Tesla's sales decline in several European markets continued in August amid intense competition from electric vehicle rivals and growing consumer concerns over CEO Elon Musk, reports News.Az. Norway and Spain were the only exceptions to the trend.
Data from France showed that Tesla registrations fell 47.3 per cent in August compared to the same month in 2024, while the overall car market grew 2.2pc.
In Sweden, Tesla sales plunged 84pc, even as electric vehicle sales remained flat and total car sales rose 6pc. Denmark saw a 42pc drop, and the Netherlands experienced a 50pc decline in Tesla registrations, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Norway, where Tesla has a strong presence and nearly all new car sales are electric, recorded a 21.3pc rise in Tesla registrations.
However, rival BYD saw registrations spike 218pc in the same period. In Spain, Tesla sales rose 161pc to 1,435 vehicles, but BYD’s sales increased more than 400pc to 1,827 cars.
Year-to-date, BYD’s sales in Spain have surged 675pc to 14,181 units, while Tesla’s sales grew only 11.6pc to 9,303 vehicles.
Tesla faces several challenges in Europe. The company has a small, ageing lineup and has not released a new mass-market model since the Model Y in 2020, while new Chinese competitors and traditional automakers flood the market with fresh models.
Analyst Matthias Schmidt noted that Tesla’s disappointing volumes are partly due to the increasingly competitive market environment.
Consumer backlash against Elon Musk has also affected sales. His political involvement, including support for former US President Donald Trump and European far-right parties, has alienated some buyers.
Ginny Buckley, CEO of Electrifying.com, reported that over half of those surveyed said Musk is putting them off purchasing a Tesla, signalling that the brand’s dominance is no longer guaranteed.
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