By Alessandro Parodi
(Reuters) -Tesla plunged through Europe in April, including an 81% drop in Sweden at their lowest level in 2-1/2 years, data showed on Friday, while Europeans buy more Chinese electric vehicles and protest against the political opinions of CEO Elon Musk.
Sales of the automaker fell for four consecutive months in a large part of Europe. For the first quarter, sales of all fully electric cars increased by 28% in Europe while Tesla sales dropped by 37.2%.
In Sweden, Tesla’s new car sales in April have plunged 80.7% to their lowest since October 2022. Its sales in the Netherlands fell 73.8% compared to their lowest for this month since 2022 and have dropped by 33% in Portugal, a larger drop than the previous month.
Sales in Denmark dropped 67.2%, data showed on Thursday, while France said a decrease of 59.4%.
The figures will increase doubts as to whether the launch of a model reworked in some countries can revive Tesla’s fortune in Europe.
Car buyers can already order a new Y model in a large part of Europe, but Tesla websites in Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy say that all estimated deliveries will start in June. It will take a few months before the sales data show if the update version of the car has recognized consumers.
With the production times of production, its sales could return to growth alongside other electric vehicle manufacturers, but each month of sub-performance threatens the group’s annual forecasts, said Will Roberts, head of automotive research at RHO Motion.
Meanwhile, the group offers discounts on car loans and other financial incentives for new purchases of its existing models in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain and France, in order to stimulate demand.
Tesla fights increased competition from traditional competitors of car manufacturers, while new Chinese participants are launching new electric and often cheaper vehicles.
“Tesla’s technological leader has been largely eroded with the current model range,” said Andy Leyland, co-founder of the SC Insights supply chain. “Competition of auto inheritance and Chinese participants will weigh sales.”
Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was involved in the government’s ministry of efficiency, leaving efforts to reduce federal jobs. But he said last week that he would reduce the time he spent on the Trump administration and spends more time to direct Tesla.
Automobile revenues in the first quarter of the company fell by a fifth and net profit plunged 71%, both missing from Wall Street.
On Thursday, its president Robyn Denholm denied a report of the Wall Street Journal that the members of the board of directors sought a new CEO.
