Tesla sales rebound in Britain with Musk backlash in rear mirror
Yahoo Finance ·
Tesla sales rebound in Britain with Musk backlash in rear mirror James Titcomb Mon, 6 July 2026 at 11:56 am GMT-4 2 min read Tesla sales in Britain have rebounded sharply as a backlash against Elon Musk fades and petrol prices push more drivers to buy electric vehicles (EVs). The company's Model 3 and Model Y were the two top selling vehicles in the UK last month, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Tesla was the second bestselling brand in Britain after Volkswagen, with sales up 57.7pc on last year. It marks a significant change from a year ago, when Mr Musk was facing a backlash over his work for Donald Trump 's department of government efficiency, known as Doge. The sales boost also came as more drivers flock to electric cars after a surge in petrol prices because of Mr Trump's war in Iran. Prices at the pump have come down somewhat since Mr Trump agreed to end the conflict, but remain well above their pre-conflict peak. The SMMT said electric cars made up a record high of 30pc of sales in June, and had accounted for one in four sales in the first half of 2026. However, this is well below the 33pc required by the Government's zero-emission vehicle mandate, with carmakers facing the prospect of fines for missing the targets. Mike Hawes, the SMMT chief executive, called for the mandate to be overhauled to protect manufacturing. "June's performance is very strong, showing EV uptake is growing, with battery electric cars reaching their highest market share this year and more than half of buyers choosing electrified models," he said. "But even these record levels are still not enough to meet mandated targets. Manufacturers are investing billions developing and bringing the vehicles to market – and spending billions more to sell them, yet the market is still not moving fast enough. "Reforming the mandate now is essential not just to keep the transition on track but to protect the UK's competitiveness, attract investment and safeguard jobs." Including hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, battery-powered vehicles made up 56.5pc of sales in June. Tesla has experienced a global rebound in sales, with deliveries in the second quarter of the year up 25pc, but the recovery in Britain has been particularly strong. The figures suggest the company is holding off a flurry of Chinese EVs entering the market. However, sales of BYD and MG cars both rose sharply, while Jaecoo, whose Land Rover-esque Jaecoo 7 has become one of Britain's bestselling cars, saw sales climb by 150pc.
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