Tesla's slipping sales in Europe continued in May, with data showing a sharp decline in Germany—Europe's largest car market—for the fifth straight month. Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority reported that registrations of new Tesla vehicles were down more than a third compared to May last year. Similar declines hit other European markets, with Tesla sales tumbling over 67% in France and 29% in Spain year-over-year, the New York Times reports.
One outlier was Norway, where Tesla tripled its sales year-over-year, moving 2,600 cars, buoyed by the launch of a revamped Model Y. But elsewhere, rivals are making headway. In Sweden, Volkswagen's latest electric offering outsold Tesla's Model Y by nearly double, with Tesla's total sales falling 53% in that country. In the UK, sales fell 45% in May, though a Tesla spokesperson said the company has been "comfortably taking orders" for the revamped Model Y and expects sales to increase when deliveries start in the UK and other European countries this month, reports Reuters.
Elon Musk has attributed the downturn to general market weakness in Europe. But the numbers indicate otherwise; while Tesla's sales dropped, the German market for battery-powered cars grew by nearly 45% in May compared to a year prior. Spain also saw a 72% increase in overall electric vehicle sales, yet Tesla's share dropped 19%. Meanwhile, Chinese automaker BYD expanded rapidly in Germany, with demand rising ninefold. In April, Tesla was only the 11th most popular EV brand in Europe.
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