Hit by ongoing vandalism and protests, billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla experienced a major decline in European sales during February, whereas it climbed to the top spot in Türkiye’s electric vehicle (EV) market.
The electric car giant has already seen shares plunge since the start of the year as the firm has been pummeled under competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly out of China, as well as Musk's close association with U.S. President Donald Trump and with far-right causes globally.
Tesla sold 3,310 cars in Türkiye last month, earning it the top EV brand in the market, according to data from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODM).
Overall, the passenger car and light commercial vehicle market contracted by 14.4% to 90,730 units, the data showed.
Fully electric vehicle sales surged by 80.6%, reaching 10,473 units. Their share in total vehicle sales rose from 7% a year ago to 13.8% this February.
Tesla unseated Togg, Türkiye’s homegrown EV manufacturer, which sold 2,038 units in February, a 30% improvement from January that saw Togg vehicles account for one in every five EVs sold in Türkiye.
Tesla has been a target for demonstrations and vandalism in the United States and elsewhere this year. People have protested Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has been moving to slash the size of the federal government.
Tesla's market capitalization has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on December 17, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk-backed Trump won the U.S. election in November.
The company recorded its first annual global sales decline last year. Its sales plunged 45% in Europe in January, according to research firm Jato Dynamics, even as overall electric vehicle sales rose.
The sales numbers were particularly bad in Germany and France.
In Europe, the brand has faced a backlash after Musk vocally supported far-right parties, including Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in last month's German national elections.
Official figures showed that German sales of the brand were down over 76% year-over-year in February to just 1,429 units, even as the broader electric vehicle market registered a recovery. That marked an even bigger decline than the 60% drop in January.
Tesla sales were down 24% in the Netherlands, 42% in Sweden, 48% in both Norway and Denmark, 26% in France, 55% in Italy, 10% in Spain and 53% in Portugal, according to official data.
Tesla registrations in France declined by 45% over the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2024.
Outside Europe, Australia reported a 66% drop in Tesla registrations in February, while the brand's worldwide sales of cars produced in China were down 49% due to intense pressure from Chinese rivals.
Britain bucked the trend, reporting a 21% jump in Tesla sales last month, but that lagged behind a 42% overall rise in EV sales.
