Solo Cars, a winner in the Motor Trader Independent Dealer Awards in 2023, has targeted Tesla used cars, benefiting from falling values earlier this year.
UK sales volumes of used Teslas in February reached record levels with 2,690 sold, according to data company Marketcheck.
This was the highest amount in a single month since Teslas were introduced to the UK market.
Of the four Tesla models, the Model 3 maintained most sales, only twice dropping below a 70% market share twice between May 2023 and February 2025 (68.53% in July 2023 and 69.3% December 2024).
James McConville, company director at Solo Cars said it had capitalised on industry trends using data.
“For Solo Cars, adapting to the market by stocking electric cars has kept us up-to date with consumer demand, and we foresee this electric demand increasing as time goes on.
“Before February 2025 we had only sold 12 Teslas in total, in February we sold 12 in 28 days, highlighting how you can capitalise on market trends.
“Acting now still makes us an early adopter and helps us to most of that early data to profit down the line.”
Solo disclosed its success with Tesla as Auto Trader revealed that more independent dealers are following their franchised counterparts and selling electric vehicles, as the used car parc changes with fewer petrol and diesel cars for sale.
It said over the past 12 months, petrol supply has remained flat (+0.1%), while diesel availability has dropped by -12.8%. In contrast, the supply of used electric vehicles has surged by nearly half (+44%) year-on-year (YoY), albeit starting from a lower base.
It added that since 2023, a third (33%) of independent retailers have stocked at least three EVs for at least 15 days.
Demand for used EVs on Auto Trader rose +30% YoY in May. Conversely, demand for petrol and diesel fell -0.7% and -9.8% respectively over the same period, highlighting the growing opportunity of stocking electric vehicles in meeting consumer demand and maintaining business profitability.
Ian Plummer, Auto Trader commercial director, said: “Dealers need to adopt broader sourcing strategies.
Our advanced tools provide real-time insights to empower retailers to buy with confidence and optimise their stock mix, ensuring they maximise profit potential on every vehicle.
“With strong demand for electric, it’s vital retailers use data to inform pricing and sourcing strategies for this new and perhaps unfamiliar part of the market where gut instinct alone can no longer be relied upon.
“Used electric vehicles are a great option for many drivers and importantly represent a significant opportunity for retailers.”
