Tesla's European Sales Plummet: April Figures Reveal 52% Decline
The electric vehicle manufacturer's sales in the EU dramatically decreased in April, with significant competition emerging from Chinese automakers.
Brussels – Tesla’s presence in the European market continues to decline sharply, with sales of its electric vehicles more than halving in April compared to the same month in the previous year.
Data released by the European Automobile Association (ACEA) on May 27 indicates that Tesla's sales fell by 52%, dropping from 11,540 cars sold in April 2024 to just 5,475 in April 2025. This trend is indicative of a broader decline over the first quarter, which saw a reported 46% decrease in sales.
When expanding the analysis to include the 27 EU countries, alongside the four EFTA nations (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and the UK, Tesla experienced a 49% decrease in sales.
The downturn, which began in January, has sharply intensified, a phenomenon attributed to various factors impacting Tesla's brand in the region.
Recent challenges are compounded by increased scrutiny of CEO Elon Musk, who drew attention for his connections with the U.S. administration and his controversial public statements regarding European policies.
Musk announced his intent to step down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a post he held under former President Donald Trump, recently stating on social media that he has returned to a demanding work schedule focused on his companies, including Tesla, X, and SpaceX.
Significantly, Tesla has been overtaken in sales by its rival Chinese automaker BYD, which has now reached the tenth position in sales within the EU market, with Tesla falling to eleventh.
Skoda and Volkswagen continue to lead the sales rankings.
The broader European automotive market has seen a slight increase, with new car registrations rising by 1.3% year-over-year.
Specifically, the battery electric vehicle segment has also seen notable growth, with sales increasing by 26.4% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2024, totaling 558,262 units.
This figure accounts for 15.3% of the overall EU market.
Despite the upward movement in electric vehicle sales, hybrid vehicles dominate with a 35.3% share of the total market, while petrol and diesel vehicles, although decreasing by ten percentage points compared to previous years, still represent a significant 38.2% of the market.
ACEA’s Director General, Sigrid de Vries, highlighted that while the share of electric vehicles is growing, the pace remains inconsistent across the different EU countries.
Data released by the European Automobile Association (ACEA) on May 27 indicates that Tesla's sales fell by 52%, dropping from 11,540 cars sold in April 2024 to just 5,475 in April 2025. This trend is indicative of a broader decline over the first quarter, which saw a reported 46% decrease in sales.
When expanding the analysis to include the 27 EU countries, alongside the four EFTA nations (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and the UK, Tesla experienced a 49% decrease in sales.
The downturn, which began in January, has sharply intensified, a phenomenon attributed to various factors impacting Tesla's brand in the region.
Recent challenges are compounded by increased scrutiny of CEO Elon Musk, who drew attention for his connections with the U.S. administration and his controversial public statements regarding European policies.
Musk announced his intent to step down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a post he held under former President Donald Trump, recently stating on social media that he has returned to a demanding work schedule focused on his companies, including Tesla, X, and SpaceX.
Significantly, Tesla has been overtaken in sales by its rival Chinese automaker BYD, which has now reached the tenth position in sales within the EU market, with Tesla falling to eleventh.
Skoda and Volkswagen continue to lead the sales rankings.
The broader European automotive market has seen a slight increase, with new car registrations rising by 1.3% year-over-year.
Specifically, the battery electric vehicle segment has also seen notable growth, with sales increasing by 26.4% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2024, totaling 558,262 units.
This figure accounts for 15.3% of the overall EU market.
Despite the upward movement in electric vehicle sales, hybrid vehicles dominate with a 35.3% share of the total market, while petrol and diesel vehicles, although decreasing by ten percentage points compared to previous years, still represent a significant 38.2% of the market.
ACEA’s Director General, Sigrid de Vries, highlighted that while the share of electric vehicles is growing, the pace remains inconsistent across the different EU countries.
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