Tesla sales plunge across Europe

CNN Tesla s sales continue to dive across Europe even as car buyers there increasingly buy electric vehicles Tesla sales were down sharply in April in the United Kingdom the Netherlands Denmark and Portugal as well Sweden and France according to monthly sales figures Just like in the United States Tesla CEO Elon Musk s politics has inspired backlash and protests across Europe Musk has backed various far-right political candidates in Germany and the UK And given his high-profile role in the Trump administration anger over the threat to slap steep tariffs on European imports could also be turning off particular European buyers In the UK one of the minimal European markets where Tesla released stronger sales in the first quarter April sales plunged according to UK auto industry exchange group SMMT The drop came even as overall EV sales rose in the UK for the month Tesla sales were also down in Denmark in the Netherlands and in Portugal according to records from commerce groups in each of those countries Sales were also down in Sweden and in France according to Reuters Tesla doesn t record monthly sales and doesn t break out sales by territory It did not respond to a request for comment on its April sales European Tesla sales are falling for reasons beyond just Musk s reputation Certain of the drop is due to increased EV competition from other automakers particularly Chinese rival BYD which is poised to pass Tesla as the world s largest EV maker this year Tesla has not issued guidance on its sales volume But several analysts expect a drop in Tesla s full-year sales given both its latest sales declines and the backlash against Musk In short the second quarter of is again shaping up to be a accident of a quarter for Tesla following the catastrophe that was the first quarter explained analyst Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research one of the largest part bearish on Tesla stock Across Europe Tesla suffered a drop in sales during the first three months of the year according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association That s even as EV sales in that domain rose in the period This comes on the heels of Tesla reporting its first drop in annual sales for and the biggest drop in quarterly global sales in history during the first quarter That resulted in net income falling in the quarter Tesla had to rely on the sale of regulatory credits to legacy automakers in order to record any profit at all