Tesla's European sales plummet despite surging EV market

Tesla’s sales in Europe experienced a significant downturn in April, plummeting 49% compared to the same period last year.

This sharp decline comes despite a robust 27.8% jump in overall battery-electric car sales across the continent, indicating that the upgraded Model Y has done little to revive the US EV maker’s fortunes in the region.

According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), overall car sales in Europe saw a slight dip of 0.3% year-on-year in April.

However, the electric and plug-in hybrid segments demonstrated strong growth. Registrations of battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and hybrid-electric (HEV) cars rose by 26.4%, 7.8%, and 20.8% respectively.

In April, EV sales (BEV, HEV, or PHEV) accounted for a substantial 59.2% of passenger car registrations in the bloc, up from 47.7% in the previous year.

Tesla’s struggling performance marks its fourth consecutive month of declining sales in Europe. This downturn is attributed to a combination of factors, including a “backlash” against CEO Elon Musk’s political views, a “tepid reception” for the new Model Y and intensified competition from both European and Chinese automakers.

As a result, Tesla’s European market share has shrunk considerably, falling to just 0.7% from 1.3% a year ago.

The broader European car market in the EU (excluding Britain and EFTA) has seen a 1.2% fall in total car sales so far this year. While Spain and Italy experienced increases in total car sales (7.1% and 2.7% respectively), France and Germany saw drops of 5.6% and 0.2%. In Britain, registrations were down by 10.4%.

Here’s a snapshot of new passenger car registrations by fuel type in the EU:

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