Tesla Sales Plunge in Europe

While Elon Musk is busy hacking away at various government programs vis a vis DOGE, Europe, it seems, is busy hacking away at his Tesla sales. As the New York Times reports, after a rough 2024, the automaker stared down even more losses in January—and notably in countries in which Musk has weighed in on local politics. A look at three of Tesla's key markets across the pond:

• Germany: Tesla sales took a 41% hit last year in Deutschland, reports Ars Technica, which was the main driver of Tesla's losses in Europe. But 2025's sales came in on an even weaker mewl, with January showing a dizzying 59% drop (1,277 cars were registered). The Times notes that Musk supported a nationalist party in German elections, and said Germans had too much "past guilt" for Nazi crimes.

• France: January's sales lacked a certain je ne sais quoi ... "sales"? They were down 63% over the year prior.
• Britain: Sales lost 12% year over year in January. But the real stinger is that EV sales overall grew 35% year over year. The Times notes that Musk needled PM Keir Starmer online.
• And elsewhere: Tesla took big hits in Sweden (44% and site of a 2-year-old Tesla mechanics' strike), Norway (38%), and the Netherlands (42%).
• Of note: Ars Technica notes that the Cybertruck can't help matters because it can't be driven in Europe with a normal license because of its size and weight.

(More Tesla stories.)