In Europe, Germany is leading the charge in rejecting Tesla, which has one of its gigafactories outside Berlin. That’s been fueled by a backlash against Musk after he spoke at a rally for the far-right Alternative for Germany party ahead of the February snap election.
More than 94 percent of respondents to a recent survey of 100,000 Germans said they would no longer buy a Tesla.
The steep fall in Tesla’s market share comes as EV sales rebound; European electric car sales this February were 164,148, a 26 percent increase compared to the same month last year.
European brands make up the bulk of EV sales on the continent, but Chinese EV makers are gaining ground, despite the duties the Commission slapped on made-in-China electric vehicles last year.
BYD, the world’s largest EV manufacturer, saw 4,400 vehicles registered in February, a 94 percent year-over-year increase.
