Tesla sales fall in UK, France and other EU countries after Elon Musk storms into politics

Sales of Teslas in the UK have dipped after Elon Musk’s waded into British politics with repeated attacks on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The number of registrations of Teslas was 1458 in January compared to 1581 in the same month last year, a decline of 7.78 per cent, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The fall comes despite a surge in new purchases of electric cars.

Car sales can be affected by a variety of factors, including deliveries, advertising campaigns and pricing and there is nothing to confirm a link between them and Tesla boss Musk’s foray into UK politics.

And the small fall in January follows a bumper 57 per cent rise in registrations in December, compared to a year earlier, to 8,645, according to the SMMT.

But the latest UK figures follows a 63% decline in January sales for Tesla in France, drops of 44% and 38% in Sweden and Norway, and a 42% fall in the Netherlands.

In California, the largest US car market with more than 1.7 million vehicle registrations in 2024, Tesla sales fell by 12%.

As he has thrown himself into European politics, Musk has called for Sir Keir to resign, repeatedly criticised him, and suggested Britain is heading for “civil war” due to its immigration and border policies.

Musk, who has been appointed by Donald Trump to co-lead a Department of Government Efficiency, has also backed the Far-Right Alternative fur Deutschland.

The SMMT said 139,345 new cars were registered in the UK in January, down 2.5 per cent compared to a year earlier.

That compares with 142,876 during the same month last year.

The fall was driven by a 15.3% drop in deliveries of petrol cars.

There was a 41.6% spike in the uptake of pure battery electric cars, resulting in a market share of 21.3%.

Under the zero-emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 28% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

Failure to abide by the mandate or make use of flexibilities – such as buying credits from rival companies or making more sales in future years – will result in a requirement to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting car sold above the limits.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “January’s figures show EV demand is growing, but not fast enough to deliver on current ambitions.

“Affordability remains a major barrier to uptake, hence the need for compelling measures to boost demand, and not just from manufacturers.”

From April 1, drivers of EVs will need to pay VED for the first time.

This will be £195 per year for most people affected, but drivers of new electric cars with a list price exceeding £40,000 will be charged up to £620 per year because of the expensive car supplement.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is hosting a meeting with major car manufacturers on Wednesday to discuss changes to the Zev mandate, which could include making it easier for non-compliant manufacturers to avoid fines.

There will also be talks on the phase-out of new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030.