Tesla’s UK new car sales dropped sharply by over 45% year-on-year in May, according to preliminary figures from research group New AutoMotive. The U.S. electric vehicle maker sold just 1,758 units last month, compared to 3,244 during the same period in 2023.
The decline comes as Tesla faces mounting competition in the electric vehicle (EV) market and growing public criticism of CEO Elon Musk’s political stance, particularly his alignment with far-right ideologies in Europe. This shift in public sentiment appears to be impacting Tesla’s brand appeal across key European markets.
Despite the drop, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) maintained its position as the top-selling battery electric vehicle (BEV) brand in Britain for the year to date. The company’s strong overall performance earlier in the year has helped it stay ahead of rivals, even as May figures suggest waning momentum.
The broader UK auto market showed resilience, with total new car registrations increasing by 4.3% to 144,098 units in May. Battery electric vehicle sales rose significantly—up 28% compared to a year earlier—highlighting continued consumer interest in EVs.
Meanwhile, Chinese automaker BYD (SZ:002594) made substantial gains, more than doubling its UK sales to 1,388 units. This growth underscores the rising influence of Chinese EV brands in Western markets, posing a stronger challenge to incumbents like Tesla.
As EV adoption accelerates and political perceptions weigh on brand loyalty, Tesla may need to recalibrate its public image and pricing strategies to defend its leadership position in the competitive UK electric vehicle sector.


HSBC’s $13.6 Billion Take-Private Offer for Hang Seng Bank Gains Board Backing
Woolworths Faces Fresh Class Action Over Alleged Underpayments, Shares Slide
Shell M&A Chief Exits After BP Takeover Proposal Rejected
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy
Amazon in Talks to Invest $10 Billion in OpenAI as AI Firm Eyes $1 Trillion IPO Valuation
EU Signals Major Shift on 2035 Combustion Engine Ban Amid Auto Industry Pressure
Ford Takes $19.5 Billion Charge as EV Strategy Shifts Toward Hybrids
FDA Says No Black Box Warning Planned for COVID-19 Vaccines Despite Safety Debate
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership
Trump Sues BBC for Defamation Over Edited Capitol Riot Speech Clip
California Jury Awards $40 Million in Johnson & Johnson Talc Cancer Lawsuit
Fortescue Expands Copper Portfolio With Full Takeover of Alta Copper
Coca-Cola’s Proposed Sale of Costa Coffee Faces Uncertainty Amid Price Dispute
United Airlines Tokyo-Bound Flight Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure
SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market
Strategy Retains Nasdaq 100 Spot Amid Growing Scrutiny of Bitcoin Treasury Model
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 



