Tesla’s sales slump in Europe shows little sign of recovery, with the American EV brand losing ground fast despite overall market growth. According to the latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), Tesla recorded just 7,261 registrations across the EU, EFTA and UK in April – a 49 per cent drop year-on-year.
That decline drags Tesla’s cumulative sales for the first four months of 2025 down by 38.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2024 – a stark contrast to the 26.4 per cent rise in battery-electric vehicle sales across the broader market. April alone saw electric car registrations climb 34.1 per cent.
The data doesn’t support Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent claims that all manufacturers are facing similar headwinds. While Tesla struggles, the Volkswagen Group, BMW, Renault, and Chinese-owned SAIC have all reported gains for both April and the year to date.
Model Y registrations came in at 4,495 (down 53 per cent), while the Model 3 slumped to just 2,604 units – down 41 per cent on April 2024. While the Model Y’s drop can be explained by the transition to the facelifted model, the same can’t be said for the Model 3. Tesla’s aggressive discounts and incentives appear to have done little to stem the tide, suggesting buyers are now looking elsewhere.
Volkswagen topped the brand leaderboard with 23,414 registrations, ahead of BMW and Škoda. The Škoda Elroq was Europe’s best-selling EV in April with 7,998 units, followed by the Volkswagen ID.3 and the ID.7.
The registration figures also suggest that the recent influx of more affordable models is making limited impact on overall sales figures. While the Renault 5 was the sixth best-selling car in April, the Dacia Spring (the UK’s cheapest EV) and the Leapmotor T03 failed to make the top 25.
