In February, the number of Tesla car registrations in Germany sharply fell, with sales decreasing by 76%. The reason is that CEO Elon Musk irritated voters who participated in the parliamentary elections. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority of Germany, sales fell by 76% to 1,429 cars. Tesla's figures sharply contrast with the overall number of electric vehicle registrations, which jumped by 31% in February.
Tesla shares plunged sharply after a drop in sales in Europe26.02.25, 08:21 • [views_30502]
A few months before the Bundestag elections on February 23, Musk, as noted by the publication, supported the far-right "Alternative for Germany," providing support to the anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party that attacked the country's political establishment.
In addition to Musk's political activities, there are other factors that are holding back Tesla.
The automaker is halting production at the factories that produce the Model Y - currently the company's most popular car - to retool the assembly lines. After that, the company will need time to ramp up production, the publication writes.
The company also relies on a narrow range of cars that face tougher competition from both local manufacturers and players from China. Earlier this year, Chinese BYD surpassed Tesla in several European markets.
Tesla also faced attacks on the rail infrastructure around the company's German factory last month. A group of activists that claimed responsibility for setting fire to equipment stated online that they are trying to prevent the company from expanding the factory.
Recall
Elon Musk's social media post supporting the far-right German party "Alternative for Germany" ahead of the German parliamentary elections sparked backlash and accusations of election interference. Despite the criticism, Musk later emphasized his position, stating that AfD is "common-sense politics."
Political leaders in Germany unanimously reject any cooperation with AfD, highlighting the party's controversial position in the political landscape.