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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Julia Kollewe

UK sales of new Tesla cars slump by more than a third amid Musk backlash

Tesla vehicles in a parking lot
Tesla has sold 15,002 cars in the UK so far this year, down by 7.8% in the same period last year. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Sales of new Tesla cars slumped by more than a third in the UK last month as the electric carmaker lost ground to China’s BYD and other rivals, amid a political backlash against its billionaire boss, Elon Musk.

Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK in May, down from 3,152 in May 2024 – a 36% drop, according to the monthly snapshot from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

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