When Tesla sales started declining in Europe earlier this year, it was unclear how much of it was due to CEO Elon Musk's politics and how much was due to some buyers waiting to buy the refreshed Model Y.
Well, now we know: It was, very probably, mostly because of Musk.
New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows that Tesla sales dropped a whopping 52.6 percent in the EU this April, compared to last year (that's 49 percent if you include the UK and EFTA). For the entire January to April period, Tesla sales are down 46.1 percent in the EU, and 38.8 percent in the EU combined with the UK and EFTA (the EFTA region includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
The numbers are even worse when you consider that the EU saw a 34.1 percent increase in battery electric vehicle sales in Europe in April (that's 27.8 percent for the EU+EFTA+UK).
In total, Tesla sold only 7,261 cars in April in the entire EU+EFTA+UK region, a far cry from the 14,228 cars the company sold in April 2024.
Notably, BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla in Europe this April, the first time the Chinese automaker managed to do so.
The decline of Tesla sales definitely cannot be attributed solely, or even largely, to the Model Y refresh, which has been available in the EU since January.
Instead, it's far more likely that a large number of potential buyers are disgusted with Musk's behavior beyond his DOGE-related actions. As a quick reminder, Musk expressed his support to Germany's far-right party AfD, started a poll asking whether the U.S. should "liberate" the UK from its "tyrannical government," and absolved Hitler and other dictators of genocide in a since-deleted post.
Topics Tesla
