(Reuters) -Tesla's new car sales in Britain tumbled more than 45% from a year earlier in May, preliminary data from research group New AutoMotive showed on Wednesday.

The automaker, which has been losing market share in part because of CEO Elon Musk's embrace of far-right politics in Europe, sold 1,758 units in Britain last month, down from 3,244 a year earlier, the data showed.

Yet, Tesla remained the best-selling battery electric vehicle in Britain so far this year.

Overall new car registrations in the UK increased 4.3% to 144,098 units in May, according to New AutoMotive, with BEV sales rising 28% year-on-year.

Among Chinese rivals, BYD more than doubled its new car sales in the UK to 1,388 units during the month.