Tesla’s European sales downturn deepened in February, with registrations across 25 EU countries, the UK, Norway and Switzerland falling nearly 44% year-on-year to under 16,000 vehicles, according to data from JATO Dynamics. Its share of the all-electric market slipped to 9.6%, the lowest February figure recorded in five years.
Legacy automakers seized the opportunity: Volkswagen Group’s BEV sales surged 180% to just under 20,000 cars, while BMW and Mini combined for almost 19,000 units. Chinese rivals also made gains BYD’s deliveries jumped 94% to over 4,000 EVs, Polestar rose 84% to more than 2,000, and Xpeng and Leapmotor added over 1,000 and 900 respectively. Only Volvo (owned by Geely) and MG (backed by SAIC) saw declines, down 30% and 67%.
JATO analyst Felipe Muñoz attributed Tesla’s slump to a convergence of factors: its lean model lineup makes it vulnerable during the transition from the outgoing Model Y, while Musk’s public endorsement of Europe’s far-right parties may have alienated customers. Meanwhile broader BEV registrations across the same markets increased 25%, despite a 3% drop in total car sales to 970,000 units.
The figures underscore the intensifying battle for electric-vehicle dominance in Europe, where established automakers and fast-growing Chinese brands are stepping up efforts to capitalize on the continent’s shift away from internal combustion engines.
