Tesla sold 831 vehicles in the UK last month, a 62% year-over-year increase — marking the second consecutive month of sales above the previous year after six months of declining figures.
The increase comes despite a sharp drop in new registrations sequentially, after 8,599 vehicles were listed in March — a typical decline in the first month of each quarter.
The logistics of shipments from GigaBerlin and GigaShanghai largely shape Tesla‘s UK registration patterns.
As in previous years, April, July, and October have consistently been the slowest months, following strong finishes in the final month of each prior quarter.
Tesla totaled 11,739 vehicles in the first quarter, according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The company registered 45,513 vehicles in the UK throughout 2025, a 9.6% decline from the more than 50,000 units sold the previous year.
UK EV Adoption
The UK new car market grew by 24.0% to reach 149,247 registrations last month, according to the latest figures published by the SMMT.
The increase reflects a rebound from an unusually weak April last year, when buyers pulled purchases forward to March to beat incoming vehicle tax changes.
While April remains a traditionally low volume month — magnifying year-over-year variation — last month was the best outturn since 2019.
Electrified cars — including both hybrids and fully electric vehicles — accounted for more than half of the market for the second month this year.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.4% to take a 13.8% market share, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) increased 18.8%, securing 13.2% of new registrations.
April also saw the two millionth BEV registered in the UK, following 59.1% growth compared with last year.
BEV uptake reached a 26.2% share of registrations in the month.
Year to date, BEVs comprise 23.1% of the overall new car market — significantly short of the 33% required by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, despite billions in manufacturer discounts and the introduction of the Electric Car Grant last year.
Policy Shifts
The UK is adjusting its approach to EVs both at the point of purchase and on the road.
Starting in April 2028, electric vehicles will be subject to a pay-per-mile road charge similar to the duty currently applied to internal combustion engine vehicles. The government says the measure will create a fairer system for all drivers.
The change follows the introduction of Vehicle Excise Duty for EVs in April 2025, which starts at £10 in the first year and rises to £195 from the second year onward.
While noting that April’s rebound is welcome, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes underlined how significantly fiscal changes can influence the market.
“The mounting cost of compliance threatens to limit consumer choice, overall decarbonisation and the sector’s competitiveness,” he noted.
According to Hawes, “the need for a rapid review of the transition to align policy with market realities is unchanged, else Britain’s attractiveness as a vehicle market and manufacturing hub will be put at risk.”
EV Market Leader
The SMMT does not break down sales by individual model, publishing only the ten best-selling models in the overall market.
It also reports sales by powertrain at the market level but does not disclose each brand’s powertrain mix.
According to registration tracking platform EU-EVs, Kia led the UK’s electric vehicle segment in April with 3,087 fully electric vehicles registered.
Volkswagen, Ford and BYD followed with over 2,500 EVs each.
Tesla dropped below the top 10 best-selling brands in the EV segment last month, after leading in the first quarter.
BYD, which sells both fully electric and PHEV models, registered 5,059 vehicles last month, doubling its figures year over year.
Geely-backed Polestar sold 1,076 fully electric vehicles, a 25% increase year over year, while XPeng — which currently only offers BEVs in the UK and entered the market just over a year ago — sold 88 units last month.
UK Lineup
Tesla‘s UK lineup consists of the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y SUV.
The Model Y was the UK’s best-selling EV in 2025, followed by the Model 3 in second place, according to SMMT data.
In the first three months of 2026, the Model Y maintained its position in the EV segment, despite monthly variations.
The Model Y Standard launched in Europe in October and reached the UK in early December.
The Rear Wheel Drive variant of the refreshed Model Y — previously named Standard — is priced from £41,990, while the Long Range RWD and Long Range AWD start at £48,990 and £51,990, respectively.
Tesla‘s best-selling model is also offered in the Performance version, priced from £61,990.
The more affordable Model 3 arrived in the UK in January, lowering the sedan’s entry price to £37,990.
As of Tuesday, the company is offering both models with a 0% interest rate, with an additional £3,750 trade-in bonus.
The campaign runs until June 30.
