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Tesla UK registrations drop 29% in December 2025
Tesla’s UK car registrations dropped by more than 29% year-on-year in December 2025 to 6,300 units, according to data from New AutoMotive.
Tesla, the US EV maker, also saw its UK sales fall 8.9% in 2025.
The company faces growing competition in the UK, its largest European market, as well as in France and Sweden, where sales have also fallen.
Registrations for Chinese EV brand BYD in the UK rose nearly five-fold to 5,200 units in December.
Despite the drop, Tesla remained the UK’s best-selling EV brand last month.
Globally, Tesla lost its position as the world’s top EV maker to BYD after reporting annual sales that fell for a second year.
In the Netherlands, Tesla registrations fell 27% in December and 44% for 2025, based on RAI Vereniging data.
🔗 Source: Reuters
🧠 Food for thought
Implications, context, and why it matters.
UK EV mandate inflated December volumes, masking Tesla’s share loss
- The UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate requires automakers to hit rising Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) quotas of 28% in 2025, 33% in 2026, and 38% in 2027 1. Carmakers timed December deliveries to hit targets, which lifted volumes across brands. BYD nearly quintupled to 5,200 units, likely a tactical push rather than organic demand.
- Tesla fell more than 29% in December, with an 8.9% drop for the year. BEVs made up 22.4% of UK sales through October 2025 1. Rivals chased quotas and added models while Tesla stayed flat. The pattern looks structural as the rules tighten and competition ramps.
Remarketers can profit from used EV surge with battery checks
- Fleet and lease players will release thousands of off-lease EVs as 2025 compliance deliveries age. Used EVs with verified battery health certificates sell 7.3 days faster (43.1 vs 50.4 days uncertified) 2. Faster turns lower holding time and financing costs for remarketing platforms.
- Vendors that embed State of Health diagnostics at scale can stand out. Ayvens Carmarket runs a European used-car marketplace and issues Battery Management System (BMS)-linked certificates in six markets 3. For resellers, adding third-party battery tests to intake workflows turns a compliance glut into a transparency edge.
