Tesla has been named one of the biggest winners at a major UK motoring awards ceremony despite growing criticism of its chief executive, Elon Musk.
The electric vehicle manufacturer picked up multiple honours at the 2026 Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards, with drivers naming Tesla as the country’s Most Reliable Brand in the UK.
The Tesla Model Y was also crowned both Best Car for Families and Best Car for Dog Owners, while the Tesla Model 3 won Best EV for Long Distance. Tesla also secured another prize after its Supercharger network was voted Best Public Charging Point.
Tesla’s strong performance comes despite continued controversy surrounding Elon Musk, whose political interventions and public comments have sparked criticism in both the UK and abroad.
However, the results suggest that many drivers continue to separate their views of the billionaire entrepreneur from their experiences of Tesla vehicles.
The awards are based on the opinions of more than 160,000 UK car owners, making them one of the largest consumer surveys in the automotive industry.
Despite Tesla’s success, the night’s top honour went to the Renault 5 E-Tech, which was named Autotrader’s New Car of the Year 2026.
The electric hatchback also won Best Car for City Drivers and Most Fun Car to Drive, giving Renault a hat-trick of victories.
Tesla was named the Most Reliable brand at the Autotrader awards
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REUTERS/GETTYAutotrader’s YouTube director, Rory Reid, said the results highlighted how electric vehicles are increasingly winning over consumers.
He said: “Seeing electric vehicles sweep so many of the major categories, led by the brilliant Renault 5 E-Tech taking top honours, shows just how much the transition to electric is delivering real joy and practicality for everyday drivers.”
The awards also highlighted the growing influence of Chinese car manufacturers in the UK market, with drivers citing competitive pricing as a key reason for purchase.
BYD’s Seal U model won both Best Value New Car and Best In-Car Technology, while Chinese manufacturer Chery was named Best Value Brand.
The Defender won Most Loved Car and Best In-Car Design at the Autotrader awards
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GETTYThe results have now reflected the rapid growth of Chinese automotive brands in the UK, which abruptly entered the car market, challenging established European, Japanese and American rivals with competitively priced electric and hybrid models.
Elsewhere, British staple Jaguar Land Rover’s Defender 110 won two awards, taking the titles of Most Loved Car and Best In-Car Design.
The Peugeot 208 was named Best Car for New Drivers, while the Volvo XC90 secured victory in the Best 7-Seater category.
Meanwhile, luxury sports car manufacturer Porsche also enjoyed a strong showing, with the 911 winning Best Luxury Car, while Porsche itself was named Most Loved Brand.
The Nissan Leaf was named the winner of the Editor’s Choice Award
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NISSANAutotrader‘s editorial team selected the all-electric Nissan Leaf as the winner of the Editor‘s Choice Award, while Mr Reid chose the upcoming BMW iX3 for his YouTube Director Award.
The survey also asked motorists to rate their vehicles across a range of categories, including reliability, performance, running costs, technology, design, and overall satisfaction.
Owners were also asked how likely they would be to recommend their car to others. Independent analysts then used the data to determine finalists and winners across 20 consumer-voted categories.
For Tesla in particular, the results have now shown that despite concerns surrounding Mr Musk, they have not significantly dented customer satisfaction of the electric cars, which were once the most popular vehicles in the UK.
Full list of winners
- New Car of the Year – Renault 5 E-Tech
- Best Car for Families – Tesla Model Y
- Best Car for City Drivers – Renault 5 E-Tech
- Best Value New Car – BYD Seal U
- Best EV for Long Distance – Tesla Model 3
- Best Car for Running Costs – Škoda Enyaq
- Most Fun Car to Drive – Renault 5 E-Tech
- Best Car for New Drivers – Peugeot 208
- Best Car for Dog Owners – Tesla Model Y
- Best 7-Seater – Volvo XC90
- Most Loved Car – Defender 110
- Best Luxury Car – Porsche 911
- Most Loved Brand – Porsche
- Most Reliable Brand – Tesla
- Best In-Car Design – Defender 110
- Best In-Car Technology – BYD Seal U
- Best Value Brand – Chery
- Editor’s Choice Award – Nissan Leaf
- YouTube Director Award – BMW iX3
- Sustainability Initiative Award – Toyota
- Best Home Charger – Hypervolt
- Best Public Charging Point – Tesla Supercharger
- Most Anticipated New Car – Ferrari Luce
- Media Campaign of the Year – JLR ‘House of Brands’