data from March to June 2026, Savvy found that 75 per cent of electric vehicle buyers and 86 per cent of hybrid buyers were homeowners, compared with 53 per cent of buyers purchasing petrol or diesel-powered vehicles.
The findings come as Australia recorded 140,058 new vehicle sales in June, with battery electric vehicles accounting for almost one in four new cars sold during the month. Savvy said BYD captured 14.4 per cent of the new vehicle market in June, finishing just 243 sales behind Toyota.
Savvy said the figures reveal a growing divide in the new vehicle market. While some consumers are taking advantage of lower running costs by switching to electrified vehicles, others are delaying vehicle purchases altogether because of affordability pressures.
The company pointed to separate consumer research showing 65 per cent of Australians considered a new vehicle to be their least affordable major purchase, while one in five motorists had indefinitely postponed upgrading their car. Another 21 per cent were instead favouring used vehicles over new models.
Savvy managing director Bill Tsouvalas said the record sales figures masked two distinct markets.
"The record sales are real, but they're masking a much harder reality for many Australian buyers," Tsouvalas said.
"Our data shows that the people best positioned to make the switch to an EV or hybrid right now are those who already own property. That group is moving quickly to lock in lower running costs.
"The other is holding off, not because they don't want to upgrade, but because the economics don't work for them right now."
Savvy also reported that rising fuel prices continued to encourage more Australians to consider electric and hybrid vehicles despite broader cost-of-living pressures.