Tesla’s European fortunes took a sharp hit last month, with vehicle registrations plunging nearly 53% across the European Union compared to April 2024, according to data released Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The decline extended to a broader region that includes the UK, Norway and Switzerland, where Tesla sales dropped by 49%. It marks the fourth straight month of year-over-year losses for the electric carmaker in Europe, even as the continent’s overall battery EV market grew by more than 26% during the first four months of 2025.
Analysts point to two major challenges facing Tesla: consumer pushback tied to CEO Elon Musk’s controversial political affiliations and mounting pressure from Chinese EV companies. Musk has attracted criticism in Europe for supporting far-right candidates in Germany and the UK and playing a visible role in former U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.
April also brought a symbolic shift in the European EV landscape. Chinese automaker BYD outsold Tesla in battery electric vehicles for the first time on the continent, albeit by a margin of just 66 units. Still, the significance is clear, said Felipe Munoz of JATO Dynamics, calling it a “watershed moment.”
While Tesla focuses solely on fully electric cars, competitors like BYD offer a mix of battery and hybrid models, giving them flexibility in an evolving market.
Tesla has not commented on the EU sales report, and the company does not release detailed regional sales figures. The news follows a dismal first quarter globally, during which Tesla recorded the largest year-on-year drop in quarterly sales in its history and a 71% fall in net income.
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