The Tesla Model Y was only introduced in the United Kingdom in February, but it quickly rose to the top of the sales charts to be the best selling car, electric or otherwise, in March.
The strong sales have continued since then with the electric SUV registering enough sales in June to be the second best selling car, only beaten by a car nearly one quarter its price.
According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a total of 4,194 Model Ys were in June. The only car more popular than the Model Y was the Vauxhall Corsa, which amassed 5,014 sales in the month.
For comparison, the entry-level Model Y starts at £57,990 (~$90,100 CAD), while the Corsa can be purchased for as low as £17,340 (~$26,900 CAD).
The strong sales figures were achieved in a month when new car registrations in the UK dropped nearly 25% to 140,598 vehicles, the lowest number recorded since 1996. Bucking that trend was battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which saw its registrations rise 14.6% in June, giving them a market share of 16.1%.
“Electric vehicle demand continues to be the one bright spot, as more electric cars than ever take to the road, but while this growth is welcome it is not yet enough to offset weak overall volumes, which has huge implications for fleet renewal and our ability to meet overall carbon reduction targets,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive.
In terms of year to date sales, the Model Y now sits in 10th spot with 12,011 sales in the first six months of the year, making it the only EV in the top 10.
