Tesla sales, market share dip in EU while other EV makers grow
(2024/07/18)
- Reference: 1721316516
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/07/18/tesla_sales_market_share_dip/
- Source link:
Tesla isn't just floundering in the US - new registrations of Elon Musk's electric vehicles have dipped in the EU and UK this year, too.
[1]
Engineers check their work at the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany
New vehicle registration data for June [2]published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) today shows that registrations of new Teslas decreased in the region by 7.2 percent compared to June 2023. For the entire first half of the year that number is even bleaker, with new Tesla registrations dropping 12 percent compared to the first six months of last year.
As such, Tesla's EV market share has taken a corresponding hit, with the company accounting for [3]10.8 percent of the EV market as of June, down from 11.6 percent [4]earlier in the year. Other European automakers offering EVs, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo have either seen their share of the sector remain the same – or grow by quite a lot, in Volvo's case – over the same period.
It's a similar situation to the one Tesla finds itself in the United States, where its dominance in the EV market has been gradually shrinking to the point where the company's share of US sales recently [5]fell under 50 percent for the first time ever. As in Europe, Tesla's American sales decline has occurred simultaneously with overall growth in the US EV market.
Per the ACEA, June sales of battery-electric vehicles dipped slightly to 14.4 percent of all new EU/ UK cars sold, but hybrid electric vehicles rose from slightly less than a quarter to just under 30 percent, tallying with [6]previous reports that hybrids are gaining popularity as a more flexible alternative to battery electric vehicles.
[7]
Gasoline and diesel vehicle sales in the EU and UK slid slightly in June, per the ACEA.
Tesla's struggles go beyond Elon
It's not hard to understand why Tesla is in trouble in the United States, where Musk's online persona has attracted lots of [8]negative attention since he bought Twitter, and his car company has been the subject of near [9]constant [10]negative [11]press for various reasons.
Whether Musk's perpetually online antics have begun to sour on European residents is less clear, and we didn't hear back from ACEA with any takes before publication.
[12]
[13]
That said, even if you remove Musk's personal presence from the mix, Tesla has still had a wild ride in Europe this year that's unlikely to be helping.
Take Sweden, for example, where Tesla service and repair workers have been [14]on strike since last October over Tesla's refusal to collectively bargain with their local union, IF Metall. Sympathy strikes in other countries, including Denmark and Norway, have also been ongoing for months and have included refusal among port and transportation workers to allow new Teslas into the country.
[15]
ACEA's numbers suggest the strike may have had at least some effect on Tesla sales in parts of Scandinavia, with Sweden showing a 16.8 percent decrease in battery electric vehicle sales in June - albeit with an increase in Denmark and Norway. That data isn't broken down by manufacturer, so it's not clear if Tesla sales decreased in either country while others rose.
[16]Tesla's tight grip on repairs sparks courtroom showdown
[17]EU officials say X's paid-for blue check deceives users and breaks law
[18]Tesla delays 'Robotaxi' event as Musk 'makes' design 'tweaks'
[19]Speed limiters arrive for all new cars in the European Union
Then there's trouble in Germany, where an [20]alleged arson attack in March took Tesla's gigafactory outside Berlin offline for a week, causing 1,000 vehicles a day to go unfinished, per the automaker. Climate protesters [21]stormed the factory in May but were repelled; in both cases the opposition was in response to Tesla's plan to expand its facilities into a nearby forest.
Tesla [22]blamed trouble with Houthi rebels targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea for its troubles in the first half of the year.
Of course, it's also entirely possible that those interested in buying an electric car are just bored with the fact that, Cybertruck aside, Tesla hasn't released a new model in some time, and even reportedly [23]abandoned plans for a budget-priced model earlier this year.
With no new cars on the horizon, and a cheaper version reportedly off the table, it makes sense that European car buyers would turn to a more established brand when looking for an EV.
[24]
Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive director of strategic planning, told The Register that, while she doesn't track the EU automotive market, she believes market competition and aging models are likely to blame for Tesla's decline in the European market.
Valdez Streaty also cited reduced EV subsidies in Europe, specifically in [25]Germany and [26]France , as bearing a share of the blame, and it would appear she's correct in that regard - overall EV sales in both countries fell by more than 10 percent in June.
Tesla didn't respond to questions. ®
Get our [27]Tech Resources
[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2024/07/18/shutterswtock_tesla.jpg
[2] https://www.acea.auto/pc-registrations/new-car-registrations-4-3-in-june-2024-battery-electric-14-4-market-share/
[3] https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/tesla-sees-european-ev-market-share-shrink-as-rivals-ascend/
[4] https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/tesla-dominates-european-ev-market-in-february/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/tesla_electric_car_sales/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/15/global_ev_sales_continue_to/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/spacex_employees_decry_musks_behavior/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/12/teslas_autopilot_marketing_woes_continue/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/25/tesla_cybertruck_recalled_again/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/tesla_shareholders_agree_musk_compo/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/27/tesla_sweden_strike_lawsuit/
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/20/tesla_right_to_repair/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/12/eu_officials_say_xs_paidfor/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/16/tesla_robotaxi_event_has_been/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/11/speed_limiters_arrive_for_all/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/tesla_berlin_gigafactory_offline/
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/11/tesla_gigafactory_police/
[22] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/tesla_q1_2024/
[23] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-scraps-low-cost-car-plans-amid-fierce-chinese-ev-competition-2024-04-05/
[24] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[25] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/german-car-sales-surge-in-2023-electric-models-decline-with-government-ending-ev-subsidies/articleshow/106571110.cms?from=mdr
[26] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/france-halts-subsidised-ev-lease-programme-after-strong-demand-2024-02-12/
[27] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
[1]
Engineers check their work at the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany
New vehicle registration data for June [2]published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) today shows that registrations of new Teslas decreased in the region by 7.2 percent compared to June 2023. For the entire first half of the year that number is even bleaker, with new Tesla registrations dropping 12 percent compared to the first six months of last year.
As such, Tesla's EV market share has taken a corresponding hit, with the company accounting for [3]10.8 percent of the EV market as of June, down from 11.6 percent [4]earlier in the year. Other European automakers offering EVs, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo have either seen their share of the sector remain the same – or grow by quite a lot, in Volvo's case – over the same period.
It's a similar situation to the one Tesla finds itself in the United States, where its dominance in the EV market has been gradually shrinking to the point where the company's share of US sales recently [5]fell under 50 percent for the first time ever. As in Europe, Tesla's American sales decline has occurred simultaneously with overall growth in the US EV market.
Per the ACEA, June sales of battery-electric vehicles dipped slightly to 14.4 percent of all new EU/ UK cars sold, but hybrid electric vehicles rose from slightly less than a quarter to just under 30 percent, tallying with [6]previous reports that hybrids are gaining popularity as a more flexible alternative to battery electric vehicles.
[7]
Gasoline and diesel vehicle sales in the EU and UK slid slightly in June, per the ACEA.
Tesla's struggles go beyond Elon
It's not hard to understand why Tesla is in trouble in the United States, where Musk's online persona has attracted lots of [8]negative attention since he bought Twitter, and his car company has been the subject of near [9]constant [10]negative [11]press for various reasons.
Whether Musk's perpetually online antics have begun to sour on European residents is less clear, and we didn't hear back from ACEA with any takes before publication.
[12]
[13]
That said, even if you remove Musk's personal presence from the mix, Tesla has still had a wild ride in Europe this year that's unlikely to be helping.
Take Sweden, for example, where Tesla service and repair workers have been [14]on strike since last October over Tesla's refusal to collectively bargain with their local union, IF Metall. Sympathy strikes in other countries, including Denmark and Norway, have also been ongoing for months and have included refusal among port and transportation workers to allow new Teslas into the country.
[15]
ACEA's numbers suggest the strike may have had at least some effect on Tesla sales in parts of Scandinavia, with Sweden showing a 16.8 percent decrease in battery electric vehicle sales in June - albeit with an increase in Denmark and Norway. That data isn't broken down by manufacturer, so it's not clear if Tesla sales decreased in either country while others rose.
[16]Tesla's tight grip on repairs sparks courtroom showdown
[17]EU officials say X's paid-for blue check deceives users and breaks law
[18]Tesla delays 'Robotaxi' event as Musk 'makes' design 'tweaks'
[19]Speed limiters arrive for all new cars in the European Union
Then there's trouble in Germany, where an [20]alleged arson attack in March took Tesla's gigafactory outside Berlin offline for a week, causing 1,000 vehicles a day to go unfinished, per the automaker. Climate protesters [21]stormed the factory in May but were repelled; in both cases the opposition was in response to Tesla's plan to expand its facilities into a nearby forest.
Tesla [22]blamed trouble with Houthi rebels targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea for its troubles in the first half of the year.
Of course, it's also entirely possible that those interested in buying an electric car are just bored with the fact that, Cybertruck aside, Tesla hasn't released a new model in some time, and even reportedly [23]abandoned plans for a budget-priced model earlier this year.
With no new cars on the horizon, and a cheaper version reportedly off the table, it makes sense that European car buyers would turn to a more established brand when looking for an EV.
[24]
Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive director of strategic planning, told The Register that, while she doesn't track the EU automotive market, she believes market competition and aging models are likely to blame for Tesla's decline in the European market.
Valdez Streaty also cited reduced EV subsidies in Europe, specifically in [25]Germany and [26]France , as bearing a share of the blame, and it would appear she's correct in that regard - overall EV sales in both countries fell by more than 10 percent in June.
Tesla didn't respond to questions. ®
Get our [27]Tech Resources
[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2024/07/18/shutterswtock_tesla.jpg
[2] https://www.acea.auto/pc-registrations/new-car-registrations-4-3-in-june-2024-battery-electric-14-4-market-share/
[3] https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/tesla-sees-european-ev-market-share-shrink-as-rivals-ascend/
[4] https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/tesla-dominates-european-ev-market-in-february/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/tesla_electric_car_sales/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/15/global_ev_sales_continue_to/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/spacex_employees_decry_musks_behavior/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/12/teslas_autopilot_marketing_woes_continue/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/25/tesla_cybertruck_recalled_again/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/tesla_shareholders_agree_musk_compo/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/27/tesla_sweden_strike_lawsuit/
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/20/tesla_right_to_repair/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/12/eu_officials_say_xs_paidfor/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/16/tesla_robotaxi_event_has_been/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/11/speed_limiters_arrive_for_all/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/tesla_berlin_gigafactory_offline/
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/11/tesla_gigafactory_police/
[22] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/tesla_q1_2024/
[23] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-scraps-low-cost-car-plans-amid-fierce-chinese-ev-competition-2024-04-05/
[24] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zpk8GqXB5@hRSNziCUgGJwAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[25] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/german-car-sales-surge-in-2023-electric-models-decline-with-government-ending-ev-subsidies/articleshow/106571110.cms?from=mdr
[26] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/france-halts-subsidised-ev-lease-programme-after-strong-demand-2024-02-12/
[27] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Now everyone knows Musk is a twit
mikus
Give the man a soap box to hang himself. Some $44B later, done!
First mover bonus no longer enough
Charlie Clark
The writing was on the wall for some brands as the subsidies started to be run down but price isn't the only consideration. The existing brands have had to rethink their strategy since the subsidies for hybrids went and EVs in general became less attractive: they're okay if you've got you're own electricity supply, otherwise they're more expensive to run than petrol cars. Those that do want an EV can look at the existing manufacturers, who can at least offer continuity and some form of continual improvement beyond software gimmicks, and the Chinese who are now established and increasingly familiar from the battery systems for solar systems get installed. The EU tariffs are closer to fair value and, with only 18% for BYD, not enough to close the market off. I know quite a few people looking to replace an existing EV and they all tend to think that companies like BYD make good cars at a fair price. Existing brands are probably also better placed to deal with a price war than Tesla, which does not have assets to justify its share price.
The days of the Giga Factory in Grünheide are also numbered as water shortages in the area become the norm: Tesla got special treatment in an area where it's no longer possible to build houses because you won't get a fresh water connection (Source 130 Liter on Deutschlandfunk).
I think we'll also see a reevaluation of the market in Europe as the problems related to a wholesale switch to EVs become more and more apparent, though probably not before we've spunked a couple of bilions on the hydrogen mirage: electric motors powered by turbines or fuel cells are what we will have to end up with.
A combination?
Of people not liking Elon Musk and others producing better cars.