Tesla launched the Model Y in the United Kingdom earlier this year in February, and it quickly rose to the top of the charts to become the best selling car in March.
More than six months later and the electric SUV is continuing to prove popular. In September it was the second best selling car in the UK, and now sits in eighth place for the most popular car in year-to-date sales.
According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Tesla delivered 8,315 Model Ys in the UK last month. The Model Y was only outsold by the Nissan Qashqai, a compact crossover SUV that starts as low as £26,045 (~$40,000 CAD).
The Model Y was well ahead of the next closest competitor, the always popular Volkswagen Polo, which registered 6,476 sales according to SMMT data.
The top 10 list was dominated by fossil fuel burning vehicles, with the Model Y being the only electric vehicle (EV) to make it into the list for September.
Despite that, the number of EVs on UK roads is increasing and is now above 1 million. So far in 2022 there have been 175,614 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) delivered in the UK, an increase of more than 40% compared to the same time period in 2021.
“September has seen Britain’s millionth electric car reach the road – an important milestone in the shift to zero emission mobility. Battery electric vehicles make up but a small fraction of cars on the road, so we need to ensure every lever is pulled to encourage motorists to make the shift if our green goals are to be met,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive.
With another strong month of sales under its belt, the Model Y has accumulated 20,654 sales through the first nine months of the year. That is good enough to be the eighth most popular car in the UK, sitting a little over 9,000 units behind the first place Vauxhall Corsa.
