Tesla’s UK car registrations fell by 19 per cent in November, preliminary data from research group New AutoMotive showed on Thursday, following steep drops reported in other European markets for the month. November registrations, a proxy for sales, of Tesla cars in the UK fell to 3,784 from 4,680 cars sold in the same month last year, the data showed. The U.S. EV maker, which recently started rolling out new versions of its best-selling Model Y SUV, has been struggling with an aging lineup and growing competition in a crowded European market, especially from new entrants from China.
There are now more than 150 electric models available to British motorists, according to EV buying advice site Electrifying.com.
Amid the assortment of EV brands, registrations by Tesla’s Chinese peer BYD, which also sells hybrids and plug-in hybrids, jumped by 229 per cent in November to 3,217 cars sold.
Customer sentiment for Tesla has also fallen in recent months, after CEO Elon Musk publicly praised right-wing political figures and after his short stint as head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency. The brand’s November drop in registrations is in line with a 20 per cent fall in Germany and a slump of almost 60 per cent in France and other European markets, which were only partly offset by record-breaking sales in Norway.
Overall, total new car registrations in Britain fell 6.3 per cent to 146,780 vehicles for November, according to New AutoMotive.
Those of battery-electric cars fell 1.1 per cent to 38,742 vehicles, while plug-in hybrid registrations jumped 3.8 per cent to 16,526.
