Paris (AFP) – Sales of cars made by Elon Musk’s Tesla slumped by more than half in April as Chinese electric carmakers saw their share surge, the continent’s manufacturing association said Tuesday. While sales of electric cars rose overall in the 27 European Union nations, Tesla’s share fell dramatically amid the spotlight on Musk’s work with US President Donald Trump and the US company’s ageing range.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said Tesla sales in April fell to 5,475 cars, down 52.6 percent from the same month last year. In the first four months of 2025, Tesla sales have fallen 46.1 percent against the same period last year to 41,677 cars. Once the standout leader in electric car sales, Tesla was overtaken in April by 10 rivals including Volkswagen, BMW, Renault, and Chinese automaker BYD, according to JATO Dynamics consultants.
Tesla announced in April that its worldwide sales in the first quarter had fallen 13 percent, increasing pressure on Musk, though the company partly blamed lost production amid an upgrade to its Model Y standard-bearer. Musk has since announced he will reduce his work helping Trump slash US government spending and last week said that Tesla sales were “doing well.”
Hybrid leaders Skoda’s new Elroq led electric car sales while Tesla’s Model Y, the former frontrunner, came ninth. Sales of electric cars overall rose 26.4 percent from last year to take a 15.3 percent share of the market in April, according to the ACEA. The rise is uneven across Europe as different governments and manufacturers give different incentives to buy electric. Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Spain have seen a major rise, while electric car sales in France have fallen.
“The share of battery-electric vehicles is slowly getting momentum, but growth remains incremental and uneven across EU countries,” said Sigrid de Vries, ACEA’s director general. “In order for battery-electric vehicles to become a mainstream choice, it is essential that governments continue to implement the necessary enabling conditions, such as purchase and fiscal incentives, recharging infrastructure, and electricity prices.” The sustained popularity of hybrid vehicles among consumers also shows the merit of keeping a technology-neutral approach, she added.
Sales of hybrid cars with a small electric battery still dominate the European market, rising 20.8 percent since the start of the year, while petrol-only cars have fallen 20.6 percent over the same time. The Volkswagen group remains the top brand in Europe, with sales up 2.9 percent in April. But Chinese brands were a major factor in the popularity of electric and hybrid cars, according to JATO and have 7.9 percent of the European market.
The BYD, MG, Xpeng, and Leapmotor brands saw sales rise 59 percent over the year in electric and hybrid sales, while other manufacturers put on 26 percent. JATO expert Felipe Munoz said it remains to be seen whether the European Union imposes tariffs on Chinese hybrid cars as it has for electric vehicles.
© 2024 AFP
