Tesla sales halved in Europe since the beginning of the year

Tesla sales nearly halved in Europe during the first two months of 2025 compared with a year prior, according to figures released Tuesday by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA).

Pending a range of new models, Tesla sales dropped by a cumulative 49% in the months of January and February, falling to 19,046 vehicles and a 1.1% market share.

Registrations of electric vehicles, the American brand's specialty, have however progressed overall by 28.4% over the same period in the E.U., reaching 255,489 vehicles and 15.2% of the market.

At the same time, the pioneer brand in electric cars is facing an avalanche of new models from its competitors with its aging range.

Sales of electric cars have progressed especially in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and are starting to take off in Spain and Italy.

This boom in electric vehicles is not enough for the automotive lobby: "It is still below the level needed to move the transition to zero-emission mobility forward," stressed Sigrid de Vries, director general of ACEA, in a statement.

"As the European Commission's proposal on the relaxation of penalties for cars and vans for the period 2025-2027 is about to be published," it will also be important to address the obstacles holding back this transition, she noted.

ACEA cites accelerating investment in charging infrastructure, introducing targeted tax and purchase incentives for light and heavy-duty vehicles, and reducing electricity costs for electric car owners.

Hybrid models on the European market

Meanwhile, hybrid models are gaining more and more traction in the European market. These accounted for 35.2% of sales during the first two months of the year (+18.7% in one year), ahead of gasoline models (29.1% of the market, -20.5%).

Overall, the car market remains weak, with less than 1.7 million vehicles registered since the start of the year in the E.U. (-3% in one year), and significant drops in Germany and Italy.

Europe's second-leading automobile seller, Stellantis, suffered the largest drop and fell below 300,000 vehicles, with a 16.9% market share in January-February (-17.1% in one year).

European leader Volkswagen, meanwhile, regained market share (27.3%, +4.8%).