In the UK, sales of new Tesla cars experienced a significant surge of over one-third last month, although electric vehicle manufacturers faced tough competition from China’s BYD and other rivals amidst a political backlash against Tesla’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk.
In May, Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK, a decline from 3,125 in the previous May, reflecting a 36% decrease based on data from the Association of Auto Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Conversely, BYD, the Chinese automaker, saw a remarkable 407% increase in UK sales, rising from 596 units last May to 3,025 this year. BYD offers both hybrid and fully electric vehicles and first surpassed Tesla in sales back in January.
So far this year, Tesla has sold 15,002 cars in the UK, which represents a 7.8% decline compared to 16,272 in the same timeframe last year.
This year, Tesla’s sales have decreased in several of its major markets, with political protests impacting some of its showrooms, along with stiff competition from rivals such as BYD.
Overall new car sales in the UK rose by 1.6% last month, totaling 150,070 units. According to SMMT, this marked the best performance since 2021, although it remained 18.3% lower than pre-COVID levels in 2019, with growth seen in just the second month of this year’s upward trend.
Corporate fleets and businesses drove demand, accounting for nearly two-thirds of vehicle registrations, while interest from private buyers dropped by 2.3% for the second consecutive month. While gasoline and diesel vehicle registrations declined significantly—12.5% and 15.5% respectively—the demand for the latest electric models soared, capturing a total market share of 47.3%.
Sales of hybrid-electric vehicles rose by 6.8% to 20,351 units, and plug-in hybrid EVs surged nearly 51% to 17,898. Furthermore, registrations for battery electric vehicles increased by over 25%, now representing 21.8% of the market as carmakers vie for consumer interest.
Colin Walker, the transport director for the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Force, is involved in the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) initiative—a series of government regulations aimed at boosting the number of EVs on the roads. He emphasized, “continue doing that, increasing competition between manufacturers, declining prices, increasing sales.”
After the newsletter promotion
In terms of EV sales this year, Tesla is reportedly losing its top position to Volkswagen, which has seen a 201% increase in EV sales, according to an analysis by Thinktank New Automotive. Other automakers such as Ford, Renault, and Peugeot are also witnessing substantial growth as they transition to electric vehicles. BYD, the only Chinese maker in the top 10, recorded a 261% increase.
Source: www.theguardian.com
