Tesla's vehicle sales in Europe plunged 49% year-over-year in April, underscoring the mounting challenges the electric automaker faces as it grapples with intensifying competition, factory disruptions, and a deepening backlash over CEO Elon Musk's political entanglements.
According to data released Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Tesla sold just 7,261 vehicles in 32 European markets last month, down from 14,228 a year earlier. This drop came despite a 34.1% surge in overall battery-electric vehicle sales across the region during the same period.
The slump marks Tesla's steepest monthly decline in Europe in recent memory and contributes to a broader downward trend. Between January and April, Tesla's European sales fell nearly 39% to 61,320 vehicles, even as the broader auto market remained relatively flat.
Protests and boycotts against Tesla have erupted across Europe in recent months, fueled by Musk's close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk said during Tesla's most recent earnings call that his commitment to DOGE would drop "significantly by the end of May," though he would still dedicate "a day or two per week" to government work. He recently reiterated that he remains committed to leading Tesla "for the next five years."
Beyond political fallout, Tesla's aging product line is under pressure. While the company launched an upgraded Model Y SUV earlier this year, it has not introduced a new mass-market model in several years. At the same time, traditional automakers and new entrants from China are rapidly expanding their electric offerings.
In April, Chinese carmaker SAIC, which owns budget-friendly EV brand MG, saw its European sales surge 54%. Separately, rival Chinese automaker BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time last week in pure electric car sales.
Hybrid vehicles, which combine combustion engines with electric motors, continue to gain traction across Europe, now accounting for over 35% of the continent's car market. Tesla, by contrast, remains exclusively focused on full battery-electric models.
Factory shutdowns earlier this year to retool Model Y production also constrained Tesla's supply in Europe. Meanwhile, trade tensions between the U.S. and EU have further complicated matters, with Trump recently threatening a 50% tariff on EU imports before agreeing to delay implementation until July.
ACEA noted that overall car sales in the EU rose 1.3% in April compared to the previous year, describing the performance as a sign of "recovery despite the ongoing unpredictable global economic environment."
