TESLA has applied for a licence to supply electricity to households and businesses in Britain.
If approved by UK energy regulator Ofgem, the company could start supplying power in England, Scotland and Wales as early as next year. Ofgem can take up to nine months to process applications, BBC reported.
Tesla, known for making electric vehicles, also operates in solar energy and battery storage. The licence application, signed by Andrew Payne, who heads Tesla’s European energy operations, was filed late last month.
Tesla Electric already operates in Texas, where it offers cheaper charging for its EV owners and pays them for supplying surplus electricity to the grid.
The company has sold more than 250,000 EVs and tens of thousands of home storage batteries in the UK, BBC reported.
The application comes as Tesla’s EV sales in Europe have declined in recent months. In July, UK registrations fell by almost 60 per cent, while Germany saw a drop of more than 55 per cent. Across 10 major European markets, sales fell by 45 per cent.
Tesla faces competition from Chinese EV maker BYD. Musk has also faced criticism over his political activities in the US and Europe.
