Tesla UK Sales 2026: Monthly Figures vs

Post written: 9 June 2026

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TITLE: Tesla UK Sales 2026: Monthly Figures vs 2025 Compared

Tesla UK Sales in 2026: A Month-by-Month Review

After a bruising 2025 in which Tesla’s UK registrations fell sharply, 2026 has been a year of wild swings — a calamitous start, a record-breaking March, a predictable April trough, and then a meaningful rebound that carried the brand back to the top of the UK electric vehicle sales chart by May. With five months of verified data now in the books, this is what the numbers tell us.

The 2025 Baseline: A Difficult Year to Beat

Tesla registered 45,513 vehicles in the UK across 2025, a 9.6% decline from the more than 50,000 units sold the previous year.

Despite that overall decline, the Tesla Model Y remained the most popular electric car in the UK throughout 2025, with 24,298 examples registered, and the Model 3 was the second most popular EV at 21,188 registrations.

Tesla’s UK sales were volatile through 2025, with early declines giving way to occasional rebounds. In January 2025, registrations fell about 7% year-on-year, before rebounding in February. However, the dominant trend by mid-2025 was contraction.

In April, registrations collapsed by approximately 62% year-on-year to just 512 units, cutting Tesla’s EV market share to about 9.3%.

The year’s high-water mark came in June, when Tesla’s UK sales reached 7,719 vehicles — its best sales month of the year.

September then surpassed that, becoming the strongest month of 2025 with 7,993 units.

Sales then dropped sharply in October to just 511 registrations — the weakest month of 2025.

January 2026: A Shocking Start

Tesla’s struggles in Europe hit the UK hard in January 2026, with registrations plunging more than 57% year-over-year to just 647 vehicles according to initial reports

— though

SMMT data confirmed 718 vehicles in January 2026, down 50.8% from 1,458 units in January 2025 and down 88.6% from 6,286 units registered in December 2025.

The decline was the steepest among major automakers and far exceeded the 6.4% drop in overall UK battery-electric vehicle sales for the month.

The data pointed to mounting competitive pressure on the company, which had been losing ground in the UK — its largest European market — as its ageing lineup faced intense competition from Chinese brands such as BYD and MG.

February 2026: A Four-Fold Sequential Bounce

February brought a fourfold sequential jump to 3,140 registrations. However, that figure was still 40.9% below the same month a year ago, as the company continued to face weakening demand across Europe.

The year-on-year decline had, at that stage, extended to a fifth consecutive month.

March 2026: The Quarter-End Surge Returns

Tesla saw a sharp rebound in March, with registrations rising 20% in the UK to 8,599 units — according to SMMT data, the result marked the first year-over-year increase in six months.

March led Tesla’s year with 8,599 registrations, the strongest month of the year and a 20% year-over-year gain.

Tesla’s UK registration patterns are largely shaped by the logistical timing of shipments from Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Shanghai

, meaning volume consistently surges in the final month of each quarter.

April 2026: The Predictable Trough

The logistics of shipments from Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Shanghai largely shape Tesla’s UK registration patterns. April, July, and October have consistently been the slowest months, following strong finishes in the final month of each prior quarter.

True to form,

May registrations climbed from 831 in April, a sequential rebound in line with Tesla’s quarterly delivery rhythm.

April’s 831 units nonetheless rose 62% from a low 2025 base

, providing a rare year-on-year positive for the month.

May 2026: Back on Top

Preliminary registration data tracked by EU-EVs shows that Tesla sold 2,853 units in May — a 42% increase from a year earlier. May was the third consecutive month above the prior-year level, following six months of declining figures into early 2026.

In May, Tesla retook the lead as the UK’s best-selling electric vehicle brand, with registrations reaching 2,853 units, a 42% year-on-year increase from the 2,016 logged in May 2025, according to preliminary data tracked by EU-EVs.

Tesla marked its 300,000th UK delivery on 3 June 2026 at the Manchester hub, as May registrations rose 42% year on year and the company retook the top spot in the UK EV sales race.

Year-to-Date Position (Jan–May 2026)

Through five months of 2026, Tesla registered 15,423 vehicles in the UK, up 2.8% from the 15,002 logged over the same period in 2025.

This marginal improvement masks the volatile month-to-month pattern that has defined the year so far.

More than 95% of Teslas delivered to customers in 2026 are Model 3s or Model Ys

, with the premium Model S and Model X having been discontinued globally at the start of the year.

Wider Market Context

The broader UK market performed well in May. Total new car registrations rose 7.1% to 160,662 — the strongest performance for the month since 2019, according to the SMMT. Electric vehicle registrations grew 34.2%, accounting for 27.3% of the market, the highest EV share recorded so far in 2026.

Britain’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate requires battery electric vehicles to account for 33% of car sales in 2026. Through April, BEVs comprised 23.1% of registrations — well short of the government target.

The gap between mandate and reality continues to place pressure on all manufacturers.

Tesla opened its Manchester site in February 2026 as its largest UK facility. The 155,000 sq ft centre in Trafford handles vehicle handovers and used-car reconditioning for northern England, processing an average of 45 deliveries per day.

Tesla is currently offering a £3,750 trade-in bonus on new and inventory Model 3 and Model Y vehicles ordered between 1 April 2026 and 31 July 2026, with delivery completed by 30 September 2026.

Monthly UK Tesla Sales: 2025 vs 2026

The table below compares verified monthly Tesla UK registrations for 2025 and 2026, where data is available. 2025 figures are sourced from SMMT/EU-EVs data. July and August 2025 figures are estimates derived from cross-referencing full-year totals against confirmed monthly data; they should be treated with appropriate caution. June 2026 data has not yet been published by the SMMT as of 9 June 2026.

Month	2025 Registrations	2026 Registrations	Change (units)
January	1,458	718	−740
February	3,852	3,140	−712
March	7,164	8,599	+1,435
April	512	831	+319
May	2,016	2,853	+837
June	7,719	TBC	—
July	~380 *	TBC	—
August	~3,850 *	TBC	—
September	7,993	TBC	—
October	511	TBC	—
November	3,772	TBC	—
December	6,286	TBC	—
Jan–May Total	15,002	15,423	+421

* July and August 2025 figures are estimates derived from full-year totals and confirmed surrounding months. All other 2025 figures are sourced from SMMT or EU-EVs registration data. 2026 figures from January–May are confirmed via SMMT/EU-EVs. June 2026 SMMT data has not yet been published.

What to Watch for the Rest of 2026

June 2026 quarter-end surge:
Both the Model 3 and Model Y are currently offered with a 0% interest rate and a £3,750 trade-in bonus through 30 June 2026

, which should stimulate a strong end-of-quarter push. June 2025 delivered 7,719 registrations — a high bar to clear.
ZEV Mandate pressure:
Despite the broader EV market’s momentum, uptake continues to lag government targets. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 23.9% of UK registrations through May — well below the 33% required under the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Competition:
Chinese brands are filling in the lower end for budget-conscious drivers who cannot stretch to £40,000 or more for a new Tesla. In January 2026, the BYD SEAL U entered the overall top 10 new cars at number six.
Model range:
Tesla’s UK lineup now consists solely of the refreshed Model Y and the Model 3.

With no new models imminent for UK buyers this year, volume growth depends entirely on pricing, incentives, and delivery timing.