New Tesla car sales in the UK plummeted by 36% in May 2025 compared to the previous year, losing significant market share to rivals like China's BYD, whose sales surged by 407%. This decline is attributed to fierce competition in the electric vehicle market and a political backlash against Tesla CEO Elon Musk, despite an overall increase in UK new car sales driven by corporate fleets.
UK sales of new Tesla cars slumped by third in May amid Musk backlash
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️New Tesla car sales in the UK plummeted by 36% in May 2025 compared to the previous year, losing significant market share to rivals like China's BYD, whose sales surged by 407%. This decline is attributed to fierce competition in the electric vehicle market and a political backlash against Tesla CEO Elon Musk, despite an overall increase in UK new car sales driven by corporate fleets.
Trending- 1 2019: UK new car sales were 18.3% higher than May 2025.
- 2 2021: Best May performance for new car sales since then.
- 3 January 2025: China's BYD first overtook Tesla in car sales.
- 4 May 2024: Tesla sold 3,125 vehicles in the UK.
- 5 May 2025: Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK (a 36% drop). Overall UK new car sales increased by 1.6%.
- Tesla losing significant market share in the UK electric vehicle market.
- BYD gaining substantial market share in the UK.
- Increased competition among car manufacturers in the UK EV market.
- Potential impact on Tesla's global sales performance.
What: Sales of new Tesla cars in the UK slumped by 36% in May 2025 compared to May 2024.
When: May 2025 (compared to May 2024). The article was published on June 5, 2025.
Where: United Kingdom.
Why: The decline is attributed to fierce competition from rivals (including BYD, Volkswagen, Ford, Renault, and Peugeot) and a political backlash against Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk. Broader factors include brittle consumer confidence and economic turbulence in the UK.
How: Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK in May 2025, down from 3,125 in May 2024. This is part of a trend of falling Tesla sales in some of its biggest markets, while competitors are seeing significant growth, partly driven by the UK's zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.