- Tesla shows no sign of improving this year’s terrible European sales performance.
- Sales dropped 27.9 percent in May, marking five straight months of decline in 2025.
- Tesla can’t blame disinterest in EVs because total electric sales were up 27.2 percent.
European car buyers took Tesla on a few dates these past few years and even uttered the L-word in 2023, making the Model Y their favorite car. But now they’re fully ghosting the American EV brand. New figures show Tesla sales in the region (EU, plus the UK and European Free Trade Association areas) fell 27.9 percent in May, the fifth consecutive month the automaker has posted declining numbers in Europe.
The fall wasn’t as severe as experienced in other months. In January, for example, sales dropped by 45 percent, in February they were down 40 percent, and in April they proved disastrous, with deliveries halving. But the pattern is undeniable, and though the introduction of the facelifted Model Y in the spring lessened the angle of the slide, it couldn’t level it out or reverse its trajectory. Tesla sales are down 37.1 percent since the start of the year, ACEA says.
Related: A Chinese Brand Did The Unthinkable To Tesla In Europe
And it’s not like Tesla can blame its abysmal performance on a declining European EV market. Sales of electric cars in Europe actually jumped by 27.2 percent in May, rising by almost the same amount that Tesla’s have fallen. That gain means EVs accounted for 15.4 percent of the European car market last month, up from 12.5 percent a year prior.
Sales of hybrid cars continue to grow (by 14.2 percent) and now make up the biggest single slice of the car market pie (34.1 percent in May), ahead of petrol vehicles (28.5 percent). Plug-in hybrids are also still making real headway – they were up 46.1 percent, though they’re still in the minority with a 9.4 percent share (up from 6.5 percent).
While Tesla had an awful May, BMW’s Mini brand enjoyed a very different experience, its sales leaping 29.1 percent. Alfa celebrated to the tune of 21.5 percent, China’s SAIC, which owns the MG brand, also grew its sales 22.5 percent, and Cupra was up 32.4 percent. It was a different story at sister brand Seat, though, which suffered a 25.4 percent decline.
European car sales May 2025
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European car sales YTD
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Lead image Tesla
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