The “extremely bad news” in the February 25, 2025 report was a steep drop in Tesla registrations in the European Union: 9,945 new cars were registered in January 2025, down 45.2% from the same month a year earlier. That is a dated report about registrations—not a current 2026 sales update or a company-reported delivery figure.
What happened to Tesla in January 2025?
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) recorded 9,945 new Tesla registrations in the EU in January 2025, compared with 18,161 in January 2024. Tesla’s share of new EU car registrations fell to 1.0%, from 1.8% a year earlier. These figures come from ACEA’s new-car registration data.
Registrations track cars newly recorded with authorities in a market. They are not identical to Tesla’s company-reported deliveries, and the figures cited here cover the EU—not all of geographic Europe, the United Kingdom, or EFTA markets.
How did the wider EU car market compare?
Tesla’s decline came as the overall EU new-car market contracted modestly, but battery-electric cars gained ground. ACEA reported the following for January 2025:
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| Measure | January 2025 result | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla registrations | 9,945; 1.0% of new registrations | Down 45.2% from 18,161 and 1.8% in January 2024 |
| All new-car registrations | Market declined 2.6% | Year over year |
| Battery-electric registrations | 124,341; 15% market share | Up 34% year over year |
ACEA’s January 2025 release described battery-electric growth this way: “In January 2025, new battery-electric car sales grew by 34% to 124,341 units, capturing a 15% market share.” The release calls these sales; its registration reporting provides the market context. The EU battery-electric share had been 10.9% in January 2024, while for full-year 2024 it was 13.6%. Total EU car registrations rose 0.8% over 2024 as a whole. Sources: ACEA’s January 2025 release, ACEA’s January 2024 release, and ACEA’s 2024 full-year release.
Does the drop prove that buyers turned against Tesla?
No. The registration figures establish the size of Tesla’s year-over-year decline and the contrasting growth in battery-electric registrations across the EU. They do not establish what caused Tesla’s result.
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The February 25, 2025 Futurism article by Frank Landymore raised Elon Musk’s political activity and public behavior, possible brand backlash, and competition as explanations. Those are interpretations or possible factors, not conclusions proved by the registration table. The cited figures do not measure the contribution of any one factor, including competition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the headline means—and what it does not
The headline refers to a February 2025 story about January 2025 EU registrations. It does not describe Tesla’s current performance, provide a full-year result, or show what happened across every European market. For a like-for-like comparison, keep the same geography and month, and distinguish Tesla’s registrations from total car registrations and battery-electric market growth.
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