Tesla, registrations -45% in Europe in the first quarter. Chinese boom: MG +33.5%

The first quarter of 2025 closes in deep red on the sales front for Tesla in Europe. According to data released by Acea, the European manufacturers' association, the Texan group leader in the battery electric car sector - while the market records double-digit growth (see below) - registered only 36,167 vehicles in EU countries, marking a 45% collapse compared to the same period last year. The market share fell from 2.4% to 1.3%, reflecting a clear reduction in the presence of Elon Musk's brand in the Old Continent.

March also confirmed the negative trend: Tesla recorded 18,224 new registrations in the EU, down 36% on an annual basis, with a share that shrank to 1.8% compared to the previous 2.8%. If we look at the enlarged Europe (EU27 + EFTA + United Kingdom), the month closed with 28,502 units (-28.2%), while the quarterly total stood at 54,020 vehicles, marking a decline of 37.2% and a market share falling to 1.6% from 2.5%.

All this while, Acea reports, in March 2025, in Europe (EU27 + EFTA + UK), 1,422,628 cars were registered, up 2.8% compared to the same month a year earlier. In terms of engines, the decline in traditional ones continues. Bevs (100% electric vehicles) recorded a +23.6% to 242,913 units (15.2% market share), with strong progress also in hybrid Hevs (+21% and 35% market share, against +1% of plug-ins, which occupied 7.6% of the market). However, in the first quarter, total registrations were 3,382,057, down 0.4% compared to the first three months of 2024. In the European Union alone, March registrations fell by 0.2% to 1,029,519 units, when in the quarter the recorded decline was 1.9% to 2,715,008 units.

Returning to Tesla, the decline is dramatic, it goes beyond simple market numbers and also affects the brand image. In the United States, Tesla is under pressure due to falling sales, also due to growing discontent with Musk, whose increasingly conservative political positions have fueled boycotts among more progressive consumers. A reputational damage that could also be reflected in European performances, where sensitivity towards environmental and social issues is particularly high.

Musk is trying to relaunch, focusing on an updated version of the Model Y and the introduction of "cyber taxis". But the market is not waiting. Competitors are advancing.

The strongest signal comes from China. MG Motor, a group controlled by the giant Saic Motor, has achieved a real exploit: 38,930 registrations in March (+48.6%), and a share that rose to 2.7% from 1.9%. The rise of Chinese brands shows how Tesla is losing ground not only compared to the European big names, but also to new Asian players, increasingly aggressive in terms of prices and expansion strategies.

For Elon Musk, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of high tension: a simple technological restyling or the launch of a new model may not be enough. The real challenge will be to rebuild trust, strategically reposition and adapt to a European market that is more competitive than ever, and increasingly less willing to tolerate uncertainty.