Tesla sales plunge across Europe

CNN Tesla s sales continue to dive across Europe even as car buyers there increasingly buy electric vehicles Tesla sales were down sharply in April in the United Kingdom the Netherlands Denmark and Portugal as well Sweden and France according to monthly sales figures Just like in the United States Tesla CEO Elon Musk s politics has inspired backlash and protests across Europe Musk has backed certain far-right political candidates in Germany and the UK And given his high-profile role in the Trump administration anger over the threat to slap steep tariffs on European imports could also be turning off several European buyers In the UK one of the scarce European markets where Tesla informed stronger sales in the first quarter April sales plunged according to UK auto industry pact group SMMT The drop came even as overall EV sales rose in the UK for the month Tesla sales were also down in Denmark in the Netherlands and in Portugal according to facts from transaction groups in each of those countries Sales were also down in Sweden and in France according to Reuters Tesla doesn t assessment monthly sales and doesn t break out sales by domain It did not respond to a request for comment on its April sales European Tesla sales are falling for reasons beyond just Musk s reputation Chosen of the drop is due to increased EV competition from other automakers particularly Chinese rival BYD which is poised to pass Tesla as the world s largest EV maker this year Tesla has not issued guidance on its sales volume But specific analysts expect a drop in Tesla s full-year sales given both its current sales declines and the backlash against Musk In short the second quarter of is again shaping up to be a tragedy of a quarter for Tesla following the accident that was the first quarter commented analyst Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research one of the greater part bearish on Tesla stock Across Europe Tesla suffered a drop in sales during the first three months of the year according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association That s even as EV sales in that field rose in the period This comes on the heels of Tesla reporting its first drop in annual sales for and the biggest drop in quarterly global sales in history during the first quarter That resulted in net income falling in the quarter Tesla had to rely on the sale of regulatory credits to legacy automakers in order to description any profit at all