Elevated EV interest helped lift car sales to better state.

RESURGENT interest in electric product helped bring health back to the new car sector last month and kept the market looking more buoyant for year-to-date accruals than the same period of 2025.

What has been reported as the strongest May outcome in four years delivered 11,296 passenger and commercial units, a 18.1 percent climb in registrations.

The passenger sector alone capturing 8175 registrations, a 20 percent improvement on the result for May of 2025. The same comparison showed commercial sales to be up almost 14 percent.

Year to date, the market is up 12.4 percent in respect to annual return against 2025, with 58,066 registrations so far.

Big gains have been recorded by some electric brands - a relief for them after 24 tough months for that product.

On line industry publication Auto Talk, which has shared monthly data ahead of usual commentator the Motor Industry Association, reports Tesla and BYD both returned to the passenger top five, “each up around 800 percent on a flat 2025.”

MIA data is expected to substantiate that Toyota again led the passenger market with 1468 registrations, with the RAV4 being its overall winner and also remained the country’s top-selling passenger model, regardless its monthly take of 531 units was 129 units short of the May 2025 result, down from 666 a year ago.

Toyota also commanded the commercial zone, but its chief seller there, Hilux ute, ran second to Ford Ranger, which with 809 units was the most popular individual choice. Again, the volumes for the one-tonners last month were well down on the May 2025 returns.

The top-selling electric car was the Tesla Model Y; its tally of 415 registrations also made it the second-most popular passenger car after RAV4.