Tesla deliveries have been held up for weeks in the UK because the US carmaker apparently tried to supply cars that hadn’t been approved by the country’s regulatory authorities.
It is understood that no Long Range versions of the Tesla Model Y have been delivered since the end of May because of the issue, with buyers of the new cars frustrated at the open ended delay. Other Tesla customers have faced delays simply because of the backlog of Model Ys blocking up the system.
The cars were built at the company's Berlin factory, and many of the affected cars could be the much anticipated new seven-seater version that opened for orders in April.
Model Y delivery slots have opened up in the last few days suggesting that Tesla and the VCA (Vehicle Certification Authority) have managed to resolve their differences.
Tesla appeared on a VCA list of type approvals this week that indicated the agency had given Tesla an extension to get its paperwork together. It suggests that Tesla still doesn’t have formal type approval for the cars, but is able to deliver to customers under the terms of the extension.
The carmaker is now racing to get cars to customers to bolster its sales numbers before the end of the month, when the second quarter of 2026 closes. Tesla recently celebrated selling 300,000 vehicles in the UK.
The problem is believed to be partly associated with a change that happened in February 2026, where arrangements for automatic acceptance of EU type approvals came to an end – carmakers now have to hold a full UK type approval for any model to be sold in the country.
The grace period was introduced to allow carmakers to get their cars approved, but Tesla may have been caught out by the changes.
Buyers who have complained to the Texan carmaker have been offered free months of charging on the firm’s Supercharger network, though Tesla hasn’t given any details to affected buyers as to how the delays have occurred.
We asked both Tesla and the VCA for their thoughts on the issue but neither was able to get back in touch with a comment.
