The first quarter of 2025 may not have been a disaster for Tesla. But it has looked a lot better. The brand sold just 600 cars a day.
Tesla's sales in Europe fell significantly in the first quarter of 2025. 54,020 cars are a decrease of 37.2 percent compared to the same period just one year ago.
Elon Musk's political actions are largely to blame in a new analysis.
Tesla experienced a significant drop in sales in Europe in the first quarter of 2025. The automaker, led by South African Elon Musk, sold only 54,020 cars on the continent in the first three months of the year.
This is a decrease of 37.2 percent compared to the same period the year before.
In the first quarter of 2024, Tesla sold 86,027 cars in Europe. The latest figures correspond to only around 600 Teslas being sold per day in Europe in early 2025.
The negative trend is not isolated to Europe. Globally, Tesla also delivered fewer cars in the first quarter of 2025.
Globally, the electric car manufacturer delivered 336,681 cars. This is 13 percent fewer than in the same quarter last year. At that time, the number was 386,810 cars.
Several factors are cited as reasons for the decline in Europe. A significant factor is believed to be Elon Musk's controversial political activities.
Reasons for Tesla's decline in 2025
Musk's public support for Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has sparked backlash, as have calls to "move on" from Germany's Nazi past.
Finbold writes this in a press release .
Here, Musk's actions are directly linked to the brand's declining image among some European consumers. This may lead to lower sales figures.
Other factors may also have played a role. Europeans may be wary of Tesla due to the prospect of a tariff war with the US.
Thirdly, expectations of a new Model Y, which after much talk has been released on the market, may also have slowed sales.
However, Finbold believes that in any case the discussion on tariffs has had a very limited impact. Significant changes in this area have not yet been implemented.
The decline in 2025 comes on the heels of a challenging 2024. It was the first year ever in which the car brand's sales declined.
The future of Tesla and the electric car market
Andreja Stojanovic, co-author of the analysis published by Finbold, points to the continued pressure Tesla is under.
– The results build on a previous negative trend. 2024 was Tesla's first year ever due to increasing pressure from consumers. In addition, increasing competition has put pressure on Tesla's market share,
According to Finbold, the year 2025 looks set to be a watershed year for Tesla. Whether it will be a negative or positive sign is still too early to say.
Competition in the electric car market has intensified significantly in just a few years. New brands are emerging at such a furious pace that several are not only in danger of closing down again. This has already happened in several cases.
In fact, it has gotten so bad that some of the more established car brands are now calling it quits. Read more about it here .
