Chinese automaker BYD, opens new tab sold more electric vehicles in Europe than Tesla, opens new tab for the first time, according to a report by JATO Dynamics, as an aging model lineup and CEO Elon Musk’s politics hurt demand for the U.S. EV maker’s cars.
BYD, which also makes plug-in hybrid vehicles, registered 7,231 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) in Europe in April, while Tesla registered 7,165 units, the market research firm said.
Despite the EU’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, registrations of such cars increased 59% in the month from a year earlier, while carmakers from Europe, Japan, South Korea and the United States recorded 26% growth.
WEAK TESLA DEMAND
The company reported its first drop in annual deliveries last year, and analysts expect another fall this year after a 13% decline in the first quarter.
Musk said earlier this week that Tesla had already turned around sales, and demand was strong in regions apart from Europe.
His political views have triggered waves of protests against Tesla in the U.S. and Europe, leading to a slump in sales.
Additionally, production halts to retool factories to make the redesigned Model Y crossover globally caused a drop in manufacturing and sales in the first quarter.
Analysts have also attributed lower sales to customers waiting for less-expensive versions of the new Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, to become more widely available.
REUTERS
