SOUTHAMPTON hosted the first event to mark the arrival in the UK of the keenly-awaited Tesla Model Y.

The Port of Southampton’s Horizon cruise terminal was the venue for the official arrival of the electric sports utility vehicle.

New owners collected their Model Ys after being welcomed to a customer experience run by Tesla inside the terminal.

Paul Reeves, head of commercial for port operator ABP Southampton, said: “We are really proud to have been able to support Tesla with this exciting event.

“Our expertise and position as the UK’s premier automotive port means we have the infrastructure and resources our partners need. It has been great to be able to celebrate this exciting milestone with Tesla.”

Southampton handles around 900,000 vehicles per year and is the UK’s number one port for the automotive industry as well as being the UK hub for Tesla imports.

The first customers for the Texas car maker’s right-hand drive SUV placed their orders in October last year.

The car starts at £54,990 with a performance model costing £64,990.

ABP says the Horizon terminal was a fitting venue for the event as it ranks as the UK’s greenest cruise terminal, generating its own energy from more than 2,000 rooftop solar panels. Its spruce roof is from a sustainably managed European forest and its lighting system uses daylight harvesting, automatically adjusting to the level of daylight in the building.

The port’s investment in its automotive service has included a terminal operating system to swiftly process vehicles and give manufacturers a complete view of their vehicle movements, as well as a 24-hour stevedoring service to move vehicles through the port.

Craig Barbour, ABP Southampton’s general manager of landside operations, said: “I would like to thank our stevedoring and service delivery teams for their amazing work on this project.

“In particular, Tom Hughes, Kieron Cowley, Barry Ward, Lex Hanham and Spencer Haysom have really gone above and beyond in working with Tesla to prepare the cars for collection and in supporting the event inside the terminal – all in all delivering a brilliant experience for customers. We wish the new owners a fantastic time with their Model Ys.”