In September, the UK electric vehicle (EV) market share reached 23.4%, a slight increase from the previous year. Full electric vehicle (BEV) sales grew by 19% compared to the previous year, although this growth was slightly lower than the overall market. The total number of auto units sold in September was 272,610, a 21% increase from the previous year. However, this is still below pre-2020 seasonal norms. Tesla remained the most popular BEV brand in the UK.
Increase in Combined EV Share
In September, the combined EV share in the UK reached 23.4%, with BEVs accounting for 16.6% and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) for 6.8%. This is a slight increase from the previous year, where the shares were 22.4% for EVs (16.9% for BEVs and 5.5% for PHEVs). While BEVs saw a marginal decrease in market share compared to September 2022, PHEVs saw a slight increase.
In terms of volume, BEV sales increased by 19% to 45,323 units, while PHEV sales increased by 51% to 18,535 units.
Decline in Diesel-Only Powertrains
Diesel-only powertrains continued to decline, losing 5% in volume and only accounting for 3.6% of the market. Year to date, they have lost 15% in volume and have a cumulative market share of 3.9%. Petrol-only powertrains also experienced a decrease in market share, dropping from 40.7% to 38.7%.
Tesla’s Temporary Delivery Decrease
The decrease in BEV market share for Tesla in September was primarily due to a temporary decrease in deliveries, down 31% compared to September 2022. Other BEV brands, on the other hand, experienced an 85% growth and sold 17,000 units. If Tesla had matched the delivery growth rate of other brands, the BEV market share in September would have been close to 20% instead of 16.6%.
The data suggests that this decrease in deliveries was a temporary variation and not a reflection of slower demand for Tesla in the UK. Year to date, Tesla’s volume has increased by 48.4% YoY, outpacing the overall BEV growth rate of 40.5% during the same period.
Tesla Remains the Best-Selling BEV Brand
Tesla maintained its position as the best-selling brand in the UK in September, capturing 14% of the BEV market. Although the Model Y did not make it to the top 10 vehicles for the month, it remains the UK’s fourth best-selling vehicle year to date. Mercedes surprisingly took second place, followed by MG Motor in third place.
Changes in the Top 10 Ranking
Apart from the top two positions, there were minor changes in the top 10 ranking. Nissan climbed from 15th to 9th place.
Trailing 3-Month Data
Looking at the trailing 3-month data, Tesla still holds a strong lead with a 16% market share. MG Motor maintained its second position with a 10.6% market share. Thanks to a strong September, Mercedes increased its market share to 8.2% and climbed from 9th to 5th place. Other ranking changes were minimal.
Challenges in the UK Auto Market
Despite the growth in the auto market, the overall UK economy remains sluggish with low GDP annual growth and high inflation. This economic situation hampers consumer spending on expensive items like vehicles. As a result, BEV sales are primarily driven by fleet and company purchases rather than private consumer purchases.
The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
