Tesla Model Y claims UK’s best-selling EV crown as car brands complain about targets
Close to one-in-four new cars registered in 2025 were EVs, however, sales failed to reach the target set by the Government’s ZEV mandate
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car in the UK in 2025, with its saloon sibling the Model 3 not far behind. The Tesla duo took first and second spot in the EV sales charts for the year released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders).
473,340 new electric cars were registered in the UK last year – 23.9 per cent more than in 2024, and more than were sold in 2021 and 2022 combined. 24,298 of those were Model Ys while 21,188 were Model 3s, meaning Tesla alone accounted for almost 10 per cent of all the EVs that Brits purchased in 2025.
It’s worth noting that nearly 33,000 Model Ys were sold here in 2024, which made it the fifth most popular car overall in the UK and put it ahead of the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, Hyundai Tucson and Volvo XC40.
With roughly 8,500 fewer examples sold in 2025, the electric SUV failed to make it onto the top 10 best sellers list this time around. And despite shifting more Model 3s in 2025 than it did the year before, Tesla's total sales dropped by nearly 10 per cent year-on-year.
Elsewhere, the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q6 e-tron claimed the third and fourth spots in the EV sales chart, with 14,433 and 13,148 examples sold, respectively. Rounding out the top five was the Ford Explorer, 12,237 examples of which left showrooms, meanwhile the reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq, claimed ninth place.
Interestingly, the Elroq, Q4 e-tron and Explorer are all based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, however none of VW's own electric models (of which there are seven) were among the top 10 best-selling EVs last year. That’s particularly surprising when you consider Volkswagen remains the most popular car brand in the UK in terms of total sales.
Despite EVs accounting for practically one in every four new cars sold last year – 23.4 per cent of the total market share, to be precise – and there now being more than 160 zero-emissions for motorists to choose from, as a whole sales still fell short of the 28 per cent target set by the Government under its ZEV Mandate. That target has risen to 33 per cent for 2026.
The introduction of the new Electric Car Grant (ECG) in July 2025 will certainly have helped boost the appeal of EVs among buyers. However, according to the SMMT only about a quarter of all electric cars are eligible for a Government discount and it says manufacturers continue to subsidise the sales of EVs themselves to try and meet the Government’s targets.
The SMMT claims brands forked out roughly £5.5 billion in discounts last year alone, which equates to £11,000 per EV sold and this level of subsidisation is “clearly unsustainable,” the organisation reiterated.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, referred to the discounting as the “cost of compliance” for the ZEV mandate, and pointed out to us that the fine a brand faces for every EV it misses the Government’s target by is £12,000. He also highlighted that the gap between the number of EVs sold and the ZEV target was 4.6 per cent last year, up from 2.4 per cent in 2024.
The Government did launch a consultation into the ZEV Mandate in late 2024, but has yet to complete a review of the policy. “We think that the review needs to be brought forward and definitely completed in 2026 because you need to have an assessment about whether this is delivering what it needs to deliver, and the wider impact that will have on the industry.”
The SMMT has also said the announcement of a new ‘eVED’ tax on EVs – more commonly known as pay-per-mile – has sent “a confusing message to consumers, undermining rather than encouraging market confidence.”
Britain’s top-selling electric cars 2025
(based on preliminary SMMT data)
- Tesla Model Y - 24,298
- Tesla Model 3 - 21,188
- Audi Q4 e-tron - 14,433
- Audi Q6 e-tron - 13,148
- Ford Explorer - 12,237
- BMW i4 - 12,158
- Skoda Enyaq - 11,940
- Kia EV3 - 11,188
- Skoda Elroq - 10,713
- Volvo EX30 - 10,289
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