Tesla posted some of its steepest sales declines this year in European markets, where the Elon Musk-led automaker is mired in a protracted slump.
The most pronounced drop reported thus far was in Sweden, where Tesla registered only 133 new cars last month, down 89% from a year ago, according to the nation’s auto manufacturers’ association. Sales fell roughly by half in Norway and the Netherlands, and by almost a third in Spain.
France was the exception, with Tesla’s October registrations there rising 2.4%. However, that compares with a depressed level — sales in October 2024 plunged 47% from a year earlier. Through the first 10 months of this year, the company’s registrations were down 30%.
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Tesla posted record third-quarter sales mainly due to US buyers rushing to take advantage of $7,500 (€6,500) US tax credits for EV purchases that expired 30 September. In Europe, registrations have been languishing for several quarters due to an aging lineup and blowback over Musk’s politics, including his work in the Trump administration.
Musk and other executives blamed Tesla’s early-year sales shortcomings on transitioning the Model Y — its top-selling vehicle — to a new design, which temporarily disrupted production.
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But several months since the company started delivering the refreshed Model Y in Europe, Tesla keeps struggling in many markets, even as overall EV sales increase.
In Germany, the region’s biggest market, battery-electric vehicle registrations jumped 38% in the nine months through September, the most recent month for which data is available. Tesla’s sales in the country are down 50% in the same period.
