Tesla’s electric vehicle sales halved in Europe

Tuesday 27 May 2025 - 11:34

By: Zahouani Ilham

Tesla’s electric vehicle sales halved in Europe

Tesla's electric vehicle sales in the European Union dropped by half in April, while Chinese manufacturers gained ground during the same period, according to data released on May 27 by industry sources. The sharp decline is attributed to the controversial stance of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, particularly his alignment with Donald Trump, as well as an aging product lineup. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reports a 52.6% fall in Tesla registrations in April and a 46.1% decrease for the year so far.

Tesla’s market share fell to 1.1% during the first four months of 2025, with 41,677 vehicles sold compared to 77,314 in the previous year. Once the leader in electric vehicle sales until 2024, Tesla was overtaken in April by ten other brands in Europe, including Volkswagen, BMW, Renault, and the Chinese company BYD, according to Jato Dynamics.

The new Skoda electric SUV, the Elroq, topped the sales charts, while Tesla’s former bestseller, the Model Y, dropped to ninth place. Despite Tesla’s setback, electric vehicles overall grew by 26.4% year-over-year, making up 15.3% of all car sales in April, per ACEA data.

Tesla’s decline is also linked to Elon Musk’s outspoken and polarizing social media presence on X (formerly Twitter), which he owns, as well as his role in the Doge commission, a Trump administration initiative focused on federal budget cuts. Tesla sales fell 13% globally in Q1 2025, with a sharp 45% drop in the EU compared to the same period last year.

However, on May 20, Musk claimed Tesla’s sales situation was already recovering and performing well. He also mentioned reducing his time commitment to the Doge commission to just one or two days a week, dedicating the rest to managing Tesla and his other companies.