Tesla’s troubles in Europe have taken a sharper turn, as key EV markets report a staggering decline in new registrations.
April’s sales data from four of Europe’s most EV-friendly countries—France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland paint a bleak picture for Tesla. Each reported high double-digit drops in new vehicle registrations compared to last year, underscoring just how far the brand has fallen. In contrast, Norway stood out as the only country where Tesla saw a sales bump, rising 12% to 976 units.
The plunge in France was especially severe, with Tesla registering just 863 vehicles, down 59% year-over-year. Sweden, where Tesla is entangled in a labor dispute with IF Metall, posted an even more dramatic 81% drop, totaling only 203 cars. The Netherlands and Switzerland followed with sharp declines of 74% and 50%, respectively.
This downturn is particularly troubling given that these countries boast some of the best EV infrastructure and adoption rates in Europe. These are places where Tesla should be thriving, not sliding toward irrelevance.
The Model Y crossover, which accounts for about two-thirds of Tesla’s global volume, has historically been a sales powerhouse. Yet its new facelifted version, codenamed “Juniper”, has failed to reverse the slump so far. Following factory shutdowns across Tesla’s four assembly plants in February for retooling, the supply of the updated model has been limited, possibly contributing to the weak first quarter. Still, expectations for a recovery are fading.
Investors once hopeful that a refreshed Model Y would rekindle demand are now watching Tesla’s European performance spiral into what looks like a “full-blown meltdown.”
Adding to the brand’s woes is CEO Elon Musk’s public behavior, which increasingly alienates European consumers. Musk’s political involvement, particularly his vocal support for far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson in the UK and AfD in Germany, has backfired. The AfD party was recently ruled a right-wing extremist organization, and Musk’s alignment with it could inflict lasting reputational harm.
One scathing observation sums up the situation: Tesla’s total sales across France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Norway for the first four months of 2025 amounted to just 19,771 vehicles, barely equivalent to two weeks’ worth of sales in China.
As of now, the crucial markets of Germany and the UK have yet to release April data, leaving some room for hope. However, even if these figures show modest improvement, the underlying challenges remain: weak demand, labor unrest, limited inventory, and a polarizing CEO.
