Tesla sales fall for fourth straight month in much of Europe

Data last week showed that the automaker’s sales fell for four consecutive months in much of Europe as Europeans bought more Chinese electric cars and some protested against CEO Elon Musk’s political views.
Tesla’s sales in Germany almost halved in April, despite an overall rise in sales of battery electric vehicles, Germany’s road traffic agency KBA said on Tuesday.
Tesla sold 885 vehicles in Germany in April, down 45.9% from the same period last year, the KBA said. The number of Teslas sold between January and April 2025 fell 60.4% to 5,820 vehicles compared with the same period last year.
In contrast, the total number of newly registered electric vehicles in April increased by 53.5% compared with last year, the KBA added. And Chinese electric car maker BYD’s sales increased more than eightfold in April to 1,566 units, and its total sales have increased nearly fivefold to 2,791 units since the beginning of the year.
Elsewhere, in the UK, the pessimism about Tesla has bucked the trend so far this year, with 512 new cars sold last month, down from 1,352 in April 2024, a 62.1% drop, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
This has resulted in Tesla’s electric car market share in the UK falling to 9.3% so far this year, compared with 12.5% the year before, according to research group New AutoMotive.
In the UK, battery electric car registrations rose 8.1% for the month, while total car sales fell 10.4%, SMMT data showed.
New AutoMotive said electric car sales in the UK slowed from the previous month due to wider economic conditions. However, Volkswagen’s pure electric car sales rose 194% to 2,314 last month, while China’s BYD (BYD) car registrations rose 311% to 1,419.
Tesla’s websites in Germany and Britain say deliveries of the revamped Model Y are expected to start in June, but it will take months for sales data to show whether the updated Model Y has won back customers.
Musk’s close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, his political stances and efforts to eliminate waste in U.S. government agencies have sparked protests against him and the company, as well as vandalism of showrooms and charging stations in the United States and Europe.