New car sales in Britain saw a healthy rebound in June, driven significantly by a surge in demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), in particular, experienced a year-on-year increase in sales, buoyed by the commencement of deliveries for its updated Model Y.
Overall, new car registrations across Britain climbed by 6.7% in June compared to a year earlier, reaching 191,316 units, according to data released on Friday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
While still below pre-COVID levels, this marks the best June for car sales since 2019.
The electric vehicle sector was a key driver of this growth, with battery electric car demand soaring by 39% to 47,354 units.
The SMMT reported that one in four new car buyers in June opted for an electric vehicle.
However, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes cautioned that this EV growth is still heavily reliant on "substantial industry support" and "unsustainable discounting" from manufacturers to drive activity, remaining below mandated levels.
Tesla sold 7,719 units in June, a 14% increase from the same period last year, as reported by the SMMT.
Separately, research group New AutoMotive reported a 12% increase for Tesla in June, with 7,891 units sold.
The discrepancy in figures is attributed to different data sources and calculation methods used by the two organizations.
Despite its strong June performance, Tesla's UK sales for the year-to-date are still down by nearly 2%.
In contrast, Chinese rival BYD has seen a remarkable increase, with sales skyrocketing nearly four-fold to 2,498 units in the first half of 2025, according to New AutoMotive.
US automaker Ford (NYSE:F) also demonstrated impressive growth in the EV market, with its electric vehicle sales increasing more than four-fold in Britain during the first half of 2025, making it the fastest-growing among its rivals.