China has overtaken Japan to become the largest source of passenger vehicles for Australia, with imports from companies such as Byd Company Limited accelerating to a record high, primarily driven by strong demand for electric vehicles.

According to government data released on Thursday, nearly 36,000 passenger vehicles from China arrived in Australia in April, significantly surpassing the 29,000 units from Japan. This has pushed the total number of Chinese vehicles arriving in Australia in the first four months of the year to over 100,000, representing a 51% increase compared to the same period last year.

Data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries of Australia previously indicated that in May, sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in Australia accounted for nearly half of all vehicle sales. Among these, Byd Company Limited secured the second-highest sales position, with its market share more than doubling over the past year.Toyota Motor Corp remains the largest single brand in the market.