Tesla Model 3 best selling car in June - but SMMT says sales overall down 27%

New cars sales accelerated 28 per cent annually in June, though registrations are still way behind pre-pandemic levels as the industry continues to struggle to deliver the latest models to customers. That's mostly due to the widespread shortage of semiconductor computer chips needed for the latest vehicles 'squeezing' the arrival of new models - though Tesla managed to deliver almost 5,500 Model 3 electric vehicles last month, which is more than any other car. New cars sales were up 28% year-on-year in June, though registrations are still way behind pre-pandemic levels as the industry continues to struggle to deliver the latest models to customers The chip issue is now the biggest factor crippling the sector's recover from Covid, with total sales down 9,000 on the industry estimate for April to June Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: 'With the final phases of the UK’s vaccine rollout well underway and confidence increasing, the automotive sector is now battling against a "long Covid" of vehicle supply challenges. The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling new car in June 2021, though it doesn't make the top 10 of most popular passenger vehicles for the first half of the year The Model 3 has now been the monthly best-selling car in the UK in four months since the pandemic struck - though June is the first month it has topped the charts in a month when car dealers' showrooms are open to the public and not forced to be closed during a lockdown Commenting on the upward trajectory of electrified car sales, Mr Hawes said that with economic confidence strengthening, consumers will need 'certainty about the future' when it comes to EV ownership, which will require 'long term government commitments to incentives, and confidence in the rollout of charging infrastructure nationwide'.