Tesla Model 3 outsells Toyota Camry to become Australia’s top selling midsize sedan, or did it?

Tesla reported nearly 1,000,000 sales in 2021, setting a new record for the Texas-based automaker.

Part of that success was due to Model 3 sales in Australia, which tripled over the previous year and in the process helped make it the top selling midsize sedan in the country.

In doing so, the Model 3 dethroned the Toyota Camry, which had previously held the title for 28 years in a row.

According to figures released by Tesla and the Electric Vehicle Council and reported by The Driven, a total of 15,054 Model 3s were sold in Australia last year.

That was almost 2,000 more than the Toyota Camry, which recorded 13,081 sales in the same time period.

Not only was it the top selling midsize sedan, it was also the 14th most popular vehicle of any type in Australia, even edging out popular SUVs like the Mitsubishi Outlander (14,572) and the Toyota Landcruiser (14,356).

However, those figures are in doubt after the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS) reported a significantly lower number for Tesla.

According to the organization, which monitors registration data across the country, the Model 3 amassed nearly 3,000 fewer sales – 12,058.

That would put it behind the Camry, extending its winning streak to 29 straight years as the top selling midsize sedan.

t is difficult to know where the discrepancy between the two figures originates. It wouldn’t make sense for Tesla to artificially inflate their numbers, when they have been reluctant to release Australian sales data for a number of years.

The CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, Beyhad Jafari, said they are confident in their numbers as they came directly from the automaker.