Can the Model Y outsell the HiLux and Ranger? Latest big price cut makes Tesla a real threat to Toyota and Ford’s dominance

July 2, 2023July 1, 2023 Toby Hagon 2927 Views australia, ford ranger, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Toyota Hilux

Tesla has surprised Australians with yet another price drop on its Model 3 and Model Y, with the latest cuts having EV fans daring to dream that the changes could see the Model Y outsell Ranger and HiLux for the first time.

The battle is already closer than you might think, with the Tesla Model Y delivering 3178 sales last month. Toyota’s HiLux, which remains Australia’s best-selling vehicle, recorded 5772 sales. The Ford Ranger, currently in the number two spot on the sales charts, recorded 4110 sales.

And with Tesla today cutting prices on the cheapest examples of the Model 3 and Model Y by close to $4000 – and with thousands of dollars available in rebates in most Australian states – there appears a real chance that the electric SUV could catch the dual-cab utes in the months to come.

That would be on an across-the-month basis, with the HiLux and Ranger holding an almost unassailable year-to-date lead, which will mean one of the two utes will almost certainly be the year’s best-selling vehicle.

Still, Tesla upsetting the ICE apple cart to be named the best-selling vehicle in Australia across a month or more would mark a monumental shift in Australia’s automotive landscape.

Today’s change has seen the Tesla Model Y’s entry-level price drop to $65,400 (plus order and delivery fees), a price drop of close to $4000, making the electric SUV eligible for incentives in many Australian states including NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The Model Y Long Range has also fallen by $3900, now $78,400, while the Performance model has fallen by just over $7k, not listing at $91,400.

The Tesla Model 3 is now the cheapest it has ever been in Australia, with the entry-level model listing at $57,400, again a saving of almost $4000.

The Model 3 Long Range is also now $3900 cheaper, listing at $70,400, while the Performance model has been trimmed by $4615, and is now $83,400.

While Victoria has just scrapped its EV incentives, both vehicles are eligible for a $3000 rebate in NSW and South Australia, a $3500 rebate in Western Australia, and a $6000 rebate in Queensland.