Tesla sales plunge in Europe, with no sign of boost from new model
STORY: Tesla's sales in Europe fell 49% in April from a year earlier, even as overall battery-electric sales rose almost 28%.
The U.S. EV maker's upgrade of its Model Y is showing little sign of improving the brand's tarnished image in the region.
Its sales dropped for a fourth month in a row and its share of the total market nearly halved to 0.7% from 1.3% a year ago.
The firm's flagging sales in Europe reflect a shift away from the brand.
That's as Chinese competition strengthens and some protest against boss Elon Musk's political views.
Total car sales in Europe remained roughly consistent with last year, falling just 0.3%.
The strongest sales growth came from electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
European carmakers are trying to cut domestic costs and tackle competition amid U.S. tariffs on auto imports and a slowing global economy.
Uncertainty also continues to overshadow the industry's outlook despite eased U.S.-China trade tensions.
April sales in the EU, Britain and the European Free Trade Association fell to 1.07 million cars, following 2.8% growth a month before.
In big movers, registrations at Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor and Mitsubishi grew by over 24% and 22% respectively, while they fell by 24.5% at Mazda.
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