Tesla has been knocked off its perch in the European electric vehicle (EV) market, with Skoda outselling the US giant in May amid growing consumer demand for more affordable alternatives and a backlash against Elon Musk.
According to market researchers at DataForce, the Czech carmaker — long the butt of automotive jokes but now a serious contender under Volkswagen ownership — sold 14,920 electric cars across Europe last month, eclipsing Tesla’s 14,055.
Much of Skoda’s success was fuelled by strong demand for its new all-electric Elroq SUV, which starts at £31,000 and accounted for 9,250 of those sales.
Tesla’s slump — a 28% year-on-year drop — marks the fifth consecutive month of declining European sales. Industry analysts say the fall comes amid growing protests over Musk’s political alignment with President Trump, which has alienated some European buyers.
Separate data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association shows Tesla’s decline stands in stark contrast to the broader EV market, which surged 25% in May, with battery-electric vehicle registrations across the EU hitting 142,776. Plug-in hybrid sales also soared, jumping nearly 47% to 87,301 units.
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