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Tesla has almost halved the cost of leasing its electric cars in Britain, in a bid to reverse sliding sales and shore up its market share against fast-growing Chinese competitors.
British motorists can now lease a Tesla for just over half what it cost a year ago, with monthly payments on a Model 3 starting as low as £252 plus VAT. The Model Y, launched in May and retailing for about £60,000, has also been offered at under £400 per month by some leasing firms. Last summer, the same cars typically cost £600–£700 per month to lease.
Industry sources say Tesla has been forced into ad hoc discounts of up to 40% to leasing companies — both to stay competitive and because of limited UK storage capacity for unsold stock. While retail prices remain unchanged, Tesla has added zero-interest finance deals in its stores, a move analysts say will cost the company around £6,000 over three years on a £40,000 car.
“The most expensive way to find a home for these cars is by cutting the retail price. The cheapest way is to cut the monthly payments,” said Fraser Brown, managing director at consultancy MotorVise.
Tesla’s registrations in the UK fell by 60% in July year-on-year, to just 987 units, pushing its market share down to 0.7%. In contrast, China’s BYD — a relatively new arrival in the European market — claimed 2.3% of all new UK registrations, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data.
Across Europe, Tesla faces similar headwinds as Chinese brands undercut on price and flood the market with aggressively priced EVs. BYD, Nio and XPeng have all stepped up their push into the continent, capitalising on consumers’ demand for cheaper electric cars as household budgets tighten.
Despite the slide, Tesla remains dominant in the used EV market, where one in four sales is still a Tesla, according to Auto Trader. Ian Plummer, Auto Trader’s commercial director, said:
“The main thing is you can access Teslas at more affordable prices and a lease is a good way to get a more affordable EV. They are still popular and generate a lot of interest on our platform — new and used — no matter what people think of Elon Musk.”
Leasing companies have become a crucial distribution channel for Tesla as private buyers remain cautious. Cash buyers accounted for just over 27% of Tesla’s new homes market activity, while leasing plans, driven by monthly affordability, are increasingly seen as the key to maintaining volume sales.
The strategy, however, highlights the fine balance Tesla must strike between sustaining demand and protecting brand value. Deep leasing discounts may boost sales volumes in the short term but risk undermining resale values and investor confidence if they become entrenched.
With interest rates stabilising and the UK government considering new incentives to support EV adoption, the next 12 months will be critical for Tesla as it seeks to prove its long-term competitiveness against a wave of Chinese imports.
Tesla declined to comment.
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Tesla slashes UK leasing costs as sales slump against Chinese rivals

Wider access to weight-loss injections on the NHS could deliver significant economic gains by cutting sick days and easing the burden of obesity-related illness, new research suggests.
A study of 421 NHS patients using the latest generation of obesity drugs found the number of sick days taken fell by a third within three months of starting treatment. Combined sick leave dropped from 517 days in the three months before starting the jabs to 334 days after three months of use, according to data from Oviva, the UK’s largest provider of weight-loss support services.
After six months, 77 per cent of patients reported taking no sick leave at all — up from 63 per cent before starting treatment.
The findings highlight the potential economic impact of rolling out obesity injections more widely. Government figures show UK workers took 149 million sick days in 2024, down from a pandemic-era peak but still nearly 10 million more than pre-2020 levels.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously described obesity as a key drag on the workforce, with people living with obesity taking “an extra four sick days a year on average” and many leaving employment altogether.
“These drugs could have colossal clout in our fight to tackle obesity and get unemployed Britons back to work,” Mr Streeting has argued, backing the medicines as a tool for reducing economic inactivity.
Government modelling suggests that a widespread rollout could save the taxpayer £5bn annually through productivity gains and lower healthcare costs. Obesity is estimated to cost the UK economy around £98bn a year, including £15bn in lost productivity and £19bn in direct NHS spending.
Despite political enthusiasm, the rollout of jabs such as Mounjaro, made by Eli Lilly, has been slow. At the end of June, 32,000 patients were still waiting for an NHS weight management appointment, while only 1 per cent of eligible patients currently receive treatment, according to Oviva.
A quarter of a million people across England are expected to be prescribed Mounjaro on the NHS over the next three years, but demand is already outstripping supply.
Martin Fidock, UK chief of Oviva, urged ministers to accelerate distribution: “The Chancellor talks about firing up Britain’s productivity but doesn’t address the millions who are locked out of work by poor health. People living with obesity are twice as likely to be off sick, yet Britain’s postcode lottery for healthcare means just a fraction of patients get access to treatment.”
The average patient in Oviva’s study was 49 years old — an age group where obesity typically peaks and comorbidities such as anxiety, depression and hypertension are common. Alongside the reduction in sick days, many patients reported lifestyle changes, including drinking more water and eating vegetables more regularly.
Research has also linked the new generation of weight-loss treatments to broader health benefits, including halving the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and reducing cancer risks.
Earlier this year, the Tony Blair Institute suggested weight-loss jabs could be offered to half of all UK adults as part of a national obesity strategy. However, if all 26 million Britons with a BMI of 27 or above were prescribed the drugs, the annual bill would be about £38bn — around 17% of total NHS spending.
The debate now facing policymakers is whether the productivity gains and reduced healthcare costs outweigh the upfront price of scaling up access.
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Weight-loss jabs could slash UK sick days and boost productivity, study finds

Rachel Reeves has been forced to correct the official parliamentary record after giving MPs and peers inaccurate figures on both unemployment and her flagship pension reforms, prompting renewed questions over her command of economic detail.
The Treasury confirmed that Hansard, the record of parliamentary proceedings, had been amended following errors made by the Chancellor during committee hearings.
In one exchange, Reeves told MPs that the £425bn Local Government Pension Scheme was managed by “96 different administering authorities” and that she intended to cut this down to “eight pools” under her reforms to boost investment and efficiency. Officials later conceded the true figures were 86 authorities and a planned consolidation into six pools.
She also misquoted labour market data during an appearance before the House of Lords economic affairs committee, saying that “20% of people of working age are economically inactive and we have an unemployment rate of just over 4%.” The Treasury clarified that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts economic inactivity at 21% and the unemployment rate at 4.7%.
The mistakes, first highlighted by the Mail on Sunday, come at a sensitive time as Reeves faces mounting pressure over her first autumn Budget. Economists warn she may need to raise as much as £50bn to plug a hole in the public finances, a gap critics argue has been widened by policies that have dented business confidence and investment.
Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, accused Reeves of having a “shocking grasp of detail”. He said: “When she’s writing such big cheques with taxpayers’ money, it’s no time to be loose with your numbers.”
This is not the first time the Chancellor has been forced into a public correction. In February, she was compelled to revise remarks about wage growth, having claimed that “since the election we’ve seen year-on-year wages after inflation growing at their fastest rate”. Treasury officials later clarified that real wage growth was running at its fastest pace in three years, not at a record high.
Last year, Reeves also faced scrutiny for exaggerating elements of her CV. She had claimed to have worked as an economist at Bank of Scotland — a role the lender said was misdescribed — and overstated her time at the Bank of England.
The repeated slip-ups are beginning to fuel criticism about her readiness for the Treasury brief. Reeves, who has billed herself as Britain’s first female Chancellor with a mission to restore fiscal credibility, is under intense scrutiny to deliver both accuracy and authority at a time when fiscal headroom is limited and expectations are high.
The corrections come just weeks before Reeves is due to deliver the autumn Budget. With interest payments on government debt climbing and growth sluggish, speculation is mounting about how she intends to balance the books.
She has already ruled out raising income tax, National Insurance or VAT, but the options left on the table — including potential changes to inheritance tax and capital gains tax — risk fuelling controversy.
For now, Reeves is under pressure not just to make the numbers add up, but to convince both Parliament and the markets that she has a firm grip on them in the first place.
The Treasury declined to comment further.
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Reeves forced to correct parliamentary record after misquoting key figures

John Lewis has been forced to supply months’ worth of bottled water to residents in a Hampshire village after fertiliser pollution made the local supply unsafe to drink.
For the past four months, the retailer has delivered bottled water to homes in Longstock, near Andover, after tests revealed high levels of nitrates in drinking water drawn from its Leckford Estate, a 2,800-acre farm owned by the John Lewis Partnership since 1929.
The estate, known as the “Waitrose Farm”, produces fruit and other goods for the supermarket. About half the homes in Longstock are supplied directly with water from the site.
Nitrates, widely used in fertilisers, can seep into groundwater when washed out of soil by rainfall. Elevated concentrations in drinking water reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, posing particular risks to infants — who may develop “blue baby syndrome” — as well as pregnant women.
Local authorities have told villagers they can continue to drink tap water only if it is supplemented by bottled supplies. Expectant mothers and young children have been advised not to consume the tap water at all.
The Leckford Estate has installed new filtration systems at its boreholes, which are partly fed by the River Test, but it expects problems to persist for at least another month while testing continues.
A spokesperson for the estate said: “The presence of nitrates is unfortunately a nationwide issue. We’re in regular contact with residents and have supplied free bottled water while new systems are installed. As a long-term solution, we are exploring options to connect Longstock to the local water provider.”
The government has previously warned of a rise in nitrate levels across England linked to prolonged dry weather, cropping changes and greater use of fertiliser. More than half the country has now been classified as a “nitrate vulnerable zone”, requiring extra monitoring.
Nearly 30% of water sourced from aquifers rather than rivers must now be treated or blended to meet safety standards.
The contamination at Leckford comes amid wider scrutiny of water quality. Southern Water, which supplies the surrounding region, was responsible for 15 serious pollution incidents last year.
A comparable incident occurred in Bramley, Surrey, when a petrol leak at an Asda filling station forced Thames Water to issue a “do not drink” order and distribute bottled water to residents.
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John Lewis estate supplies bottled water after pollution contaminates village supply

BrewDog has suffered another major setback after figures revealed its beers have been removed from almost 2,000 pubs across Britain, in a fresh blow to the once high-flying craft brewer.
Confidential industry data shows that BrewDog’s draught beers have disappeared from around 1,860 pubs over the last two years – cutting its UK distribution by more than a third. Its flagship Punk IPA has borne the brunt, with distribution slashed by more than half, having been dropped from 1,980 pubs in the period.
One pub industry insider told The Times: “BrewDog is losing taps in the [pub and bar trade] like you wouldn’t believe,” with rival brands such as Camden Town and Beavertown moving into its place on the bar.
The losses have come mainly from pub chains and large operators, depriving BrewDog of vital income at the same time as it struggles to repair its financial position and reputation. Last month, the company was forced to shutter 10 of its own branded bars across the UK, including its flagship site in Aberdeen, after declaring them commercially unviable.
The downturn underlines the challenge facing chief executive James Taylor, who took over last year following a turbulent period marked by heavy losses and allegations of a “toxic” workplace culture. The company has reported losses of £59m in 2023 and £30.5m in 2022, with Taylor conceding it will remain in the red this year.
Industry figures suggest BrewDog’s reliance on JD Wetherspoon is now critical. The chain’s 794 pubs account for a large share of its remaining UK distribution. “If they ever lost the JD Wetherspoon deal, then that’s Punk IPA done as a [pub trade] product,” one source warned.
BrewDog’s chief operating officer, Lauren Caroll, said the contraction was part of a wider trend: “Independent brewers across the board have felt the squeeze from the economic pressures hitting the pub trade. With costs rising and consumers watching their spend, pub groups have been narrowing their ranges, and brewery-owned pubs are putting more emphasis on their own brands.
“It’s not just us – every independent brewer has been affected. We saw the trend coming, which is why we’ve shifted focus to high-impact channels like festivals, stadiums, and independents.”
Founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog built its reputation on high-octane marketing stunts and the runaway success of hoppy beers like Punk IPA. But recent years have been overshadowed by damaging controversies, from allegations of a “culture of fear” to criticism over a 2017 deal with US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners.
That deal requires BrewDog to deliver an 18 per cent compounding return on TSG’s shares, creating growing pressure on the brewer’s finances and sparking concern among its thousands of small “Equity Punk” investors.
Taylor, a former fashion executive who succeeded Watt and then James Arrow as chief executive, has overseen a major rebrand of the beer range in an attempt to restore momentum. But with shrinking pub distribution and sustained losses, BrewDog faces a fight to reclaim its place at the bar.
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BrewDog beers axed by almost 2,000 pubs as brand battles losses and closures

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has threatened legal action against National Rail in a dispute over its use of the terms “rover” and “ranger” for rail tickets, claiming they infringe on its Range Rover trademark.
The Indian-owned carmaker issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which manages the National Rail website, demanding the terms be removed. According to a memo seen by The Telegraph, train operators have now been told to strip references to “ranger” and “rover” from their sites.
The RDG has advised companies they may continue to market “ranger tickets” and “rover tickets” under amended names, and JLR has reportedly indicated it will not pursue further action against retailers who comply.
Rover tickets, which allow unlimited rail travel for a week, pre-date the Range Rover by more than a decade. British Rail introduced its first All-Line Rail Rover ticket in the 1950s, costing £15 for second class – equivalent to about £304 today. By comparison, a modern seven-day All-Line Rover second-class ticket is priced at £650.
The first Range Rover was not unveiled until 1970.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We are confident that our practices have always complied with intellectual property law and were happy to work with Jaguar Land Rover towards a resolution. After being made aware of a trademark query by JLR, we worked closely with them to make a minor change to how we describe our Ranger tickets and Rover tickets.”
National Rail and Jaguar Land Rover have been approached for comment.
The row comes as JLR faces wider scrutiny. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump claimed the company was in “absolute turmoil” following what he described as a “totally disastrous woke” rebrand. Trump criticised a recent advert featuring brightly dressed models, comparing it to “Bud Lite going woke”.
The company is also undergoing internal upheaval. In July, chief executive Adrian Mardell announced he would step down at the end of the year after more than 30 years at the firm. The business is in the midst of restructuring, with 500 UK management roles due to be cut as part of a voluntary redundancy programme.
JLR has committed to repositioning Jaguar as an electric-only luxury car brand from 2026, in what is regarded as one of the most transformative periods in its history.
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Jaguar Land Rover threatens legal action over National Rail’s use of ‘rover’ and ‘ranger’ ticket names

Marcus Rashford’s world-exclusive interview on The Rest Is Football has set new records for Goalhanger, drawing more than 1.4 million streams across YouTube, Spotify Video and podcast platforms within 48 hours of release.
Clips from the special 40-minute episode, featuring co-hosts Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, generated a further 48.8 million views across social media in just two days, underlining the Manchester United forward’s global pulling power.
The interview, filmed on location in Barcelona, was timed to coincide with the launch of The Rest Is Football: LALIGA, a new video-first spin-off hosted by Lineker and Alex Aljoe, which debuts on 19 August.
The Rashford episode quickly became one of Goalhanger’s most successful releases to date, sparking international headlines in outlets including The New York Times, AFP, Reuters, BBC News, ESPN, The Guardian, Daily Mail and The Sun.
In the candid conversation, Rashford reflected on his high-profile move to Barcelona, discussed Manchester United’s struggles, and compared his own journey with Lineker’s transfer to FC Barcelona in the 1980s – a parallel highlighted through licensed footage from the BBC’s 1987 documentary It’s Lineker for Barcelona.
Tony Pastor, Co-Founder of Goalhanger, said the success of the episode reflected both Rashford’s profile and the growing appetite for long-form football storytelling.
“The incredible engagement across Spotify, YouTube, and our social platforms shows just how much appetite there is for intelligent, entertaining content like this. And this is just the start – fans can expect plenty more big interviews on The Rest Is Football this season.”
The episode marks another milestone for Goalhanger, now the UK’s largest independent podcast producer, which recorded over 400 million downloads across its shows in 2024.
Alongside The Rest Is Football, the company produces chart-topping podcasts including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, Empire and The Rest Is Entertainment, reaching tens of millions globally every month.
With Rashford’s interview already on track to become one of the network’s most-watched episodes, anticipation is now building for the launch of its new LaLiga-focused show, which aims to bring Spanish football closer to a global audience.
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Marcus Rashford’s The Rest Is Football interview smashes records with 1.4m streams in 48 hours

British employees are unhappier in their jobs than workers in India, the Philippines and the US, according to new research that has reignited concerns about the UK’s flagging productivity.
A global survey of 70,000 employees by consultancy WorkL found UK staff reported higher levels of workplace anxiety and lower happiness than counterparts in countries including South Africa, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, India and the Philippines.
Job satisfaction among British workers also ranked below that of employees in the US, India and the Philippines, with the UK scoring under the global average for overall workplace wellbeing — a measure that includes whether staff believe their employer cares about their happiness.
Lord Price, the former Waitrose boss who founded WorkL, said the findings help explain Britain’s long-running productivity problem.
“We know from extensive research that happier employees are more productive,” he said. “They give extra discretionary effort and take fewer sick days. Achieving a happier workforce should be seen as a strategic imperative for the UK economy.”
The results come just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to focus her next Budget on improving productivity. UK output per worker has consistently lagged behind other G7 nations, weighing on company profits and wage growth.
Figures from the Resolution Foundation earlier this year showed UK productivity fell 0.5% between 2019 and 2024, compared with a 9.1% rise in the US over the same period. Public sector productivity remains 4.2% below pre-pandemic levels, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although there was a 2.7% year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2025.
Lord Price also warned about the rising number of people leaving the workforce since the pandemic, citing burnout, poor health and inflexible working arrangements as key drivers.
“By rethinking how, when and where work is done, we can draw more people into fulfilling employment, retain valuable skills and unlock economic growth,” he said. “This isn’t just good for individuals — it’s part of the solution to one of the UK’s most pressing economic challenges.”
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UK workers rank among the world’s most miserable, survey finds

The UK’s bioethanol industry is facing collapse after the government confirmed it will not offer a rescue package to the country’s two biggest producers.
Hull-based Vivergo Fuels and Ensus in Redcar, Teesside, had warned they would be forced to shut down following a US-UK trade deal that removed a 19% tariff on ethanol imports from America, allowing up to 1.4bn litres to enter tariff-free – equivalent to the size of the UK market.
Both firms say the agreement has left them commercially unviable, threatening 270 direct jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain, as well as the UK’s capacity to produce low-carbon fuels.
Associated British Foods (ABF), owner of Vivergo, called the decision “deeply regrettable” and accused ministers of abandoning a “key national asset”. The company said it had submitted a plan to return the plant to profitability and warned the loss of production would send clean energy jobs overseas.
“This plant should always have been profitable under the right regulatory environment, as similar plants in Western Europe demonstrate,” the firm said.
The German-owned Ensus plant, which has also been approached for comment, produces bioethanol from wheat and accounts for 30% of the UK’s commercial carbon dioxide supply — used in soft drinks, healthcare and nuclear industries. The sector is also a major buyer of British wheat, supporting domestic agriculture.
A government spokesperson said it had engaged with both companies “to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade” but concluded direct funding “would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces”.
It added: “We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support those affected.”
Industry sources say delays in the rollout of higher bioethanol blends, such as E10 petrol, have also undermined UK producers. The government has committed to ensuring 10% of aviation fuel comes from sustainable sources, including bioethanol, by 2030.
Ministers said they would continue to work on measures to secure the resilience of the CO₂ supply chain.
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UK bioethanol industry on brink as government rejects rescue deals