10:25 am, September 29, 2026
Tesla has been tipped to become the UK’s best-selling car brand within the next decade, according to new research by CarGurus.
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, the digital platform has been polling 1,000 UK drivers aged 27 and over on what the next decade may look like.
In the study, Tesla was the brand picked by the most drivers to top the sales charts in 2036, with 23% backing the US firm.
The result was enough to see Tesla finish clear of second-placed BMW on 20% and third-placed Mercedes, which was chosen by 19% of respondents.
Despite their recent surge in popularity, drivers do not expect Chinese brands to be anywhere near the top of the charts, with BYD the most popular pick on just 9%, ahead of MG, which was name checked by only 2% of voters.
Meanwhile, a further 9% believe a new entrant could become the UK’s best-selling brand by 2036.
CarGurus UK editorial director Chris Knapman said established European manufacturers are still expected to play a major role despite the rise of Chinese brands.
‘Tesla’s rise shows just how quickly the automotive landscape can change,’ he said.
‘Yet despite the growing presence of Chinese manufacturers, UK buyers still expect established European brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz to challenge for the top spot in 2036, suggesting Chinese brands have yet to establish themselves as the dominant force in consumers’ minds.’
Drivers back hybrids
Elsewhere, motorists are expecting hybrids to be the most popular powertrain over the next decade, with 41% of respondents picking them.
Petrol was selected by 33%, while 32% expect fully electric cars to be the most popular. Diesel was chosen by 15%, although the vote did take place before prices hit record levels this week.
SUVs are also expected to strengthen their grip on the market. Medium SUVs were selected by 40% of respondents as the bodystyle they expect to dominate in 2036, followed by small SUVs on 28%.
Hatchbacks were selected by 21%, despite being the most popular bodystyle in CarGurus’ study of the best-selling used cars of the past decade.
Despite the expected growth in technology, traditional concerns around reliability also remain high on buyers’ lists.
Longevity, reliability and ease of servicing were the biggest priorities for manufacturers, selected by 44% of respondents.
Safety technology came next on 42%, followed by improved powertrain efficiency on 31%.
Drivers also expect convenience features to become increasingly important.
Some 38% said they could not live without self-parking technology in the future, while 30% selected autonomous driving capabilities.