Could Tesla be dethroned in the electric car sales race as MG ZS EV, BYD Atto 3 and others pick up steam?

While Australia’s electric car market remains slim with only 14,544 sold this year to the end of August, Tesla has consistently been the statistical and cultural leader in EV uptake.

Thanks to Tesla’s impressive sales figures in August, Australia recorded its best month of electric car sales yet. Of the 4235 EVs sold, 3397 were by Tesla for a share of 80.2 per cent of the month’s sales.

But a dive into the details reveals Tesla sold only 240 cars between April and July, indicating August’s figure is a catch-up of awaited deliveries. In reality for the year so far, Tesla’s share of electric vehicle sales sits at 55.3 per cent, averaging about 1000 sales each month. This reflects the nature of Tesla’s deliveries, which tend to show up in batches to meet demand.

It’s still more than every other brand’s EV sales combined and then some, but the relatively premium brand is about to come under attack from models like the MG ZS EV and the BYD Atto 3, both of which can be had in any trim for less than $50,000.

While their sales have yet to either kick off (for the BYD) or pick up as deliveries arrive (for the new MG), their aggressively competitive prices look set to do some heavy lifting in convincing buyers.

The updated MG ZS EV now kicks off from $44,990 driveaway after a surprise price drop, making it the cheapest electric vehicle on sale in Australia - just beating the BYD Atto 3’s $44,381 before on-road costs.

For Tesla intenders, the cheapest Model 3 starts at $65,500 before on-road costs for the Rear-Wheel Drive.

Between Tesla’s cheapest Model 3 and the new threats from BYD and MG, the likes of the $50,990 Nissan Leaf and its $61,490 e+ sibling, four variants of Hyundai’s Kona EV ranging from $54,500 to $64,000, and even the Polestar 2 Standard Range (at $63,900) lurk.

While these models don’t necessarily hold the badge prestige (or simply hype, depending on your view) associated with Tesla, affordability is an incredibly strong draw for car buyers, and $20,000 makes a big difference.

Of course, Tesla has another card up its sleeve, the new Model Y which sold 1017 units here in its first month on sale, 30 per cent of Tesla’s 3397 August total. Starting at $72,300, the Model Y isn’t Tesla’s cheapest, but does fill the need for the brand to be able to compete in the SUV space.

While Tesla remains ahead of the EV game at its price point, cheaper alternatives are on the way for the masses, and traditional premium brands such as those from Europe will have to convince Australians they can provide EV value if they’re to compete.

More EVs ready to show up, like the Cupra Born and the Toyota bZ4x, could shake things up in the ‘quirkier’ EV space, but time will tell as to how long Tesla can maintain its convincing market lead.