Tesla Sales in Europe Plunge Nearly 50 Percent

EV demand has surged across the continent, but Tesla has faltered amid controversy over CEO Elon Musk’s public remarks and political engagement.

A Tesla Model X sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., on June 18, 2023. David Zalubowski / AP, File

Tesla’s vehicle sales across Europe tumbled by nearly 50 percent in April, even as overall electric vehicle demand accelerated across the continent, according to data released on May 27 by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

Tesla sold only 7,261 cars in Europe last month, down from 14,228 a year ago—a drop of 49 percent. Meanwhile, overall electric vehicle sales in the region jumped by nearly 28 percent, showing how much ground Tesla is losing in one of its key markets.

While Tesla’s dip partly reflects temporary factory shutdowns to upgrade its top-selling Model Y SUV, deeper issues are weighing on the brand, including consumer backlash against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s political activism.

Musk’s high-profile role in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative targeting federal programs, has fueled protests, boycotts, and vandalism in both the United States and Europe. Investors initially welcomed Musk’s appointment to lead President Donald Trump’s government efficiency push, sending Tesla’s stock up by 70 percent and adding more than $560 billion in value. But starting in January, Tesla stock plunged amid backlash to Musk’s prominent role in the Trump administration’s cost-reduction efforts. It started rebounding in late April, with the rally roughly coinciding with Musk’s pledge to cut his DOGE commitment to one or two days per week starting in May.

“Starting next month, I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla, and now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk told investors on an April 22 earnings call.

Musk added that he will continue to support DOGE “to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stop does not come roaring back,” with his remarks coming as Tesla reported a 71 percent income drop in the first quarter of 2025.

Some experts have pointed to Musk’s alignment with Trump administration policies and controversial public statements as key drivers of consumer backlash, particularly in liberal-leaning markets where Tesla once thrived.

Scott Galloway, marketing professor and co-host of the Pivot podcast, speaking on a recent podcast episode, said Musk’s political engagement had alienated Tesla’s core base of progressive, environmentally conscious consumers while aligning with Republican voters, most of whom, he argued, would never consider buying an electric vehicle.

“He’s alienated the wrong people,” Galloway remarked, adding that Musk has instead “cozied up to the people who aren’t interested in EVs.”

Musk’s comments on social media have also caused friction in Europe, where his remarks on Germany’s federal election and posts calling out grooming gangs in Britain have stirred controversy.

In a recent appearance at an economic forum in Qatar, Musk was asked whether the blowback against Tesla has led him to regret his involvement in politics.

“I did what needed to be done,” Musk replied, while denouncing what he said was “massive violence” committed against his companies, along with threats against him and his employees.

“They’re on the wrong side of history,” Musk said of the perpetrators. “A number of them are going to prison—and they deserve it.”

Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump’s 2024 campaign and those of other Republican candidates, said at the Qatar event that he would “do a lot less” political spending in the future. When asked why, he replied: “I think I’ve done enough.”

At the same time, Musk left open the possibility of future contributions, while reaffirming his commitment to lead Tesla as its chief executive for at least another five years, joking that the only way he'd step down is “if I’m dead.”