By Alessandro Parodi
– Tesla’s vehicle sales in Britain dropped by 62% compared to last year in April, marking the lowest point in more than two years. This decline occurred despite an overall increase in demand for electric cars, according to data released by the research firm New AutoMotive on Tuesday.
Billionaire Elon Musk’s electric vehicle sales dropped to their lowest levels in several years across various major European markets recently, according to national statistics released last week. This comes as Tesla gears up to tackle competition from both European and Chinese EV manufacturers by unveiling an updated version of the Model Y.
The UK defied the pessimistic trend seen across Europe regarding Tesla sales this year; however, in April, the company only managed to sell 536 new vehicles in Britain, compared to 1,404 during the same period last year. This brought the brand’s electric vehicle market share for the year so far down to 9.3%.
Tesla’s British website indicates that the anticipated deliveries for the refreshed Model Y are scheduled to begin in June. However, it may be several months before the sales figures reveal whether the improved model has regained customer favor.
Musk’s proximity to U.S. President Donald Trump and his support for extreme right-wing ideologies in Europe have resulted in demonstrations against both him and the corporation. These actions have also included acts of vandalism targeting Tesla showrooms and charging facilities throughout the United States and Europe.
Following the underwhelming performance of the brand’s global sales and profits during the first quarter, which fell short of expectations, Musk announced two weeks prior his intention to reduce the amount of time dedicated to advising the Trump administration and instead focus more efforts on overseeing the business operations.
In April, overall registrations of battery-electric cars in Britain saw an increase of 6.9%, which was slower compared to the prior month because of wider economic factors, according to New AutoMotive.
In Britain, Volkswagen’s battery electric vehicle sales surged 194% to 2,314 units last month, whereas BYD from China saw an increase of 311% with 1,419 cars registered.
(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi. Editing by Mark Potter)
