Tesla sales in Northern Ireland declined 16% during 2024 with the Hyundai Kona emerging as the year’s most popular electric vehicle (EV), Business Telegraph can reveal.
As Elon Musk prepares to exert even greater influence on world events when US President Donald Trump takes office later this month, Mr Musk’s brainchild EV is facing growing competition in Northern Ireland.
According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) analysed by economist Richard Ramsey, there were 1,008 Hyundai Kona sold here in 2024, putting it at the top of the EV tree.
And across the car market and all fuel types as a whole, Volkswagen had usurped Ford as NI’s favourite brand, with 5,065 VWs driven off forecourts.
In contrast, Ford dropped to fifth place in the leader board of most popular brands overall.
There were 3,052 new Ford cars sold during 2024, brings its sales volumes back to the lowest level in at least 26 years, Mr Ramsey said.
Overall, he said Northern Ireland had experienced a strong year for new car registrations, with sales up 8% on average, a stronger rate of increase than than in the UK as whole.
However, Tesla’s fall in sales is far from just a Northern Ireland phenomenon. World-wide, its sales fell in 2024 for the first time in more than a decade, with numbers down 1% to 1.79 million.
In contrast, its biggest rival, Chinese disruptor BYD, recorded its best-ever year in 2024, with 4.3 million EVs and hybrids sold globally in 2024. It is sold in Northern Ireland through dealership Charles Hurst.
Mr Musk is preparing to take on a new role in Mr Trump’s second White House administration as leader of the new US Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting body.