New Delhi: Ongoing Tesla Takedown protests are occurring across the United States and Europe, leading to a decrease in sales for the Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle company in France and Sweden for the third consecutive month in March, compared to the previous year. This trend has resulted in the lowest first-quarter sales in these two countries since 2021, as reported by news agency Reuters.
Musk, who is the world’s richest man and a close associate of former US President Donald Trump, has faced objections to his support of far-right parties in Europe. This controversy has led to a drop in Tesla car sales, particularly in light of the highly expected launch of its new Model Y mid-size SUV, the report further stated.
Impact on Tesla sales globally
Based on an analysis, France, Sweden, and other key European markets serve as significant indicators of Tesla’s global first-quarter deliveries and consumer feelings toward the brand.
In March, Tesla reported sales of 3,157 cars in France and 911 in Sweden, observing declines of 36.83% and 63.9% from the previous year, respectively. Further, total quarterly sales have noticed a drop of 6,693 units in France and 1,929 in Sweden.
Elon Musk’s EV brand is currently facing several backlash in Europe. Compared to other automakers, Tesla has a smaller lineup of products. Likewise, Musk’s support for far-right parties in Europe, which includes the national-conservative political party in Germany, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is considered to have negatively impacted the sales of Tesla.
Following Musk’s support of these right-wing parties, Tesla cars have been damaged in several countries. The protests titled such as “Takedown Tesla” have been planned across Europe and the U.S. Musk recently reported that an overnight fire at a Tesla store in Rome further damaged 17 cars.
