Tesla’s European sales continued their freefall in February, as the EV maker’s registrations slumped 44 percent compared with February 2024, following a decline of 45 percent in January, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce.

The overall European market was down by 3 percent, while BEV sales were up 26 percent for the month, according to Dataforce’s figures.

The drop-off in Germany, where Tesla has a factory and has traditionally been its largest European market, was especially steep: a decline of 76 percent to just 1,429 sales for the month compared with 6,038 in 2024.

Sales of the Tesla Model Y midsize SUV, which is built in Germany, were down 56 percent in February to 8,679; with an 81 percent drop in Germany accounting for about 4,350 sales alone.

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Sales of the Model 3 midsize sedan, which is built in China for the European market and faces an additional 7.8 percent EU tariff, fell 11 percent to 6,461.

“Tesla is currently experiencing the perfect storm,” Dataforce analyst Benjamin Kibies said in an email, citing the changeover to an updated Model Y, and sharp declines in business, rental and fleet sales.

For the year, Tesla’s European sales are down 44 percent to 25,852, with sales of the Model Y falling by more than half (53 percent) to 14,785; Model 3 sales are down 26 percent to 10,795.

Tesla ranked 17th among all automakers in February 2024; it fell to 21st last month.

Tesla faces backlash against Elon Musk, new EV rivals

There is evidence that Tesla is suffering from a backlash against its CEO, Elon Musk, who has taken controversial political positions in Europe supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as well as right-wing parties and figures in the U.K., Italy and Romania. In the U.S., he is also a key adviser to President Donald Trump on cutting government spending.

Musk and Tesla have been the objects of protests in a number of European countries, especially in Germany, where Teslas have been set on fire, and the U.K. In early March, eight Teslas were burned in an arson attack on a dealership in southern France, according to news reports.

In the U.S. and Canada, in addition to peaceful protests, there have been fires set against Tesla Superchargers in Boston and shots fired at an Oregon showroom, as well as other attacks this month, according to local news reports.

Two cars were set on fire March 18 in a Las Vegas showroom in the latest incident. And the Vancouver auto show in Canada said it was removing Tesla, citing safety concerns.

Tesla’s sales in the U.S. were down 11 percent in January, against a 44 percent increase for all EVs.

In China, Tesla’s sales fell 49 percent in February, according to China’s Passenger Car Association.

At the same time, consumers have an ever-increasing variety of EVs to choose from, and competitors including Volkswagen Group are offering big incentives on electric cars that rival Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 to meet the EU’s tougher emissions standards for 2025, although the European Commission is proposing to give automakers three years to meet the targets.

“Competitors have not only caught up in terms of model range and technology, but they have also slashed their prices, as they must bring down their CO2 emissions to avoid fines,” Kibies of Dataforce said.

Tesla has not launched a new volume model since the end of 2019, although a major refresh of the Model Y this year could help European sales. A long-promised inexpensive EV has not yet been officially announced.

March expected to be a crucial month for Tesla sales

Outside of Germany, Tesla sales fell in most of its other major European markets. French sales were down 26 percent to 2,935; Belgian sales fell 54 percent to 1,053; Spanish sales fell 10 percent to 918; sales in Norway were down 48 percent to 917; and Italian sales fell 55 percent to 843. The U.K. was Tesla’s only sweet spot, with sales up 20 percent to 3,852.

Kibies said March would be a key month for Tesla, as most of its sales are typically registered at the end of each quarter. “So far, we only have results for Italy, where we currently see a 69 percent growth of Tesla sales for the first 19 days of March,” he said.

If that increase pans out across Europe, Tesla could recoup most of its January and February losses, Kibies said. If not, “we might well see additional promotions from the brand in order to avoid stock building,” he said.