Car sales in Europe dip slightly in April, Tesla's 49% drop tempers EV gains
April sales in the EU, Britain and the European Free Trade Association fell to 1.07 million cars, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed. (EPA Images pic)
FRANKFURT : Tesla's sales in Europe fell 49% in April from a year earlier, even as battery-electric sales rose by 27.8%, as the US electric vehicle (EV) maker's upgrade of its Model Y shows little sign of improving the brand's tarnished image in the region.
Overall car sales in the region remained roughly consistent with last year, falling just 0.3%, with the strongest sales growth coming from electric and plug-in hybrid cars, data by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
Why its important
Tesla's sales in Europe continue to drop, reflecting a shift away from the brand as Chinese competition strengthens and some protest against Elon Musk's political views.
European carmakers strive to cut domestic costs and tackle competition amid US tariffs on auto imports and a slowing global economy, with uncertainty overshadowing the industry's outlook despite eased US-China trade tensions.
By the numbers
April sales in the EU, Britain and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) fell to 1.07 million cars, following a 2.8% growth a month before, the ACEA data showed.
Registrations at Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor and Mitsubishi grew by 24.5% and 22.1% respectively, while they fell by 24.5% at Mazda.
Tesla's sales fell for a fourth month in a row, down 49% year-on-year, and its share of the total market nearly halved to 0.7% from 1.3% a year ago.
In just the EU – not including Britain and the EFTA – total car sales fell 1.2% year-on-year, declining for a fourth consecutive month, as the registrations of battery electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid electric (HEV) cars grew by 26.4%, 7.8% and 20.8% respectively.
Electrified vehicles – either BEV, HEV or PHEV – sold in the bloc accounted for 59.2% of passenger car registrations in April, up from 47.7% in the previous year.
Among the largest EU markets, total car sales in Spain and Italy increased by 7.1% and 2.7% respectively, while in France and Germany they dropped by 5.6% and 0.2%.
In Britain, registrations were down 10.4%.
Context
Growing interest in Europe's EV market, driven by emission targets and cheaper models, contrasts with global policies encouraging EVs amid trade tensions, slowing markets, and potential plant closures and job losses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of tech titans and online harm
OF late, many governments are recognising that technology needs to be rooted in ethics; otherwise it won't be a force for good. But tech titans want technology to be left alone. To them, their platforms are content enablers: anyone can write anything they want. Pushed to the limit, this would mean unethical content such as fake news and hate speech. This is not something that might happen; it has been happening for the longest time. Left with no choice, some governments are turning to the law to tame technology. Take the European Union's Digital Services Act and allied legislation. They are based on a very simple concept: social media platforms, being content curators, must take responsibility for everything they publish. Can't blame the EU; self-policing isn't one of the strong points of social media platforms. With the oversight of the platforms being taken over by the EU, many analysts expect the digital world to change for the better. Malaysia, too, wants the digital world to be more ethical than it is now, but it is trying a milder version by inviting social media platforms to join the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF), an industry-led effort to ensure that more ethical content appears online. Mild though the CMCF is, Meta, X and Instagram have refused to be part of it, despite several invitations. They are missing a golden opportunity to join others in the technology business to set best practices for the industry. Because the CMCF provides the technology companies a second chance at self-policing, so to speak. Having scored badly before, they should grab the opportunity to do better now. Refusing to be part of the CMCF means the tech titans are not keen on moderating harmful content online. But they must know their algorithms make harm worse. This is why nations around the world are resorting to a regulatory framework to compel them to curate their content. Otherwise, the companies and their officers will suffer punitive costs. As if algorithms aren't bad enough, artificial intelligence-powered scams are making digital platforms a more harmful world. A 2025 Jumio Online Identity Study published recently and reported in this newspaper yesterday is clear: AI fraud is eroding digital trust. Technology titans must also read it as people losing trust in them. Of the 8,000 adults surveyed in the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico and Singapore, only 37 per cent believe most social media accounts are authentic, and just 36 per cent say they still trust the online news they consume. Here is more: some 76 per cent fear the use of AI to create fake identity documents and 75 per cent are concerned about scam emails crafted by AI to steal passwords or money. For technology titans whose social media platforms have become the new media outlets, this is surely bad news. Views may earn them 90 per cent of their revenue from advertisements, but at this level of trust and fear, in no time the bear will be at the door. There is only one of two ways for the technology titans to preserve trust: to self-police their platforms or join others in crafting best practices for the industry.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
EU official says 175 mn euro Syria recovery package ‘clear message' of support
DAMASCUS: Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a 'clear message' of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's economy, support its institutions and promote human rights. 'I came here... with a clear message that we are here to assist and help Syria on its recovery,' Suica told AFP in an interview on Thursday. 'We want that reconstruction and recovery will be Syria-owned and Syria-led,' she said, on the first visit by an EU commissioner since a transitional government was unveiled in late March. 'We want to see Syria to be a regular, normal, democratic country in the future,' she added. Syria has been navigating a delicate transition since Islamist-led forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. The European Union announced last month it would lift economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help its recovery. 'This is a pivotal moment -- a new chapter in EU-Syria relations,' Suica said on X, calling her meeting with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa 'constructive'. Like Syria's neighbours, Western governments are keen to steer it onto the road to stability after the war triggered an exodus of millions of refugees. Refugee returns should be 'safe, voluntary and dignified', Suica said. The EU has not designated Syria as a safe country for returns 'because we don't want to push people to come here and then they don't have a home', she said. The EU last month sanctioned three Syrian militia groups and two of their leaders for serious human rights abuses over their alleged involvement in sectarian massacres in the costal heartland of the Alawite minority, to which Assad belongs, in March. 'We cannot pronounce one part of Syria safe and another not,' Suica said, noting that designating Syria a safe country needs 'unanimity among 27 European member states'. She said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani would attend a ministerial meeting involving almost a dozen Mediterranean countries in Brussels on June 23. A statement released on Wednesday said that the European Commission was 'actively pursuing the integration of Syria into several key initiatives with its Mediterranean partner countries'. 'We want to see Syria united' and inclusive, Suica told AFP. 'This is a process. It will happen step by step.'
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
EU a 'reliable partner' for digital cooperation amid turbulence, tech chief says
FILE PHOTO: Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen holds a press conference after the European Commission College meeting in Brussels, Belgium January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union will work with international partners to boost its competitiveness and promote a rules-based global digital order, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said on Thursday, a move aimed at offsetting turbulent ties with the United States. The U.S. administration has in recent months criticised the European Commission for its swathe of new rules reining in the power of Big Tech and threatened to impose tariffs in retaliation for fines levied on U.S. tech giants. Under the proposed International Digital Strategy announced on Thursday, the 27-country bloc will collaborate with other countries for a secure and trusted digital infrastructure in energy, transport, finance and health, the European Commission said. Other areas of cooperation include emerging technologies, digital governance that fosters social cohesion and protects democratic principles, cybersecurity and protecting children on online platforms. "We are living through a profound digital revolution that is reshaping economies and societies worldwide. This is happening in a geopolitical landscape that is more challenging than before," Virkkunen told a press conference. "In this environment, the EU is stepping forward as a stable and reliable partner, deeply committed to digital cooperation with our allies and partners," she said. Virkkunen said the proposed strategy had two prongs - the first is to boost the bloc's competitiveness in key technologies like AI, quantum cybersecurity or semiconductors, and the second is to help other countries in their digital goals. "Crucially, it reaffirms the EU's unwavering commitment to building a rules-based global digital order, rooted firmly in our fundamental values. Indeed, no country or region can lead the technological revolution alone," she said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, Isabelle Yr Carlsson and Milan Strahm; Writing by by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
