--- title: "Tesla Just Got Some Extremely Bad News" description: "Despite the EV market growing substantially in Europe, Tesla sales in the continent have plunged at the start of the year." date: "2025-02-25" modified: "2025-02-25" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/tesla-absolutely-destroyed-europe" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric vehicles" - "elon musk" - "tesla" --- # Tesla Just Got Some Extremely Bad News ![Despite the EV market growing substantially in Europe, Tesla sales in the continent have plunged at the start of the year.]() *\Image: Futurism\* Elon Musk may be "[saving]()" money for the federal government, [however questionably]() — but it'll take a minor miracle for him to salvage his automaker's situation across the pond. According to the [latest data]() from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), sales of new Tesla cars in the continent have plummeted to just 9,945 vehicles in January, down from 18,161 in the same period last year, [per the *Guardian*](). That's a whopping 45 percent decrease. As sales collapse, the automaker's usually stellar stock position has also taken a ding, despite soaring to an all-time high in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory. As of Tuesday morning, Tesla shares dropped by more than 8 percent, for a cumulative decline of 23 percent in the last month of trading. While other major stocks are trending downwards, "Tesla shares are now by far the biggest decliner among the mega-cap technology stocks, weighing heavily on the group's overall performance," [according to *Bloomberg*]()*.* The uninspiring numbers almost certainly indicate that Musk's controversial role in the Trump administration, his dalliance with far-right forces at home and abroad, as well as his polarizing personal behavior — like his thinly-veiled Nazi salute — are all [blowing back on his businesses](). It also coincides with Musk wading deeper into European politics. In the past months, the world's richest man threw his support behind Germany's far-right AfD party — whom he told to [get over their Nazi guilt]() — and incurred the ire of leaders such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron, who [have accused Musk of spreading misinformation](). The public has also voiced their dissent. Tesla dealerships in Europe have been targeted with vandalism, ranging from being defaced by spray paint with anti-Nazi slogans to getting smashed up, such as the [Tesla showroom in the Hague](). Even Tesla owners, infamously immune to feelings of embarrassment, are expressing their buyer's regret [with anti-Elon stickers](). What's really telling is that Tesla's poor showing comes during what is otherwise a promising period for electric cars, with the European market for new EVs growing by 34 percent in January to 124,341 units, despite overall new vehicle registrations declining by 3 percent, according to ACEA data cited by the *Guardian*. A rising tide, it seems, doesn't always lift all boats. This also follows a dismal year for Tesla sales in Europe. In 2024, sales in the continent [dropped by 13 percent](), with even famously EV-eager nations like Norway, where [88.9 percent of all new cars sold are electric](), seeing a 37.9 percent dip. At this point, it doesn't seem poised for a rebound. Beyond Musk's unpopular antics, Tesla is also facing steeper competition. In the UK this January, its Chinese rival BYD recorded more vehicle registrations than Musk's automaker [for the first time](), the *Guardian* noted, while its overall European market share has fallen from 1.8 percent to 1 percent. Maybe the hype is finally starting to even out. Tesla has long enjoyed an exorbitant valuation and stock price despite its relatively small share in the US auto market, nevermind its repeated failure to deliver on key promises like fully autonomous vehicles. Last year was the [first time that it suffered an annual decline in its sales](). Now it may be well on its way to an unwanted repeat. **More on Tesla:**[ *Body Panels Flying Off Cybertrucks on Highway, Drivers Report*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()