this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2025
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Early car sales data for January is starting to arrive from countries across the pond, and they paint an alarming picture for Tesla. Sales are crashing in France, Germany, and the UK—all affluent countries that are key markets for Tesla's electric vehicles. Coming on the heels of a large financial miss, it's just one more problem for the automaker.

Tesla sales dropped around 13 percent across Europe in 2024, but so far this year, the scale of the problem is far greater. In France, sales of new Teslas fell by 63 percent, while total car sales in the country fell by just 6 percent, with EV sales dropping just half a percent.

Germany was already looking like lost ground for Tesla—its 41 percent drop in 2024 accounted for most of Tesla's lost sales across Europe. That must make the 59 percent drop in German Tesla sales recorded during January even more painful on the profit and loss statements.

Across the Channel, the British auto industry just released its sales data for January. Here, Tesla sales fell less precipitously—just 12 percent. However, battery EV sales were 35 percent higher in the UK in January 2025 than in January 2024. The cake is growing, but Tesla is getting to eat less and less of it.

In fact, no Tesla cracked the UK's top 10 best-seller list last month, something that has regularly happened in the past, although that may be due to having just two models for >sale in most markets.

Large declines have also been recorded in Sweden (44 percent), Norway (38 percent), and the Netherlands (42 percent).

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[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 16 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Turns out that siding against voters interested in human sustainability, and pro oil extortionist conservatives bent on climate and human destruction is not a good EV marketing strategy. I have an MBA... AMA

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 6 points 43 minutes ago

Also doing a nazi salute in front of thousands of people with full blown media coverage.

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 8 points 3 hours ago (8 children)

"Europe and the UK" did they move the UK to another continent, or did they mean the EU?

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 1 points 7 minutes ago

You see there was this little thing called Brexit....

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[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 36 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

Its investment in the Cybertruck is of no help in the region, as the steel-clad pickup truck is too large and heavy for use with a normal driver's license and does not conform to road legality regulations.

I was not aware of this. Further reasons to laugh at Musk are always welcome!

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah technically it's a HGV, and you need an HGV license in order to be able to drive it.

Although apparently the other problem is that it has red indicators, because in the US they don't have separate lights for brakes and indicators they just flash the brake light.

[–] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Most cars have yellow lights for indicators and red for brakes. Even for the US having red indicators is at least uncommon.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 1 points 15 minutes ago

No it's not. I see red turning indicators waaay more often than yellow ones.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 10 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

Anyone driving anything close to a pickup here is a knob. Ford Rangers or Raptors are for men whos wives dress them.

Hilux was acceptable but they are in the same boat now, you all look ridiculous.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 1 points 3 hours ago

The only acceptable vehicle is a range rover, and even then it has to have mud on it.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

They have there place, but they are in the same boat as vans etc. They are commercial vehicles, to do a job, not city runabouts to stroke egos.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 hours ago

Pretty much true in the US too - especially a Raptor.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago

This metal blob goes against so many safety regulations in Europe, it is basically unfixable. And even then you would need a truckers licence to drive it, like the ones for big commercial trucks.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 65 points 7 hours ago

This sparks joy.

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 2 points 3 hours ago

Is the manbaby gonna sue every European for not buying his shitass cars now?

[–] Teknikal@eviltoast.org 36 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Honestly people would have to be basically mad to buy tesla now, same with twitter etc.

I sympathise with people who starlink is the only option but yeah I'd rather go without.

[–] bitchkat@lemmy.world 8 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I recently bought a camper van and was planning on getting starlink so I can work from the road (not full time). I guess I'll have to make sure I'm not off the beaten path on work days and stick to Hotspot.

[–] Teknikal@eviltoast.org 3 points 4 hours ago

Yeah sad thing is I can understand Starlink being the only option for some people, so yeah I wouldn't blame you for using it.

[–] FabledAepitaph@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

This is the way. I wish more people would accept what is quite literally only minor inconvenience in the name of starving these insane companies. We honestly have it so good in most of modern society, and some things are just totally optional imo.

Thanks

[–] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 72 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (6 children)

Gimme cheap, simple and reliable EV with guaranteed 200km range and I'm sold. I don't need bazillion of cameras inside and out, I don't need glass roof, I don't need 200kW of ridiculous power I would never use, I don't need always online maps for a subscription fee and I don't need 20" infotainment, neither I need 3 zone AC with ventilated seats and ballsack massage device, etc. I just want a Dacia of EV market.

[–] neo2478@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 hours ago

The fiat 500 e fits all that and it’s a delight to drive.

[–] SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world 20 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Microlino, Fiat panda grande, Renault 5, Citroën Ami and others. The smaller and more affordable versions are getting there.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

Any of those in the US market?

I've only seen Rivians and Teslas in my parts.

[–] takeda@lemm.ee 1 points 8 minutes ago

There's a lot more, but they don't stand out. Look at cars that don't have a radiator and if course a tailpipe.

[–] DontTreadOnBigfoot@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

You've probably seen a lot more electric vehicles than you realize. Almost every big manufacturer has them in their lineups at this point, just most of them are looking more and more conventional.

Take a look at the Honda Prologue, the Toyota BZ4X, the Kia Niro EV6 or EV9, VW ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq line and Kona, Ford Mach E, Chevy Equinox EV or Blazer EV.

There's also EV versions the F150, Chevy Silverado, and Hummer. Supposedly RAM will have an EV truck soon, too.

Granted there are fewer compact sizes than in European markets, but that's true of all vehicles, regardless of powertrain

[–] errer@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

Chevy Bolt, except it was discontinued so now nothing…

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 6 points 6 hours ago

Ballsack massage device you say...

[–] Mvlad88@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] casmael@lemm.ee 11 points 6 hours ago

Good news everyone!

[–] sznowicki@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Dacia Spring. You're welcome.

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (2 children)

Coincidentlaly, throwing all this junk out makes EV's significantly lighter. And theoretically cheaper.

They kinda suffer from "the tyranny of the rocket equation" since so much of their mass is "fuel." Make it lighter, and they need less battery for the same range, which means you need even less battery to carry that battery around, lighter motors, less chassis and suspension weight for that, which removes even more battery, and so on.

This is not the case with combustion cars, where much of the engine's mass is fixed and gasoline takes up little weight.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 4 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

The Aptera coming out follows this principle. It's the only EV that's light enough that the onboard solar panels contribute a significant boost in range.

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[–] dan@upvote.au 2 points 6 hours ago

Fully solid-state batteries are just around the corner - some Chinese models already have a semi-solid-state battery, MG are releasing one this year, companies like Toyota and Honda are working on it too. The current use case is to extend range (600+ miles / 1000+ kms) but they could also be used to get similar range as today's cars with a much lighter battery.

[–] Viri4thus@feddit.org 8 points 5 hours ago

Teslas are shitware. Only an oligarchy like ~~Russia~~ US could produce absolute trash like that and still sell it because everyone has to play ball.

[–] MyOpinion@lemm.ee 26 points 7 hours ago

Let’s get to 95% down in Q1 of 2025.

[–] booberry@sh.itjust.works 14 points 8 hours ago (5 children)

Tusk should take a lesson from Volkswagen

[–] gjoel@programming.dev 30 points 8 hours ago (2 children)
[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 9 points 7 hours ago

Pretty tall order, can't expect that in 2025.

[–] booberry@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 hours ago
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[–] zout@fedia.io 10 points 7 hours ago

Biggest decline in my country is because lease companies don't like them in their fleet anymore; Musk has just randomly reduced prices in the past, making it difficult to estimate the remaining value at the end of the lease term. On the other hand business drivers used to have a generous tax exemption when driving an EV, which has been cut by our government. These drivers may now be better of driving an ICE. All in all this reduces the market share of Tesla drastically, since Tesla's are almost exclusively used as company lease cars.

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