On December 4, Reuters reported that Tesla’s car registrations in the UK dropped by 19% in November, based on early data from research organization New AutoMotive released on Thursday, following significant declines noted in other European markets for the same month.
The preliminary data indicated that Tesla’s November registrations, serving as an indicator of sales, amounted to 3,784, down from 4,680 vehicles sold during the same month in the previous year.
The American electric vehicle manufacturer, which has recently begun introducing new iterations of its popular Model Y SUV, is facing challenges due to an aging product lineup and intensifying competition in Europe’s saturated market, particularly from emerging Chinese manufacturers. British car buyers now have access to over 150 electric vehicle models, as stated by the EV purchasing advice platform Electrifying.com.
In contrast, registrations for BYD, a Chinese competitor that also markets hybrids and plug-in hybrids, surged by 229% in November, reaching 3,217 units sold. Customer perception of Tesla has also declined in recent months, particularly after CEO Elon Musk expressed support for right-wing political figures and after his brief role leading the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.
The decline in registrations for Tesla in November aligns with a 20% decrease in Germany and a nearly 60% drop in France and various other European markets, which was only somewhat countered by record-high sales in Norway.
Overall, new car registrations across Britain fell by 6.3%, totaling 146,780 vehicles for November, according to data from New AutoMotive. Registrations of battery-electric vehicles decreased by 1.1%, totaling 38,742 vehicles, while plug-in hybrid registrations increased by 3.8% to 16,526 units.
