Recent analysis from Tussell into UK public procurement has found that Tesla has been a beneficiary of the UK government since 2016 having received almost £200m in grants.
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle (EV) company has found itself in the news rather a lot recently. Last week, for instance, China’s car maker BYD reported it sold more pure electric cars than Tesla in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Globally, Tesla has dominated the EV market. Its domination in the UK can in some way be attributed to the UK government grants the automaker has received. According to Tussell, which analyses data on UK government contracts and spending, it has received £191m in government grants since 2016.
An article in The Guardian reports that the bulk of these funds came from the Department for Transport (DfT), which has given Tesla £188m over that period.
Based on the latest DfT figures, the publication reports that these transport grants peaked at £61.6m in 2020 and have declined since then, with the company...