Tesla's sales in the European market continued to decline in February this year. In these markets where electric vehicles continue to grow strongly, Tesla's market share has eroded. That's the story reflected in each of the new car sales figures released by a number of European countries on Monday, including Norway, Denmark, Sweden and France.


Data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Board (OFV) show that Tesla registrations in February fell by half year-on-year, and registrations fell by 44.4% in the first two months of this year. Norway’s electric vehicle market share reached 94.7% in February.

In Norway, Tesla sold just 917 cars in February, trailing Volkswagen's 1,323 and well below the 1,778 the company sold in February 2024 (when Volkswagen sold only 594).

In Sweden, pure electric vehicles accounted for 31.9% of new car sales in February, totaling 6,872 units, ahead of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (24.4% market share) and electric hybrid vehicles (12.8% market share). New gasoline car sales accounted for only 21.2%.

However, Tesla's sales in Sweden fell by 42% to 613 vehicles, with Model Y sales plummeting by 52.1%.

In Denmark, electric vehicle sales in February were 7,734 units, accounting for 65% of total vehicle sales, a year-on-year increase of 72%. Tesla's sales fell 48% to 509 vehicles.

France's electric car market is not as strong as in other Scandinavian countries, with data from the French Automobile Association (PFA) showing that electric cars accounted for only 22% of all new car sales in February, slightly lower than the 26% market share in February 2024.

However, Tesla's sales in France fell sharply last month, with only 2,395 vehicles sold, a 26% drop from February 2024 sales. This comes on top of lower sales in January. Tesla's sales in France in the first two months of this year were 3,536 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 44%.

Further proving Tesla's problems, Model Y is the best-selling electric car in France in 2024 and the 10th best-selling car overall. However, in the first two months of this year, it ranked 27th with sales of only 2,378 units, behind electric cars such as the Peugeot 208 (12,832 units), Renault 5 (5,847 units) and Citroën e-C3 (4,606 units).

The numbers continue to point to the continued growth and popularity of electric vehicles in Europe, as well as Tesla's recent decline in influence, which many attribute to CEO Elon Musk's role in U.S. politics.

While some continue to claim that these Tesla numbers are just temporary declines due to inventory levels and anticipation of the new Model Y, those explanations quickly start to pale.

Data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) at the end of February showed that Tesla sold only 9,945 vehicles in Europe in January, a 45% decrease from 18,161 vehicles in the same period last year, although total electric vehicle sales increased by 37%.

In Europe, Musk has been controversial for his support of the Alternative for Germany and other far-right parties and individuals. But growing antipathy toward Tesla was further demonstrated over the weekend, with dozens of protests taking place at Tesla showrooms and dealerships across the United States and around the world.