Tesla's EU sales down 47% this February—Musk to blame?
What's the story
Tesla's EV sales in Europe have plummeted, falling 49% in January and February as compared to the same period last year.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Tesla registered 19,046 vehicles in this period.
The slump is further emphasized by a 47% decline in registrations in just February, leaving Tesla with a miniscule share of the European Union market.
CEO Elon Musk's controversial actions might be to blame for this debacle.
Competitor surge
Rivals outshine Tesla in European market
Data from JATO Dynamics shows that Tesla's battery-electric vehicle sales across 25 EU nations, along with the UK, Norway, and Switzerland dropped by 44% in February to below 16,000.
This also marked a five-year low for Tesla's market share at just 9.6%.
Meanwhile, competitors such as Volkswagen and BMW have beaten Tesla with the former's BEV sales skyrocketing by an impressive 180% to nearly 20,000 units sold in February alone.
Rising competition
Chinese brands surpass Tesla in sales
Chinese EV brands have also beaten Tesla in sales. BYD witnessed a mind-boggling 94% jump, selling over 4,000 cars while Polestar saw an 84% increase with over 2,000 units sold.
Xpeng sold over 1,000 and Leapmotor came close to 900.
Despite this onslaught from competitors, overall EU electric vehicle sales increased by a whopping 28.4% to hit around 255,489 during the first two months of the year.
Market challenges
Market share dips amid sales decline
Despite the overall growth in EU electric vehicle sales, Tesla's market share dipped to 9.6%, its lowest for that month in five years.
This decline can be attributed to several factors including the timing of model switches and fewer model offerings compared to competitors.
Felipe Munoz from JATO Dynamics stated, "Companies like Tesla, with fewer models, struggle with sales drops during a model switch."
Leadership impact
Tesla's struggles amid CEO's controversial actions
Tesla's sales are also said to be impacted by the actions of its CEO.
His support for US President Donald Trump and his role in leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have raised questions about customer loyalty.
Musk has also backed far-right groups in Europe via over two dozen posts on his X platform, possibly swaying consumer perception and hurting sales.