Motorway eyes first profit as Premier League deal grows customer base
Motorway is on the cusp of turning its first profit a decade after launch, as the used car marketplace looks to the Premier League to expand its customer base.
The tech firm’s co-founder and chief executive, Tom Leathes, said he expects to hit profitability as soon as 2026 after years of consecutive eight-figure losses as the company invested heavily to build a foothold in the market.
Motorway cheered an 18 per cent surge in revenue to £78.8m in 2025, according to its latest annual report shared with City AM. The firm’s pre-tax losses shrunk by more than £10m to £25.3m during the period.
Earlier this year the firm, which has now sold more than a million cars through its platform, struck a deal with TNT to become a sponsor of its Premier League match broadcasts in a bid to attract a wider pool of customers.
“It’s been a great way to reach the audience,” Leathes told City AM.
“While we’re still doing a lot of brand marketing as we have been in the past few years, we’ve got a lot better at knowing what lands and making sure that’s as efficient and impactful as possible.”
Surge in Chinese EV sales
Motorway’s growth comes amid huge change afoot within the UK’s car market, with an acceleration in the switch to EVs alongside a surge in popularity of Chinese entrants to the market.
Last year, Britons bought more BYDs than Range Rovers and more Chinese-made MGs than they did Mercedes.
“We haven’t [yet] started to see a huge influx of Chinese brand cars through Motorway [but] that will definitely happen in the next couple of years,” Leathes said.
“The pricing of those cars is defined by the market as they come to market, so there’s uncertainty there.
“The pricing will work itself out but ultimately if consumers are demanding them and they’re priced at the right value, then I think they’re going to be popular in the used market as well.”