
Tesla Australia says it's focused on cars, not Elon Musk
Tesla's Australian division says its main focus right now is to get people behind the wheel of its cars, including the facelifted
Tesla Model Y
, amid persistent US reports about the electric vehicle (EV) company's controversial CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration.
While it's impossible to draw direct correlations between Mr Musk's political endeavours and the carmaker's sales performance, Tesla's local sales have undoubtedly been on a significant downward spiral over the past 12 months.
In April 2025, Tesla managed just
500 deliveries for the entire month
, almost 76 per cent fewer EVs than it sold in the same month last year, placing it 23rd on the sales chart just ahead of Porsche, but behind other luxury brands like Land Rover and Audi.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal.
Browse now
.
Meantime, key rival BYD sold more than six times the number of vehicles last month (3207), over 127 per cent up on April 2024 and placing it 10th overall for the month.
Year to date, Australian Tesla sales are now almost 62 per cent down.
Asked about the potential impact of Mr Musk's high-profile activities in the US on local sales and perceptions of his company, Tesla Australia country director Thom Drew said he preferred to focus on Tesla's vehicles rather than its CEO's politics.
'Externally, looking at any of these political factors, is going to have some kind of influence, depending on what people see in the media, so that would likely be having an impact on people engaging with us,' he told CarExpert at this week's Australian launch of the facelifted 2025 Tesla Model Y.
'We're trying to take this as an opportunity to remind the Australian public of our products and how great they are.'
The Model Y's midlife 'Juniper' facelift brings a raft of updates including revised suspension, tweaked interior equipment, increased range, and Cybertruck-inspired styling.
The Model Y was unavailable for several months in the lead up to first deliveries of the facelifted mid-size electric SUV, heavily impacting the American brand's local sales given the model's status as its best-selling vehicle and Australia's favourite EV in 2024.
'Obviously [with] a new Model Y coming up, we're focusing on that, and then also our local business,' said Mr Drew.
'So far, the response has been amazing. We've only just started test drives of [the Model Y] within the past few weeks in Australia, and we've had record test drive numbers than we've had in our entire time in the country.
'[That's] partly why we've been trying to make sure people can see into Tesla Australia, and who we are as an established brand here, [to] help solidify why we still remain the number one EV brand in the country.'
MORE:
Tesla revenue plunges as global sales slump
MORE:
No love for Elon Musk? Tesla owners are ditching their cars at record rates
MORE:
Tesla vandalism and fake ads highlight anti-Elon Musk sentiment
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Sydney Morning Herald
11 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Better bang for buck': NSW to cut battery subsidies as federal scheme kicks in
The NSW government will end its incentive to install a home solar battery from July in favour of an enhanced Commonwealth scheme, and use the savings to encourage households to allow their stored energy to be remotely accessed by the grid. Since last November, NSW consumers have been able to access a rebate of up to $2600 (depending on the size of the battery) to attach storage to their rooftop solar systems. The scheme resulted in 11,400 battery installations across the state in six months. The program will conclude at the end of this month, while the Australian government's $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to start on July 1. The federal rebate, announced before the election, will reduce the cost of a battery by about 30 per cent, making it about double the size of the state scheme. The NSW government will redirect the money to its Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a program designed to reduce electricity demand during peak periods. In particular, the government is doubling the payments to encourage solar households to sign up to a virtual power plant (VPP) – a group of solar-powered batteries linked by software, which are owned by households and small businesses that have consented for excess stored power to be sold to the grid. Smart Energy Council acting chief executive Wayne Smith said VPPs were important because it increased the stability of the grid and this lowered power bills for everyone, not just those households with solar panels and batteries. 'There's a private benefit and a public good,' Smith said. 'It's actually important to find ways to try to integrate the individual home batteries into a much bigger collective battery system.' The Smart Energy Council says a 6 kWh battery at $6000-$8000 would meet the needs of nine out of 10 homes. The federal subsidy would be about $2232 and the NSW incentive to connect to a VPP would be about $444. On an 11.5kWh battery, the federal subsidy would be about $4278 and the NSW support for a VPP connection would be $850.

The Age
11 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Better bang for buck': NSW to cut battery subsidies as federal scheme kicks in
The NSW government will end its incentive to install a home solar battery from July in favour of an enhanced Commonwealth scheme, and use the savings to encourage households to allow their stored energy to be remotely accessed by the grid. Since last November, NSW consumers have been able to access a rebate of up to $2600 (depending on the size of the battery) to attach storage to their rooftop solar systems. The scheme resulted in 11,400 battery installations across the state in six months. The program will conclude at the end of this month, while the Australian government's $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to start on July 1. The federal rebate, announced before the election, will reduce the cost of a battery by about 30 per cent, making it about double the size of the state scheme. The NSW government will redirect the money to its Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a program designed to reduce electricity demand during peak periods. In particular, the government is doubling the payments to encourage solar households to sign up to a virtual power plant (VPP) – a group of solar-powered batteries linked by software, which are owned by households and small businesses that have consented for excess stored power to be sold to the grid. Smart Energy Council acting chief executive Wayne Smith said VPPs were important because it increased the stability of the grid and this lowered power bills for everyone, not just those households with solar panels and batteries. 'There's a private benefit and a public good,' Smith said. 'It's actually important to find ways to try to integrate the individual home batteries into a much bigger collective battery system.' The Smart Energy Council says a 6 kWh battery at $6000-$8000 would meet the needs of nine out of 10 homes. The federal subsidy would be about $2232 and the NSW incentive to connect to a VPP would be about $444. On an 11.5kWh battery, the federal subsidy would be about $4278 and the NSW support for a VPP connection would be $850.

9 News
32 minutes ago
- 9 News
Amazon launches new service in Australia for business owners
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Online commerce giant Amazon is today launching a new service in Australia targeting the multibillion-dollar business-to-business (B2B) market. Amazon Business will offer small, medium and large companies office products, electronics, furniture and more, at what Amazon says will be competitive pricing. Its launch comes as businesses stock up on supplies ahead of the new financial year. Amazon is launching a new service for B2B customers.. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File) (AP) Amazon says its new division will offer a cheaper and simpler purchasing process through business-only pricing, quantity discounts on eligible products and dedicated customer support. Companies will also be offered the choice of upgrading to Business Prime, which combines the shipping benefits Amazon Prime members enjoy with exclusive business features such as shared accounts and buying policies. Lena Zak, Amazon Business Australia country manager, says the new service will ease the purchasing process for companies. "We know that 78 per cent of SMBs (small to medium businesses) have had to implement cost-cutting measures over the past three years," she told "As operating costs keep rising, Amazon Business can help take some of that pressure off by offering meaningful savings on everyday goods and supplies, along with the convenience and simplicity of our delivery experience." E-commerce giant Amazon Australia says it has invested heavily in its operations network. (Supplied) Australia is the eleventh country where Amazon Business has launched, following the US, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and the UK. Since its launch in 2015, it has driven about $35 billion in annualised gross sales and has more than 8 million customers worldwide. The arrival of Amazon Business in Australia comes as new research conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Amazon Australia shows that the cost of doing business has increased for 92 per cent of Australian SMBs over the past three years. The research found rising operating costs are the biggest concern for 79 per cent of SMBs. Amazon Australia business finance Economy Online commercial CONTACT US