European sales for Tesla have fallen by 49% in April year on year, despite overall electric vehicle sales rising by 26.4%
Tesla logged 7,261 new vehicle registrations in April, less than half the number in April 2024
The downturn in sales is being attributed to increased competition from domestic and Chinese rivals, as well as CEO Elon Musk’s political activities in the EU, particularly his support for Germany’s far-right party, which has proven unpopular with voters.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 58% of respondents had an unfavourable view of Musk, while a survey ranking the reputations of top companies placed Tesla at 95th and SpaceX at 86th, a considerable decline from four years ago.
During the most recent quarterly earnings call, Musk forecast a sales pick-up after factory closures for the Model Y, but with the CEO’s focus on AI and robotics, it is unclear what steps Tesla will take to address its worsening brand crisis.