Early car sales data for January is starting to arrive from countries across the pond, and they paint an alarming picture for Tesla. Sales are crashing in France, Germany, and the UK—all affluent countries that are key markets for Tesla’s electric vehicles. Coming on the heels of a large financial miss, it’s just one more problem for the automaker.

Tesla sales dropped around 13 percent across Europe in 2024, but so far this year, the scale of the problem is far greater. In France, sales of new Teslas fell by 63 percent, while total car sales in the country fell by just 6 percent, with EV sales dropping just half a percent.

Germany was already looking like lost ground for Tesla—its 41 percent drop in 2024 accounted for most of Tesla’s lost sales across Europe. That must make the 59 percent drop in German Tesla sales recorded during January even more painful on the profit and loss statements.

Across the Channel, the British auto industry just released its sales data for January. Here, Tesla sales fell less precipitously—just 12 percent. However, battery EV sales were 35 percent higher in the UK in January 2025 than in January 2024. The cake is growing, but Tesla is getting to eat less and less of it.

In fact, no Tesla cracked the UK’s top 10 best-seller list last month, something that has regularly happened in the past, although that may be due to having just two models for >sale in most markets.

Large declines have also been recorded in Sweden (44 percent), Norway (38 percent), and the Netherlands (42 percent).

  • dan@upvote.au
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    21 hours ago

    Fully solid-state batteries are just around the corner - some Chinese models already have a semi-solid-state battery, MG are releasing one this year, companies like Toyota and Honda are working on it too. The current use case is to extend range (600+ miles / 1000+ kms) but they could also be used to get similar range as today’s cars with a much lighter battery.

    • thanksforallthefish@literature.cafe
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      7 hours ago

      Solid state is just around the corner in the same way fusion is. Toyota announced in 2010 they’d have it in prod by 2015, then 2018, then 2020, then 2025 then…"real soon now™ "

      The MG “may be a semi solid state”

      https://electrek.co/2024/12/16/new-semi-solid-state-battery-ev-launching-2025/

      Which is not quite the same thing.

      BYD and CATL who have a good track record of delivery are suggesting 2030

      TL;DR

      Don’t wait for solid state, the current battery tech is more than adequate for the majority of people. Holding off for something “perfect” that may never arrive when “good enough” is here diesn’t seem logical to me

      • dan@upvote.au
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        2 hours ago

        There’s already cars available today with semi solid state batteries: Some by Nio and one by IM.

        The article I read about the MG was certain that it’d be solid state. Sorry for the incorrect info.

        Don’t wait for solid state, the current battery tech is more than adequate for the majority of people

        That’s true. The advancement in technology is why I’m leasing my EV (BMW iX) rather than buying it, though.