Tesla sales in Europe are still plummeting, despite Model Y refresh

When sales started earlier this year, it was unclear how much of it was due to CEO Elon Musk's politics and how much was due to some buyers waiting to buy the .

Well, now we know: It was, very probably, mostly because of Musk.

New data from the shows that Tesla sales dropped a whopping 52.6 percent in the EU this April, compared to last year (that's 49 percent if you include the UK and EFTA). For the entire January to April period, Tesla sales are down 46.1 percent in the EU, and 38.8 percent in the EU combined with the UK and EFTA (the EFTA region includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).

The numbers are even worse when you consider that the EU saw a 34.1 percent increase in battery electric vehicle sales in Europe in April (that's 27.8 percent for the EU+EFTA+UK).

In total, Tesla sold only 7,261 cars in April in the entire EU+EFTA+UK region, a far cry from the 14,228 cars the company sold in April 2024.

Notably, this April, the first time the Chinese automaker managed to do so.

The decline of Tesla sales definitely cannot be attributed solely, or even largely, to the Model Y refresh, which has been available in the EU since January.

Instead, it's far more likely that a large number of potential buyers are disgusted with Musk's behavior beyond his actions. As a quick reminder, Musk expressed his support to , started a poll asking whether the from its "tyrannical government," and absolved Hitler and other dictators of .