European public opinion reacts to billionaire Elon Musk's actions, turning back on Tesla?

Electric car maker Tesla had a rough start to 2025, with sales falling sharply in five major European markets, including the UK, France, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

Tesla sales in January 2025 in the UK fell nearly 12%, in France fell 63%, in Sweden fell 44%, in Norway fell 38% and in the Netherlands fell 42%. (Source: Investopedia)

The cause stems from fierce competition between newly emerging electric car companies, and the image of CEO Elon Musk is increasingly controversial in public opinion.

Tesla sales in the UK fell nearly 12% in January, while the country’s overall electric vehicle (EV) market set a record growth, according to data released on February 4. This shows that the decline is not due to market demand but to the Tesla brand itself.

The decline is not only in the UK but also spread across Europe, specifically in France down 63%; in Sweden down 44%; in Norway down 38%; in the Netherlands down 42%.

In the US, Tesla also recorded a 12% decline in California - the largest car market in the US with more than 1.7 million registered vehicles in 2024. Notably, 2024 marked the first time Tesla recorded a decline in annual sales, although the company is still the No. 1 EV manufacturer in the world's largest economy .

One of the reasons consumers are turning away from Tesla is CEO Elon Musk's political activities.

Tesla CEO had a controversial 2024, spending $250 million to support Donald Trump's election campaign, helping to bring the Republican representative back to the US President position.

In addition, Mr. Musk also publicly supported far-right parties in the UK and Germany on the social networking platform X and made shocking statements related to the Nazi regime.

These moves caused strong reactions from European public opinion, directly affecting Tesla's image.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/du-luan-chau-au-phan-ung-ve-hanh-dong-cua-ty-phu-elon-musk-quay-lung-voi-tesla-303227.html