Elon Musk’s Tesla sales in Europe have taken a significant hit in the first month of 2025, with early figures showing a nearly 50 percent drop compared to the same period last year.
Electrek reports that according to early sales numbers released by several European countries, Tesla’s sales in January 2025 have declined sharply compared to January 2024. Elon Musk’s EV juggernaut has suffered a drop in deliveries in every single market, with an overall 47.7 percent decrease across the eight countries that have reported their figures.
The UK, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and Portugal have all reported a substantial year-over-year decline in Tesla sales. The most significant drops were observed in Spain and France, where Tesla’s sales plummeted by 75.4 percent and 63.4 percent, respectively. In France, Tesla registrations dropped 63 percent last month, its lowest performance stretch since August 2022.
Many media outlets have linked this sharp decline to the growing dissatisfaction with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in European politics and his support for President Trump’s administration. Surveys conducted in these markets have shown that Musk’s reputation has taken a hit, with the negative sentiment trickling down to Tesla as a brand. In Sweden, for example, a survey revealed that only 11 percent of the population had a positive view of Tesla, down from 19 percent in a similar poll conducted earlier in the month.
However, while Musk’s reputation may be affecting Tesla’s sales, it is not the only factor contributing to the decline. Traditionally, the first quarter of the year is more challenging for Tesla, as the company works to liquidate its inventory in the fourth quarter to boost its financial performance. This leaves Tesla with limited inventory to work with in the first quarter of every year.
Another significant factor is the recently unveiled new Model Y. Tesla is currently transitioning its best-selling vehicle to the new design, which is impacting production and inventory levels. This transition, coupled with the inventory challenges, has likely played a role in the sales decline observed in January 2025.
Despite these challenges in Europe, Tesla’s Cybertruck has seen a surge in popularity in California. According to the latest California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) Outlook for 2025, the Cybertruck zipped up the list of top-selling battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles this year to sixth place. Last quarter, the Cybertruck was in eighth place and ranked 12th the quarter before.
The metallic-trapezoid truck was a lone bright spot for the electric vehicle maker in a sea of data, provided by Experian Automotive, that showed significant market erosion for Tesla in California. Total registrations of Tesla cars plummeted 11.6 percent for the year, and it accounted for 52.5 percent of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) registrations in California in 2024, down from 60.1 percent in 2023.
Read more at Electrek here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
