Tesla’s global sales may be slipping, but not every market is turning cold. In a few corners of the world, the brand is still pulling off unexpected wins. In Norway, for example, where a staggering nine out of every 10 new cars sold is an EV, Tesla sales went berserk, jumping 213 percent in May versus the same month in 2024.

A total of 2,600 Tesla EVs were delivered in Norway in May, according to the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV). Unsurprisingly, the boom was led by the launch of the facelifted Model Y, which debuted this spring. The compact SUV has been the country’s best-selling car for three-years running, and this May it took a chunky 16.5 percent market share.

Also: The Once Unthinkable Has Happened To Tesla’s Brand

That was more than double the 7 percent of the second-place finisher, Toyota’s bZ4X, and four times the VW ID.4’s showing (4.2 percent). Tesla’s overall performance in Norway was way beyond the healthy 39 percent sales uplift for all cars sold in the country last month.

The Norwegian government’s pro-climate stance going back 25 years, despite being a huge oil exporter , has helped switch its population on to electric cars even though the country’s winter weather shows off EVs in their worst light. Strong financial incentives and a huge number of available chargers created sufficient demand that Norway is now close to the 100 percent EV goal in 2025 it set out to reach eight years ago. The last few combustion holdouts will be tough to convert, however.

BEST SELLING MODELS NORWAY MAY 2025

Tesla Sales Plunge 67% In France

But other European nations who also had access to the facelifted Model Y and had previously seen the old model become the best-selling car in their country, didn’t replicate Norway’s numbers. In Sweden, which shares a border with Norway, Tesla sales sank by 54 percent to just 503 vehicles. In France, they were down 67 percent to 721 units, data from AAA says.

European sales of Teslas halved as buyers shunned the brand that once dominated sales charts, becoming the first to outperform not just other EVs, but every combustion-engine car. The arrival of stronger competition, both from legacy brands and also Chinese newcomers like BYD is a factor, as is a certain level of disappointment that Tesla’s facelifts to the Model 3 and Model Y don’t go far enough.

But another major reason for Tesla’s weak sales is its declining brand image and public disgust at Musk’s support for right-wing political parties such as Germany’s AfD. In a March poll 94 percent of Germans said they would never buy a Tesla.

BEST SELLING BRANDS NORWAY MAY 2025

Tesla’s European sales are, to put it lightly, in freefall. After months of steadily declining numbers, April was a particularly disastrous month for the electric vehicle maker. Key markets like Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, and the UK all saw significant drops, leaving Tesla wondering if it can get back on track anytime soon.

Germany, in particular, seems to be where Tesla’s problems are most evident. In April, the company sold just 885 vehicles in the country, down a staggering 45.9% compared to the same month last year. So far this year, Tesla has sold 5,820 vehicles in Germany, marking a 60.4% drop from 2024. Keep in mind, this is the country that houses Tesla’s only European factory, so things are clearly not going according to plan.

Read: Tesla Sales Crash Over 80% In Sweden And That’s Just The Beginning

It’s clear that public sentiment surrounding Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, plays a significant role in the company’s declining sales. This year, he’s spent a lot of time aligning himself with controversial figures like Donald Trump and making his presence felt in U.S. politics. Additionally, his public support for a far-right political party in Germany ahead of its recent federal elections has certainly contributed to some of the backlash.

Tesla has also been shifting the European supply of the best-selling Model Y to the recently updated ‘Juniper’ model. However, as local deliveries of this new model have already started, sales should be stronger than they are proving to be.

As Tesla struggled in Germany, some of its competition thrived. BYD, still a relatively new player in the country, sold 1,566 vehicles last month, a 755.7% jump over April 2024. Year-to-date sales are also up 384.5% to 2,791 units. MG sales were also up 34% in April. Polestar also reported a 47.1% increase in sales, with 303 units sold last month.

It’s not much better in the UK, where Tesla sales absolutely cratered in April. With only 512 units sold, the company saw a 62% drop compared to the year before. This is bad, even by bad-news standards.

Tesla’s struggles extend across several other European countries as well. In Spain, sales dropped 36%. In Belgium, it was 55%. France saw a 59% decline, Denmark 67%, and in Sweden, a jaw-dropping 81% drop in April. To put it bluntly, Tesla’s grip on the European market is slipping faster than the price of an electric car at a dealership going out of business.

Germany April 2025 Sales