March 4 (Reuters) – Tesla’s UK sales fell sharply in February, but still outpaced Chinese rival BYD, data from New Automotive showed on Wednesday.
Tesla sold 2,208 vehicles in February, down 45.2% from a year earlier. BYD’s sales rose 40.9% to 968 units.
While Tesla’s delivery patterns are typically volatile, year-to-date figures are down 5%, meaning the decline is likely to draw scrutiny, New Automotive said.
Tesla’s position in the UK has weakened amid intensifying competition from Chinese brands such as BYD and SAIC-owned MG, as its ageing model line-up struggles to keep pace.
Tesla’s February sales also fell in Italy, Denmark and Sweden, pointing to broader challenges in Europe.
Battery-electric cars accounted for a quarter of the overall UK car market in February, while about a third of new car registrations had a plug, the data showed.
“It is fantastic to see one in four motorists opting for an electric car in February,” Ben Nelmes, chief executive of New Automotive said.
“As we enter yet another fossil fuel price crisis, every electric vehicle is yet another step on the road to energy independence.”
Overall UK car registrations across all fuel types rose 3.6% in February to 83,377 vehicles, the data showed.
(Reporting by DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru and Alessandro Parodi; Editng by Tasim Zahid)
