The first performance results have been published under Australia’s new National Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) — and while the immediate impact on electric vehicle numbers is modest, the data hints at changes that matter for rooftop solar and household electrification.
How Many EVs Are Being Sold In Australia?
Data from the initial reporting period under the NVES indicates that EVs made up roughly 12 % of new vehicles supplied during the first reporting period, and were sold by 40 different entities.
About two-thirds of vehicle manufacturers met their emissions targets — including EV powerhouses like BYD, Tesla and Polestar.
The remainder, including petrol and hybrid-focused brands like Mazda and Hyundai, fell short, and could face fines if they don’t improve.
The numbers don’t point to an electric vehicle boom, but they do show the car market beginning to bend in a way that could steadily increase electricity demand in Australian homes.
For solar households, even gradual shifts in EV uptake can make a meaningful difference to how solar energy is used — and how valuable it becomes over time.
What Is The NVES, Exactly?
The NVES is Australia’s first national policy aimed at reducing average emissions from new passenger and light commercial vehicles. Rather than banning petrol or diesel vehicles, it sets annual fleet-wide emissions targets for each manufacturer.
Car makers can meet those targets by selling more low-emissions vehicles, such as electric cars and efficient hybrids. Those that don’t face penalties over time. The latest release marks the first set of performance data under the scheme.
What The First Results Show
The numbers suggest the policy is starting to work — though progress is gradual.
In total, 59 entities entered a total of 620,947 covered vehicles on the register between 1 July and 31 December 2025.
While this first release of data, covering the second half of 2025, does detail the number of vehicles supplied under the NVES, actual sales may lag slightly.
Manufacturers are supplying more low-emissions vehicles than before, including EVs and hybrids. However, the results stop well short of signalling a rapid acceleration in electric vehicle adoption.
EV sales in Australia are rising year-on-year, more models are available, and prices have eased compared to the pandemic-era supply crunch. But EVs still make up a minority of total new car sales, and an even smaller share of the vehicles already on Australian roads.
Demand also remains uneven from month to month, and much of the near-term emissions reduction is being carried by hybrids rather than fully electric vehicles.
On average, both passenger and light goods vehicles came in well under emissions targets.
Why Solar Owners Should Care
For households with rooftop solar, even slow change matters.
An electric vehicle is the single largest new source of electricity demand most households will ever add. One EV, charged primarily at home, can consume as much electricity as a typical household. When that charging happens during daylight hours, it can significantly lift solar self-consumption.
More EVs on the road means:
- more incentive to charge during the middle of the day;
- less solar exported to the grid for shrinking feed-in tariffs;
- stronger economics for smart home EV chargers and solar batteries;
- a faster shift toward all-electric homes.
From this perspective, NVES isn’t just a transport policy. Over time, it influences how valuable rooftop solar becomes at the household level.
No Boom — But A Clear Direction
The early NVES data doesn’t suggest EVs have suddenly gone mainstream, and nor does it guarantee rapid changes in household charging behaviour. Barriers such as charging access, electricity pricing, apartment living and simple consumer hesitation remain.
What the numbers show is that manufacturers are adjusting their fleets to meet the scheme’s requirements — exactly as intended. Combined with falling EV prices and closer price parity with petrol cars, this helps support steady uptake.
If NVES continues to apply steady pressure, the result is unlikely to be dramatic. Instead, it points to a gradual rebalancing of Australia’s vehicle fleet. That kind of change may not grab headlines — but it quietly improves the case for using more of your own solar energy over time.
For more on how to ensure your home EV charger draws on your own solar power rather than the grid, read our detailed guide on charging EVs using sunshine only.
About Kim Wainwright
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