Tesla’s monthly sales in Europe plunge by half, signaling backlash against Musk runs deep

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON AP Tesla sales across Europe plunged by half last month even as advance in the electric car sphere picked up pace according to details published Tuesday Related Articles Final boarding call for free bags at Southwest as airline abandons a cherished perk US consumer confidence rebounds after five straight months of declines amid tariff anxiety Wall Street s roller-coaster ride whips back upward after Trump pauses more of his tariffs EU touts good talks with US Ticker Ex-VW execs guilty in emissions scam Volvo cutting jobs The numbers are the latest indication of how much the Tesla brand is suffering because of the backlash against billionaire CEO Elon Musk over his far-right views Sales of Tesla vehicles in European countries tumbled to in April from in the same month the previous year according to the figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association or ACEA At the same time sales of battery-electric vehicles by all manufacturers rose about Meanwhile sales of gasoline and diesel powered cars slumped The figures which cover the European Union s member countries and five other nations outside the bloc back up early facts from Sweden the Netherlands and Denmark disclosed at the start of this month that had pointed to a sales collapse Tesla has been reeling from protests and boycotts over Musk wading into politics but it also faces other factors including an aging model lineup and intensifying competition from rival electric car brands particularly from China U S President Donald Trump s commerce war has also turned Europeans off buying American brands In latest days Trump threatened to impose a tariff on EU goods accusing the bloc of being very challenging to deal with before agreeing to delay the duties until July In one sign that Tesla appears to be losing ground to cut-price Chinese brands sales at China s SAIC zoomed up in April according to the ACEA figures SAIC owns a slew of auto brands including U K -based MG known for its low-cost EV models Tesla is also suffering because it had to shut down factories for several weeks this year while upgrading its best selling Model Y sport utility wagon pinching supply For the first four months of the year Tesla s European sales fell roughly to while the continent s auto territory as a while exhibited little change during the same period according to the evidence For April car sales in the EU edged up from the previous year showing signs of recovery despite the ongoing unpredictable global economic climate the group noted in a press release