Tesla Sees European Sales Recovery Continue in April, Mixed Country Results
Overview of Tesla's European Sales Performance in April
By Amir Orusov and Mathias de Rozario
May 4 (Reuters) - New registrations of Tesla cars extended their recovery in several European markets in April, more than doubling in Sweden, France and Denmark while rising in the Netherlands but falling sharply in Norway and Spain.
European Market Trends and Contributing Factors
Tesla's sales in Europe have rebounded strongly so far this year after two consecutive annual declines, helped by an easier comparison base and customers' rising interest in alternatives to combustion‑engine vehicles following a surge in petrol prices triggered by the Iran war.
Market Share and Competitive Landscape
The world's most valuable automaker by market capitalisation lost almost half its European market share in 2025 due to growing competition, its lack of new models and a reaction to CEO Elon Musk's political stance.
Country-Specific Registration Data
Significant Growth Markets
The automaker's registrations, a proxy for sales, jumped 111% in Sweden and 102% in Denmark in April, according to data from Mobility Sweden, published on Monday, and bilstatistik.dk, published on Friday. Registrations also surged 112% in France and increased 23% in the Netherlands, data published on Friday showed.
Markets with Declining Sales
By contrast, new registrations dropped 47% in Spain and 61% in Norway, data from industry group ANFAC and compiler OFV showed on Monday.
Expert Insights and Future Outlook
Volatility in Registration Figures
"European EV sales figures are likely to rebound this year owing to a combination of new models, improved performance, and higher gasoline prices," said Andy Leyland, co-founder of supply chain specialist SC Insights.
Impact of Delivery Logistics
However, he said that the registration figures were highly dependent on delivery of vehicles from production sites. If vehicles are transported by ocean freight, deliveries may not occur every month, which can lead to highly volatile figures, he said.
Upcoming Data and Market Share Trends
Other European countries, including Italy and Portugal, are expected to report later in the day.
April was likely to show the first clear impact of high fuel prices on new battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, said Rico Luman, senior economist at ING Research.
Europe's BEV share of new car registrations rose to 20.5% in the first quarter of 2026 from 13.2% a year earlier and is likely to continue edging toward 25% in coming months, he added.
(Reporting by Amir Orusov and Mathias de Rozario; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
