Tesla Sales Tank in Another Country as Musk Backlash Spirals
The automaker’s sales were down—and a Chinese supplier’s sales are soaring.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Sweden has become the latest country to sour on Tesla, with new data revealing a dramatic drop in sales—part of a broader backlash linked to CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly erratic behavior.
According to registration data from Mobility Sweden, a trade association for automakers and importers, Tesla’s sales in the country fell by 53.7 percent in May compared to the same month last year, totaling just 503 vehicles, Reuters reports.
That followed an even steeper collapse in April, when sales plunged 80.7 percent year-over-year to just 81 vehicles—the lowest since October 2022.
At the same time, Chinese EV manufacturer BYD is surging ahead. Data from JATO Dynamics shows European sales of BYD vehicles, which are not available for purchase in the United States, soared 359 percent. While European consumers increasingly favor more affordable Chinese electric vehicles, Tesla’s decline is also being fueled by growing public discontent with Musk’s political affiliations and behavior.
Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—tasked with federal cost-cutting—has drawn criticism, causing reputational damage not just to Tesla,but to his broader business portfolio.
Tesla’s sales in Sweden fell by 53.7 percent in May compared to the same month last year, after an even steeper drop in April.
Reuters
In the U.S., protests erupted at Tesla dealerships and Supercharger stations in response to Musk’s vocal support for President Donald Trump and his mission to dramatically shrink the federal government.
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Some protesters vandalized Tesla vehicles—spray-painting, ramming, and even burning them.
Europe has also seen rising unrest. In Germany, Tesla cars were targeted afterMusk’s endorsement of the far-right AfD party, further eroding the automaker’s standing on the continent.
Adding to the company’s woes is an ongoing labor dispute in Sweden. In October 2023, mechanics affiliated with the IF Metall trade union launched a strike after Tesla refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement.
The strike has since become Sweden’s longest-running labor conflict in more than 80 years. Public sentiment remains firmly on the side of the workers, dealing another blow to Tesla’s image in the country.
Across Europe, Tesla’s decline is becoming harder to ignore. Between January and April 2025, the company’s regional sales fell by approximately 40 percent year-over-year, according to CNBC.
With Tesla sales under pressure, Musk even enlisted Donald Trump for a sales pitch at the White House.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
In April alone, Tesla sold just 7,261 vehicles in Europe—despite battery-electric vehicle sales overall rising by more than 33 percent, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
In response to growing investor unease, Musk has vowed to refocus on Tesla.
“There’s been some blowback for the time that I’ve been spending in government with DOGE,” he acknowledged. “But I think the work we’re doing there is actually very important.”
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