The Motor Trade Association said EV sales in SA for 2023 already totalled more than half of the 1426 sold during the whole of 2022, with 787 first quarter sales compared with 287 for the same time last year.

Overall, 17,878 vehicles were sold in SA for the first quarter of 2023, compared with a total 17,360 last year, the automotive peak body said.

 “Without question more and more South Australians are making the conscious decision to purchase an electric vehicle and embrace new technologies to reduce their emissions,” MTA CEO Darrell Jacobs said.

“This is being supported by an increase in new electric vehicle models and manufacturers entering the Australian market at competitive prices.

“Electric vehicles combined with hybrids now regularly represent more than one in every ten new cars sold.”

 In a submission before the state government’s June budget, the MTA called for a doubling of the current $3,000 subsidy introduced as an incentive to buy an EV, and for eligibility to include hybrids.

The Ford Ranger was SA’s most popular vehicle for the first quarter of 2023 with 927 sold, with Toyota Hilux coming in second with 830.

Mazda’s CX-5 came third with 602 sales, followed by Mitsubishi Outlander on 558 and Toyota RAV4 with 497.

But Toyota was overall top carmaker for the period with 17.7 per cent of total sales, followed by Mazda on 11 per cent, Ford on 7.9 per cent,  Mitsubishi 7.6 per cent and Kia 6.9 per cent.