Tesla CEO Elon Musk has develop into much more of a political determine previously six months, particularly within the US the place he has aligned himself with now-President Donald Trump.
Whereas this has garnered vital assist for the outspoken govt from these aligned along with his views, it has additionally seemingly led to potential and present clients of the electrical car (EV) big voting with their ft, as Tesla gross sales in traditionally progressive areas have dropped.
Knowledge from the California New Automobile Sellers Affiliation reveals Tesla bought 203,221 EVs within the state final 12 months, down 11.6 per cent on the 12 months prior following 5 quarters of gross sales decline.
Whereas this will not seem to be a major decline for Tesla, California has all the time been an essential state for the EV specialist.
Tesla held an 11.6 per cent market share there final 12 months, in opposition to a 3.9 per cent share within the US total.
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For context, Toyota was the market chief in California with 289,258 gross sales total, sufficient to provide it a 16.4 per cent share of the state’s new automotive market, and 12.8 per cent of the US.
Tesla’s year-on-year Californian gross sales drop of roughly 26,800 autos helped result in the model’s first-ever annual decline globally.
The corporate delivered 1,789,226 EVs worldwide in 2024 in comparison with its document determine of 1,808,581 in 2023.
Regardless of this, the Tesla Mannequin Y was by far the best-selling car in California final 12 months, with 128,923 gross sales. For context, that’s greater than seven per cent of all passenger car deliveries, and double that of the Toyota RAV4.
It seems it’s not simply California the place deliveries are declining, with gross sales additionally dropping in Europe to start out 2025.
As reported by Electrek, gross sales information from the UK and 7 European nations – Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden – reveals Tesla bought simply 5517 autos in these areas all through January 2025.
In the identical month a 12 months prior, it bought 10,556 autos, representing a year-on-year drop of 47.7 per cent.
It’s been an identical state of affairs in Australia, the place final month Tesla delivered simply 739 autos, its lowest complete in 18 months. This got here off the again of gross sales declining in 9 of the 12 months in 2024.
As reported final month, Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller just lately informed Bloomberg his model has a possibility to capitalise on this resentment in opposition to Mr Musk and Tesla.
“We get lots of people writing that they don’t like all this,” Mr Lohsceller mentioned of Mr Musk’s political stance.
“For Germany, someone exterior of Germany endorsing right-wing political events [such as the Alternative for Germany] is an enormous factor.
“You need to know what I give it some thought? I feel it’s completely unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. You simply don’t do this. That is pure vanity, and these items won’t work.”
Mr Lohscheller additionally informed the publication he has knowledgeable salespeople to particularly goal disgruntled Tesla clients.
Nonetheless, the German govt mentioned Mr Musk is a “very profitable businessman” and “completed unimaginable issues with Tesla,” which has persistently been the largest driver of EV gross sales globally.
MORE: Tesla’s Australian gross sales droop continues into 2025
