Sales of Tesla vehicles continued to fall in February, across Scandinavia and in France, eroding its market share in markets that are otherwise showing continued strong electric vehicle (EV) growth.
New car sales numbers were published for a number of European countries on Monday, including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and France, and the same story was painted across each of the new datasets.
In Norway, where the share of EVs in February new car sales hit 94.7 per cent, new figures from the Opplysningsrådet for veitrafikken (OFV), Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council, showed that the number of Tesla registrations has halved compared to February 2024, and are down 44.4 per cent across the first two months of the year.
A total of 917 Tesla cars were sold in Norway in February, behind that of Volkswagen with 1,323, and well down on the 1,778 that the company sold in February of 2024 (a month when Volkswagen sold only 594).
In Sweden, battery EVs accounted for 31.9 per cent of new car sales in February, totalling 6,872, ahead of plug-in hybrid EVs, which accounted for a market share of 24.4 per cent, and electric hybrids, with 12.8 per cent. Sales of new petrol vehicles accounted for only 21.2 per cent, meaning that sales of new electrified vehicles in Sweden accounted for just shy of 70 per cent.
However, despite this strong showing for EVs, Tesla sales fell by 42 per cent compared to February 2024, totalling only 613, with the most popular Tesla Model Y seeing sales drop by 52.1 per cent.
In Denmark, sales of EVs hit 7,734 for February according to Mobility Denmark, accounting for a market share of 65 per cent of total car sales for the month – an increase of 72 per cent over the same month a year earlier.
Specific model sales are harder to come by, but Reuters reported that new Tesla registrations in Denmark fell by 48 per cent to 509 vehicles.
The EV market was not as strong in France as it was in its Scandinavian peers, with electrified vehicles accounting for only 22 per cent of all new car sales for February, according to French vehicle association PFA – down slightly on the 26 per cent market share recorded in February 2024.
Sales of Teslas, however, dropped precipitously last month, with only 2,395 new Teslas sold, compared to 3,244 in February 2024, a drop of 26 per cent. This builds on the decline seen in January, with year-to-date sales of 3,536 representing a 44 per cent drop over the same period a year earlier.
Further demonstrating Teslas problems, the Model Y was the most sold EV in France in 2024, and the 10th most sold car overall. This year, however, over the first two months, it’s only the 27th most popular car with sales of 2,378, behind EVs like the Peugeot 208 (12,832), Renault 5 (5,847), and Citroen e-C3 (4,606).
These numbers continue to demonstrate both the continuing evolution and popularity of EVs in Europe – which either dominate some countries’ new car market or continue to show growth and steady numbers – as well as the more recent trend of Tesla’s declining influence, which many attribute to its CEO Elon Musk’s antics in US politics.
While there are those who continue to claim that these Tesla numbers represent only a momentary dip due to inventory levels and anticipation for the refreshed Model Y, these explanations are quickly beginning to sour.
Figures published towards the end of February by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) showed that Tesla sold just 9,945 units in January, a 45 per cent fall from 18,161 in the same month a year earlier – and despite a 37 per cent growth in overall EV sales.
At the same time, new data from respected EV market analyst Schmidt Automotive Research further highlighted Teslas issues, noting that the company’s declining sales is not just a one-off that can be disassociated from Elon Musk’s politics.
In Europe, Musk has become controversial for his support of the AfD and other far right parties and individuals. But the growing antipathy towards Tesla was further on display over the weekend, with dozens of demonstrations held at Tesla showrooms and dealerships across the United States, and even internationally.
See also: Tesla electric car sales plunge again in Australia – Model 3 down more than 81 per cent
