Britons Are Purchasing More Electric Vehicles, But Not Teslas | Carscoops

      Tesla's global sales decline persists, with some exceptions like Australia and Norway, while other major markets experienced significant downturns.

      UK sales dropped by 45 percent, even as the overall national EV market expanded by 28 percent year-on-year.

      In contrast, Australia marked a rare success for Tesla, with 3,897 units sold and a remarkable 122 percent growth in Model Y sales.

      Tesla has faced a challenging year regarding vehicle sales. Despite launching an updated version of the Model Y, promoting new features, and showcasing advancements in semi-autonomous technology, the company struggles to sell cars. Recent data reveals a bleak situation, with only a few optimistic signals worldwide.

      Although Tesla has not released official sales figures, Tesla Archive on X reports that U.S. sales fell about 11 percent in May, totaling approximately 46,000 units. Year-to-date deliveries are also reportedly down by 11 percent. Notably, in the first five months of 2025, Tesla has only sold about 36 percent of the cars it delivered throughout all of 2024—far from the growth it anticipated if these figures hold true.

      Challenges in the UK, Positivity in Australia

      The situation in the UK appears grim. In May, Tesla's sales there plunged by 45 percent, according to preliminary data from AutoMotive shared by Reuters. The company recorded only 1,758 sales, a substantial decrease from 3,244 in the same month of the previous year. On the other hand, overall car sales in the UK rose by 4.3 percent to 144,098 units, and electric vehicle sales increased by 28 percent, indicating that Tesla is significantly losing market share.

      However, there is some positive news from Australia. Tesla delivered 3,897 vehicles in May, a 9.3 percent increase compared to the same month in 2024, marking the highest total in nearly a year. This rise was predominantly fueled by the revamped Model Y, which enjoyed a remarkable year-over-year sales increase of 122 percent in May.

      This momentum also led to an impressive 675 percent increase compared to April, when Tesla managed to sell only 500 EVs, as reported by the Australian Electric Vehicle Council. Nevertheless, when looking at the broader picture, year-to-date sales figures in Australia remain down by 48.2 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

      A European Rollercoaster

      Sales in Austria and Norway showed positive trends last month. In Austria, Tesla recorded its second-best May ever, with 643 sales. In Norway, sales surged by an impressive 213 percent year-over-year in May, accounting for 2,600 deliveries that month. It was such a strong performance for the automaker that it outperformed its second-best competitor by more than double. Clearly, some regions appear to be moving past the sales difficulties that Tesla is facing.

      Conversely, Tesla is not getting an easy ride elsewhere. In Denmark, sales fell by 31 percent, while Sweden experienced a drastic 53 percent decrease. France and Portugal saw declines of 67 percent and 68 percent respectively. It is evident that Tesla is encountering significant challenges in key European markets, and the prospects for a swift recovery do not look promising.

      Global Challenges for Tesla

      “Tesla’s strong sales growth in Australia this May is a positive sign, driven largely by the high demand for the updated Model Y. However, globally, Tesla continues to face challenges,” commented Liz Lee, associate director at technology market research firm Counterpoint Research, while speaking to CNBC. Her assessment reflects the prevailing data accurately.