The EV market share in the UK for Elon Musk’s Tesla has fallen by a quarter since the start of the year despite a record number of electric car sales in March.
UK sales for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have risen by 38% compared with this time last year, with the month of March seeing a record 68,255 electric cars sold, according to new figures from the NGO New AutoMotive.
The impressive figure came amid a bumper month for car sales in general, with BEVs representing 19.4% of total UK car registrations in March – commonly a strong month in any given year for vehicle sales.
Despite the major lift for the EV industry, Tesla’s UK registrations remained largely unchanged from the previous March, while its overall market share in the UK dipped amid numerous high-profile political controversies from its CEO.
Previously released data found Tesla UK sales slipped as much 12% in January, another otherwise strong month for EV sales.
Tesla narrowly remains the most popular electric car brand by sales in the country with 12,632 registrations in 2025 and a market share of 10.69%, followed by BMW with 8.67% and Volkswagen, which has captured an additional 4% of market share, reaching 7.39% total.
The report noted that new US Tariffs would not likely make much of an impact on UK EV market as very few EVs are imported to Britain from the States – even Tesla’s are mademostly in Germany and China.
“The UK’s EV policy is paying off – EV sales are surging,” said James Court, director of public policy at Octopus Electric Vehicles.
“We must keep up this momentum so that drivers continue to benefit from the latest technology, lower running costs, near maintenance, and cleaner air.”
The UK government has committed to a target of 80% of new car sales and 70% of new van sales being for zero-emission vehicles by 2030, rising to 100% five years later.
The government previously aimed to ban the sale of new diesel cars by 2030, a policy that was delayed to 2035.
Register for Free
Bookmark your favorite posts, get daily updates, and enjoy an ad-reduced experience.
Already have an account? Log in