Tesla UK Registrations Drop 19% in November as Competition Intensifies
New-AutoMotive data shows Tesla sold 3,784 cars in November, its weakest monthly result this year amid surging rivals
Tesla’s UK car registrations fell sharply in November 2025, dropping 19 % compared with the same month a year earlier, according to preliminary data from industry tracker New AutoMotive.
The US electric-vehicle manufacturer logged just 3,784 new vehicles sold, down from 4,680 in November 2024. This marks one of the steepest annual declines for the brand in the UK. The slump comes amid growing competition from lower-priced Chinese and European electric-vehicle makers, with BYD, in particular, seeing UK registrations surge 229 % in the same month, to 3,217 cars — nearly matching Tesla’s volume for November.
The timing underscores a broader shift in the UK EV market, with consumers increasingly drawn to more affordable alternatives as choice expands: more than 150 electric models are now available to British buyers, according to industry estimates.
The drop in Tesla’s registrations follows an even steeper 50 % sales fall in October, suggesting the downward trend reflects more than a typical month-to-month variation.
Analysts attribute the underperformance to multiple factors: Tesla’s ageing model lineup, intensifying rivalry in the EV market, and evolving consumer preferences.
The overall UK car-market contraction in November — down 6.3 % to 146,780 units — also weighed on demand.
Though battery-electric vehicle registrations dipped only slightly, the decline at Tesla highlights how competitive dynamics increasingly favour newer, value-oriented EV entrants.
For now, Tesla’s November outcome signals mounting pressure on the company’s UK business model as its market share dwindles amid rapidly changing conditions.
The US electric-vehicle manufacturer logged just 3,784 new vehicles sold, down from 4,680 in November 2024. This marks one of the steepest annual declines for the brand in the UK. The slump comes amid growing competition from lower-priced Chinese and European electric-vehicle makers, with BYD, in particular, seeing UK registrations surge 229 % in the same month, to 3,217 cars — nearly matching Tesla’s volume for November.
The timing underscores a broader shift in the UK EV market, with consumers increasingly drawn to more affordable alternatives as choice expands: more than 150 electric models are now available to British buyers, according to industry estimates.
The drop in Tesla’s registrations follows an even steeper 50 % sales fall in October, suggesting the downward trend reflects more than a typical month-to-month variation.
Analysts attribute the underperformance to multiple factors: Tesla’s ageing model lineup, intensifying rivalry in the EV market, and evolving consumer preferences.
The overall UK car-market contraction in November — down 6.3 % to 146,780 units — also weighed on demand.
Though battery-electric vehicle registrations dipped only slightly, the decline at Tesla highlights how competitive dynamics increasingly favour newer, value-oriented EV entrants.
For now, Tesla’s November outcome signals mounting pressure on the company’s UK business model as its market share dwindles amid rapidly changing conditions.
