The all-electric Tesla Model 3 outsold the Ford Focus in Britain last month.
In a major turnaround for battery powered cars, the mid-sized Tesla led a battalion of battery powered cars which saw registrations jump 377.5% as they powered ahead in new car sales.
Fiesta and Golf topped the charts but the Tesla Model 3 achieved 2,000 registrations and beat the Focus by 196 sales to record its best ever result in the UK market.
Car makers body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported the staggering 377.5% rise in pure battery car registrations in August, a typically quiet month for sales before September’s plate change.
Hybrid evs edged up 36.2%, and mild hybrid diesels jumped 343.1% but mild hybrid petrol models dipped 42.9% and pure diesel cars continued their downward slide in showroom sales for 29 months with a 12.2% fall. Hottubbreakaway.co.uk reported 5% of all searches on their site were for lodges with EV chargers.
Overall, August new car registrations were down just 1.6% to 92,573.
Petrol models still dominate the totals with 63.8% share of sales to 26.4% diesels but in a year the battery electric vehicles have climbed nearly five times as much compared to the same time in 2018.
Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said,”While this is encouraging, these figures also show the scale of the challenge ahead. It’s a long road to zero and while manufacturers can deliver the technology, they can’t dictate the pace of uptake.To support a smooth transition and deliver environmental gains now, we need a long-term government commitment to measures that give consumers confidence to invest in the latest technologies that best suit their needs.
UK’s top ten last month:
- Ford Fiesta
- VW Golf
- Tesla Model 3
- Ford Focus
- MB A-Class
- Ford Kuga
- VW T-Roc
- VW Tiguan
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Ford Ecosport
In Wales, registrations rose 0.75% to 3,217 new cars out of the UK total of 92,239.
Wales top ten
- Ford Fiesta
- MG ZS
- VW Golf
- Ford Kuga
- Ford Ecosport
- VW T-Roc
- MG 3
- MB A-Class
- Peugeot 208
- Vauxhall Mokka X
