Tesla's European sales slump for fifth month as EV rivals gain momentum
June 25 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab new car sales in Europe fell 27.9% in May from a year earlier even as fully-electric vehicle sales in the region jumped 27.2%, with the U.S. EV maker's revised Model Y yet to show signs of reviving the brand's fortunes.
Overall car sales in Europe rose 1.9%, with the strongest growth coming from plug-in hybrids and cars powered by alternative fuels, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
Tesla's European sales have now fallen for five straight months as customers switch to cheaper Chinese EVs and, in some cases, protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk's politics.
Tesla's European market share dropped to just 1.2% in May from 1.8% a year ago.
The revised Model Y is meant to revamp the company's ageing model range as traditional automakers and Chinese rivals launch EVs at a rapid pace amid trade tensions.
May new car sales in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association rose to 1.11 million vehicles, following a 0.3% dip in April, ACEA data showed.
Registrations at Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor (600104.SS), opens new tab and Germany's BMW (BMWG.DE), opens new tab rose 22.5% and 5.6% respectively, while they fell 23% at Japan's Mazda (7261.T), opens new tab.
In the EU alone, total car sales have fallen 0.6% so far this year.
That comes despite growing demand for EVs, with registrations of battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid-electric (HEV) cars rising 26.1%, 15% and 19.8% respectively.
EU sales of BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs combined accounted for 58.9% of passenger car registrations in May, up from 48.9% in May 2024.
Among the largest EU markets, new car sales in Spain and Germany rose 18.6% and 1.2% respectively, while in France and Italy they dropped by 12.3% and 0.1%.
In Britain, registrations were up 1.6%.
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I can't read all the messages BTL, but if you put 'Andrew' in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @ The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can't promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
