On the 9th of February 2025, media outlet Other Europe , a pro-European news and commentary platform, posted on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) that Tesla sales numbers are declining in Europe with an average of 63% and suggesting a boycott. This statement proves to be mostly false.
In the beginning of 2025, the U.S.-based company Tesla – known globally as a pioneer in electric mobility – went through a hard decline in their sales. The causes are a lot more complex than they are portrayed in the media. Tesla is experiencing competition for their Model 3 and in June 2025 the new Model Y will be launched in Europe.
In the beginning of 2025, the U.S.-based company Tesla – known globally as a pioneer in electric mobility – went through a hard decline in their sales.
According to the figures of ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) the decline of Tesla in February/March was 49% in the European Union. So certainly not the 63% Other Europe claimed. The X-Account did not cite a direct source, and our inquiries to them remained unanswered.
The ACEA figures are trustworthy according to Bart Kuijpers, journalist at Promedia and automotive expert in the Netherlands, but they shouldn’t be interpreted as sale numbers: “They are license plate applications, which is different from sales. For example, a car, leasing or rental company can apply for a license plate. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the car has already been sold to a car user (a private individual, or a leasing or rental company.)”
He further adds: “Grosso modo the numbers are very reliable and reasonably valid. Because at the end of the day, registrations and sales always add up once. But you better not work with the numbers individually. It’s better to look at the whole happening within a quarter, sometimes it takes two quarters to get the registrations and sales well added up.” Kuijper additionally recommended to wait for the last day of the month or quarter, because then the last registrations and administration have to be settled, which makes the difference.
A quick look at current data supports this: New figures from Germany’s road traffic agency (KBA) reveal a sharp 60% drop in Tesla registrations between January and June 2025. Compared to the same period in 2024, the decline was 58.2%. Short-term data shows even steeper drops; 76.3% in February alone and 70.6% for January and February combined further supporting Kuijpers’ point that monthly figures can distort the bigger picture.
Since Tesla is known for avoiding traditional press channels, external data, such as that from the KBA, becomes even more crucial in verifying market trends.
Causes
Other Europe refers to a boycott, but Tesla’s drop is more about competition, model changes and shifting demand. The Model 3 faces pressure from rivals, and many buyers were likely waiting for the new Model Y, which launched in June 2025.
However, early 2025 registration data shows no immediate recovery: Tesla’s numbers dropped by 76.3% in February and by 70.6% across January and February combined.
According to JATO Dynamics, even by April, Tesla was overtaken by Chinese competitor BYD in European registrations, indicating that no clear short time rebound occurred.
This decline appears specific to Tesla. Other major EV brands like Volkswagen, BMW and Hyundai did not show similar drops in early 2025. In the first quarter, Volkswagen and BMW remained Germany’s top EV sellers, while Tesla’s market share fell from 16.1 to 4.4 percent and sales dropped by 62 percent year-on-year.
According to ZEIT Online journalist Zacharias Zacharakis this trend may reflect a broader shift in consumer sentiment, one that affects Tesla more than the electric vehicle sector as a whole.
One example is Germany, where official registration data offers more detail: Model 3 registrations dropped from 642 in December 2024 to 272 in January 2025. However, this decline alone doesn’t support claims of a Europe-wide boycott. Experts caution that monthly figures can be affected by broader trends, year-end effects or upcoming model updates.
Notably, Tesla’s segment share remained low, while the overall market continued to grow. As already indicated by Germany’s road traffic authority (KBA), Tesla’s February 2025 registrations fell by 76.3 percent year-on-year, even as overall EV registrations rose by 30.8 percent. This supports the view that the decline is brand-specific rather than market-wide.
Chinese competition
According to the numbers of ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association), Chinese brand, SAIC Motor, is experiencing an increase in car registrations. They are competition for Tesla, but the number of sales is not on the same level. While the increase of 75.6% sounds significant, it’s based on a relatively low starting point. Which makes such growth less impactful in real terms compared to Tesla’s overall presence.
In terms of the Chinese competition in Europe Bart Kuijpers shares: “China is one of the biggest markets in the world. If you go from selling 100 cars to 150, you have an increase of 50%. That sounds very impressive, while others sell 10,000. The Chinese are going to demand their place in the world. Trump is trying to stop it, the EU is trying to stop it a little bit.”
Boycott or not?
Bart Kuijpers argues that political polarization has little influence on actual buying decisions. He states: “In the end, as cruel as it sounds, morality always comes last. People can hate Musk so much. The moment when Tesla is 10% cheaper than the competitor in the store, they will just buy Tesla again anyway.” In his view, only few customers in the €50,000 to €60,000 range let ethical concerns outweigh price and product advantages.
This perspective is supported by a recent study by Endres, Green and Panagopoulos, published via the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). The researchers found that even strong political opinions about Tesla or Musk have minimal effect on consumers’ willingness to purchase a Tesla vehicle.
Zacharakis takes a similar position. While there’s no evidence of an organized boycott, some observers suggest that parts of the public may be gradually turning away from Tesla. This shift appears to be less about political action and more about discomfort with the brand’s image. Whether this trend continues likely depends on how appealing the alternatives become.
Such claims like the one from Other_Europe of a “boycott” tend to spread quickly, especially when they resonate with public opinion around polarizing figures like Elon Musk. But economic developments of this scale are rarely the result of a single cause. Labels like “boycott” can oversimplify a situation that deserves a more careful, data-based analysis.
Conclusion
Other_Europe’s claim of a boycott against Tesla in Europe is mostly false. The cited average sales decline of 63 percent is incorrect, and the actual figures are more nuanced. Data from early 2025 shows a significant downturn, but for a complete picture, developments through the end of the second quarter must be considered.
Importantly, the reasons behind Tesla’s decline go beyond the idea of a political boycott. While Elon Musk’s polarizing image may influence public discourse, studies show it has little effect on actual purchasing behavior. Price, competition, and model cycles play a far greater role. As Bart Kuijpers puts it: “So the big losers are the European brands, yes. But the biggest losers of all are people who need a car. Because those are just going to get more expensive. And mobility is already almost unaffordable for a lot of people.”
In the end, Tesla’s declining registrations reflect market dynamics more than ideology—making the notion of a coordinated boycott unlikely.
RESEARCH | ARTICLE © Mouna Vannot, Linette Kusche and Vica Kolbeek from AP Hogeschool Antwerpen and Jade Hochschule Wilhelmshaven
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