Introduction: To boost sales, Tesla was forced to offer discounts of up to 40% to UK leasing companies.

(By / Observer Network, Zhou Shengming; Editor / Gao Xin)

According to a report by The Times on August 18, British consumers who choose long-term car rentals now pay almost half the monthly payment compared to last year.

With the acceleration of Chinese new energy vehicle companies going global and Elon Musk's controversies, Tesla's market share in Europe has been declining. In the UK market, to stimulate sales, Tesla has been forced to offer discounts of up to 40% to leasing companies.

Industry insiders revealed that these discounts will be passed on to consumers through leasing companies, ultimately reflected in lower monthly payments. Additionally, Tesla's existing storage and logistics facilities in the UK are insufficient to store new cars, which is also a key reason for offering discounts.

Leasing company Silverstone Leasing, which provides exclusive services to Tesla, said that the monthly payment for a 36-month Model 3 lease is now only 252 pounds (approximately RMB 2,454.21). Moreover, the retail price of the latest Model Y in the UK is about 60,000 pounds (approximately RMB 583,900), but on the Synergy Car Leasing website, its lowest monthly payment is only 376.97 pounds (approximately RMB 3,666.24).

In general, the monthly payments for Model Y from other leasing companies are around 400 pounds (approximately RMB 3,892.48), while the monthly payments for leasing a Model 3 in the UK last year ranged between 600-700 pounds (approximately RMB 5,838.72-6,811.84).

The Times reported that Tesla not only offers discounts to leasing companies, but also provides indirect incentives at the retail level. It is known that Tesla's retail stores in the UK offer interest-free loan policies. For example, for a new car priced at 40,000 pounds (approximately RMB 389,200), consumers can save approximately 6,000 pounds (approximately RMB 58,387.20) over three years - and this cost will be borne by Tesla.

Frazer Brown, Managing Director of UK automotive consulting firm MotorVise, said: "Directly lowering the retail price is the most costly approach for automakers; compared to that, reducing the monthly payment to ease the consumer's burden is the lowest-cost method. Now, whether through leasing companies or at Tesla's retail stores, the monthly payments required by consumers have dropped to about half of what they used to be."

Ian Plummer, Business Director at UK automotive trading platform Auto Trader, also admitted that Tesla's leasing prices are much lower than in previous years. "The key is that consumers can obtain Tesla at a more affordable price. Leasing is an easier way to get an electric vehicle," he said.

According to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Tesla's sales in the UK in July fell by 60% year-on-year, dropping from 2,462 units to 987 units, and its market share fell to 0.7%.

As a comparison, BYD's sales in the UK increased by four times in July, reaching about 3,200 units, and its market share rose to 2.3%. Overall, in the first half of 2025, Chinese brands' market share in the entire European market nearly doubled to 5.1%, while Tesla's market share dropped from 2.4% last year to 1.6%.

This article is an exclusive work of Observer Network. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540094362160529971/

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