Tesla Model Y: Why the car has bombed, with reports of dwindling sales
Despite initial hype, the new model is struggling to find buyers, according to industry analysts.
As reported by Reuters, many Model Y vehicles are sitting unsold on dealership lots across the European market, raising concerns about demand for the electric car.
This slow uptake is also noticed in the United States. This has led to Tesla introducing 0% financing on the Model Y, an unusually aggressive marketing move for a model that is still relatively new.
Loren McDonald, chief analyst at EV data firm Paren, expressed concerns about the strategy, questioning why Tesla would offer such substantial incentives so early in the model's release.
"Why would you discount and have all these incentives and offers literally out of the gate? That just doesn't make sense when your margins are already at multi-year lows. That suggests very strongly that there is a demand problem," McDonald said.
Tesla misses out on European EV growth as Model Y fails to revive sales https://t.co/Zb4Q18ECcV https://t.co/Zb4Q18ECcV — Reuters (@Reuters) May 27, 2025
Tesla, which has long been the dominant player in the global electric vehicle market, now faces growing competition from established automakers like Ford and Hyundai, as well as emerging players such as Rivian and BYD.
Sales from these competitors have been surging, further highlighting Tesla's declining numbers.
Some observers attribute the slowdown in sales to the increased competition, while others point to the controversies surrounding Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which have cast a shadow over the brand.
Despite the struggles, Tesla is not standing still.
The company has ramped up its promotion of the Model Y with additional incentives and continues to push forward with future projects, including the much-discussed Cybertaxi.
Speculation also suggests that more affordable versions of the Model Y and Model S could be in the works.
However, the underwhelming launch of the Model Y serves as a wake-up call for Tesla, marking a shift in the EV market. The era of instant sellouts and long waitlists may be coming to an end.
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