Tesla slides in German EV ranking as new registrations plummet 41 percent

U.S. carmaker Tesla, which is headed by highly controversial CEO Elon Musk, registered the biggest slump of new registrations among all electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in Germany last year. Registrations of new Teslas dropped 41 percent to less than 38,000 vehicles, data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) showed, reported news agency dpa.

With a share of nearly 10 percent of all EV registrations, Tesla dropped to third place in Germany in 2024, after already ceding its pole position in 2022. Total EV registrations fell 27 percent to 381,000, a development that was partly driven by the end of e-car purchase premiums in late 2023.

However, some carmakers bucked the downward trend: Germany’s BMW overtook Telsa by registering just over 40,000 cars and claiming a market share of over 11 percent. Swedish brand Volvo also greatly increased its registrations, although at a lower total volume of only about 14,000 registrations. Germany’s largest car company VW defended its leading position in the country’s EV market with roughly 62,000 registrations and a market share of over 16 percent. Mercedes reached the fourth rank in registrations with 34,000 vehicles.

Musk caused a stir throughout the past year in Germany and many other countries in Europe with repeated verbal attacks on leading government members and state representatives through his own social media network X. In Germany, his endorsement of the far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of February’s snap elections has been met with irritation by government members and opposition leaders. South African-born Musk’s interventions in European politics have been perceived particularly critically since his involvement in the campaign of re-elected U.S. president Donald Trump. Musk was the campaign’s biggest donor, and is designated to assume an official advisory position in the incoming Republican administration.

Musk’s political ambitions have damaged the image of Telsa as a progressive and environmentally-friendly company in Germany and elsewhere, automotive industry researcher Martin Fassnacht told trade magazine Ingenieur. However, technical reasons have also contributed to Tesla’s drop in popularity, as other carmakers have caught up with the US brand, which delivered little innovation in the past years, Fassnacht argued.

Tesla has operated its only European factory near Berlin since 2022. The EV plant, in the state of Brandenburg, was seen as a boon for Germany's EV market but has grappled with legal issues and public protests regarding its water consumption. The plant has also suffered lower-than-expected sales and a shrinking of its local workforce.