Ordering Your First Tesla in the UK: A Beginner's Guide

Sam Whitfield, UK EV writer & Tesla owner · published 2026-07-18 · figures checked 2026-07-13.

If this is your first Tesla order, the process is simpler than it looks — but the order of operations matters more than most guides admit. Here's the sequence, aimed squarely at a first-time UK buyer, with the one step that trips people up flagged clearly.

Step 1 — decide how you're buying

Most first-time UK Tesla buyers go one of two routes: a personal order, or salary sacrifice through an employer scheme. Salary sacrifice is worth checking first if it's available to you — company-car Benefit-in-Kind tax on a zero-emission car is currently just 4% for 2026/27 (rising gradually to 5% in 2027/28), which is why it's become the single biggest reason UK drivers can afford one. Run your own numbers on the Salary Sacrifice Calculator before you commit either way.

Step 2 — click a referral link before you touch the configurator

This is the step first-timers most often get backwards. A referral code has to be attached before you start configuring and before you pay the order fee. Click the link first; the code stays attached through the rest of the process automatically. Do the reverse — configure first, then look for a code — and you'll have already lost it once the deposit's paid, with no way to add it back in.

Step 3 — configure your Model 3 or Model Y

Build the car exactly as you would anyway — trim, colour, wheels, Autopilot level. The referral doesn't restrict or change any configuration option; it sits quietly in the background.

Step 4 — check the order summary before paying

Before you pay the order fee, look at the order summary. It should show 650 free Supercharging miles (or £500 off, if it's an inventory car) against the order. If it's missing, the referral link wasn't attached — go back and re-click it before paying, since it can't be fixed afterwards.

Step 5 — sort your home charging while you wait

Build and allocation take some time, and UK lead times vary with production and shipping — check your own live estimate in the Tesla app rather than trusting a fixed number online. Use the waiting period to sort a home charger: installs typically run £800–£1500 before any grant, and eligible renters/flat owners can claim up to £350 off through the EV chargepoint grant. Our Home Charger Cost Calculator works out the install cost and payback for your own situation.

One thing not to bother chasing: the separate GOV.UK Electric Car Grant (up to £3,750) is restricted to EVs priced under roughly £37,000, and every current Tesla model sits above that — it won't apply to your order.

Step 6 — delivery day

At handover, your account activates and the free Supercharging miles (or inventory discount) appear automatically — no separate claim, no code to re-enter. That's the whole process, start to finish.

A verified code to start with

Here's a real, verified code from our rotating pool, ready for step 2 above.

This post discloses referral links plainly: they are marked rel="nofollow sponsored", and we (or the pooled owner) may earn Tesla credits if you order through one — it costs you nothing extra. Tesla VoltBench is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tesla, Inc. Full referral disclosure.

For the full stage-by-stage detail (not just the beginner version) see our calculator hub, or work out your own salary-sacrifice cost on the Salary Sacrifice Calculator.