Europe Continues Purchasing EVs, But Not From Tesla | Carscoops

      Tesla's sales in Europe plummeted by 28 percent in May, even as overall EV sales rose nearly the same amount.

      Tesla continues to show no improvement in its dismal European sales figures this year. In May, sales fell by 27.9 percent, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline in 2025.

      The company cannot attribute its struggles to a lack of interest in EVs, as total electric vehicle sales increased by 27.2 percent.

      European consumers had a brief romance with Tesla over the past few years, even declaring their affection for the Model Y in 2023, but now they seem to have completely turned away from the American EV manufacturer. New data indicates that Tesla sales in the region (which includes the EU, UK, and European Free Trade Association) declined by 27.9 percent in May, continuing a streak of five months of falling sales.

      While the recent decline was not as severe as in previous months—January saw a 45 percent drop, February a 40 percent decrease, and April experienced a disastrous halving of deliveries—the overall trend is clear. Although the launch of the updated Model Y in spring helped slow the decline, it did not halt it or reverse the trend. According to ACEA, Tesla's sales are down 37.1 percent since the beginning of the year.

      Moreover, Tesla cannot excuse its poor results by pointing to a shrinking European EV market, as electric vehicle sales actually surged by 27.2 percent in May, nearly matching Tesla's drop. This increase indicates that EVs represented 15.4 percent of the European car market last month, up from 12.5 percent a year earlier.

      Hybrid car sales continue to rise, showing a growth of 14.2 percent, making up the largest segment of the car market at 34.1 percent in May, surpassing petrol vehicles at 28.5 percent. Plug-in hybrids also saw significant progress with a 46.1 percent increase, although they retain a smaller share at 9.4 percent, up from 6.5 percent.

      While Tesla faced a challenging May, BMW's Mini brand had a markedly different experience, with sales increasing by 29.1 percent. Alfa saw a growth of 21.5 percent, while China's SAIC, which owns the MG brand, reported a sales increase of 22.5 percent, and Cupra sales rose by 32.4 percent. In contrast, its sister brand Seat experienced a decline of 25.4 percent.