Tesla sales rise in UK despite global backlash against Elon Musk

In brief: Elon Musk's adjacent narration pinch Donald Trump and his outspoken views person led to a backlash against Tesla vehicles successful galore countries astir nan world. However, income of nan EVs successful nan UK roseate by a 5th past month, pinch nan Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y nan nation's 2nd and 3rd most-popular models, respectively.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) writes that almost 4,000 Teslas were sold successful nan UK successful February, up 20.7% twelvemonth connected twelvemonth and expanding Tesla's marketplace stock from 3.75% successful February 2024 to 4.6% past month.

Electric conveyance fame continues to turn successful nan UK. Plug-in hybrid conveyance (PHEVs) registrations were up 19.3% and hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs) accrued 7.9%. Battery electrical conveyance (BEV) registrations were up by 41.7% to 21,244. That's contempt nan UK's wide car marketplace declining by 1% to 84,054 caller registrations.

The figures are a opposition to Tesla's declining fame successful Europe. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed income of caller Tesla cars almost halved successful Europe past month, which is being attributed to Musk's support of Trump, his domiciled arsenic caput of DOGE, nan dismantling of USAid, and relation pinch Germany's far-right AfD party.

It's not conscionable successful Europe wherever Tesla's business is suffering. Sales successful Australia were down 72% past period compared to nan aforesaid play a twelvemonth earlier. Sales of Tesla's introduction level Model 3, which had been nan second-best trading EV successful Australia successful 2024, were down 81%.

In Germany, request for anti-Musk stickers for Tesla cars has exploded, and respective corporations person said they will nary longer beryllium utilizing Teslas successful their fleet vehicles.

In Poland, nan country's tourism curate called connected citizens to boycott Tesla vehicles. There was besides a canvass successful nan Netherlands suggesting 31% of respondents who owned Teslas were considering trading aliases had already sold them.

Figures for nan commencement of 2025 show Tesla registrations were down 63% YoY successful France, 59% successful Germany, 44% successful Sweden, and 38% successful Norway. It has been noted that factors beyond Musk whitethorn person played a portion successful these fallinf sales, including customers awaiting Tesla's merchandise of nan updated Y model, cheaper Chinese rivals, and group buying less cars successful general.

In summation to nan UK, Tesla income person besides risen successful nan US. Preliminary info for February indicates that astir 42,000 of its EVs were sold during nan period successful nan United States, up 14% year-on-year.

Masthead: Bruno Martins