AAAA Backs Call For Independent Vehicle Sales Database

AAAA Backs Call For Independent Vehicle Sales Database

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) has backed the Electric Vehicle Council's (EVC) call for an independent, publicly accessible database of new-vehicle sales, warning that fragmented reporting and restricted access to data undermine competition, investment and productivity.

The EVC's State of EVs 2026 report found that sales data is increasingly locked behind paywalls, with journalists facing restrictions on republishing key metrics about the EV transition.

The report also found that no single source now provides a complete picture of Australia's new-vehicle market. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and EVC each publish monthly figures, but neither dataset is complete. Tesla and Polestar left the FCAI in March 2024, while Cadillac and Smart report to neither body. The FCAI's publicly available model-level data is limited to the top 25 models.

AAAA CEO Stuart Charity said the issue extended well beyond EV advocacy.

"Australia cannot plan a transition it cannot measure," said Stuart.

"Around half of new-vehicle sales need to be electric by 2035 to meet our emissions target. Yet government, industry and the public no longer have reliable, open access to basic information about what is being sold.

"For the aftermarket, this data is fundamental. Independent repairers, parts distributors and training providers need to know what is entering the national fleet. That information guides investment in tooling, equipment, technician training and parts inventory.

"When information is held back for commercial gain, businesses competing with dealer networks are left flying blind."

"Restricted access to vehicle sales data undermines the Federal Government's competition and productivity agenda. Access to information is the same principle that drove the Motor Vehicle Information Sharing Scheme (MVIS).

"Repairers need access to repair data to compete, and the whole market needs access to sales data to plan. A workforce that cannot see the vehicles it will be servicing in five years cannot train for them. That is a productivity cost the economy will pay later."

Just over 500,000 EVs were on Australian roads in August, against roughly five million required in 2035. AAAA said the aftermarket's capacity to service that growing fleet affordably and competitively depended on transparent forward planning.

AAAA is calling on the Federal Government to: establish an independent, publicly accessible new-vehicle sales database covering all brands, regardless of industry association membership; draw on existing government-held registration data through state and territory registries and the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS), rather than relying on voluntary commercial reporting; recognise vehicle market data transparency as part of the national competition and productivity reform agenda.

"Every other market reform starts with good information. If Australia is serious about competition, productivity and getting the EV transition right, the numbers should belong to everyone," said Staurt.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT Jos Roder, AAAA Marketing Coordinator - 0423 857 072 or [email protected]