In February, Tesla electric vehicle sales in France, Sweden and some other European countries fell again after a decline in January.
In France, Tesla sales for the first two months of 2025 fell by 45% compared to the same period last year. The company’s electric vehicle sales in Norway and Denmark fell by 48% in February compared to February 2024, and by 42% in Sweden.
Observers say the reason for this is the actions and statements of Tesla founder Elon Musk, including his work in the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), as well as his support for far-right parties in Europe. This weekend, protests against Mr. Musk’s actions in the Donald Trump administration took place in many US cities, as well as in London, Barcelona, Lisbon and Reykjavik. In the US, a campaign to boycott Tesla products and protests outside its showrooms began in February.
“For several years, the brand has had a unique market position in Norway. “It is not clear whether this will continue, because there is a lot of noise and discontent around Tesla and Elon Musk,” the Norwegian Road Federation noted. “Many people start with this: ‘I want an electric car, but I don’t want it to be a Tesla.’ Politically motivated consumers have always been here, but now with Tesla it is more pronounced,” commented Ilyas Dogru, chief adviser of the Danish Automobile Federation.