Tesla sales crisis: 94% of Germans don't want Elon Musk's EVs according to survey by German news portal T-Online
To claim that the popularity of Tesla-Vehicles in Germany has waned is probably an understatement. If a recent survey of 100,000 Germans is anything to go by, the last spark of motivation to buy a Tesla electric car seems to have been extinguished. At a time when EVs are becoming more and more popular, this is something of an anomaly.
The survey was initiated by T-Online and the number of participating readers is likely to be record-breaking. This type of survey is obviously not representative, but it is thought-provoking. According to the survey, 94% of respondents said they would not buy a Tesla car. In fact, Tesla's sales plummeted by around 41% in 2024, while at the same time sales of other brands' EVs increased by around 27%. In the first two months of 2025, sales in Germany fell even more sharply, by 70.6%.
It seems obvious to many that this has to do with Elon Musk's recent involvement in politics. However, industry experts have also stated that Musk's involvement with Germany's far-right AFD party has had a negative impact on Tesla car sales. This party received around 20% of the vote in the last election.
Furthermore, Elon Musk's special welcome gesture at President Trump's inauguration is unlikely to have improved his popularity in Germany. Now, you might think that this group of voters includes potential new Tesla prospects, but the problem might be that the AFD has often railed against Tesla in the past. One example is the ad below, which is a sarcastic parody of a famous German Christmas carol: "Advent, Advent a Tesla is burning".
70.6% fewer Tesla sales: possible further reasons for Tesla's sales crisis
In 2025, Tesla sales in Germany once again fell significantly compared to 2024, dropping by 70.6% in the first two months of the year. But the trend is not only declining in Germany; sales figures in Europe also fell by 43.5% in the first two months. The Tesla Model 3 (-81.4 %) and the Model Y (-55.4 %) have been particularly affected.
In addition, increased cases of Vandalism of Tesla vehicles and Superchargers support the assumption that the decline in sales could have personal reasons, such as anger at Musk's public behavior described above.
There is also speculation that the sales crisis could be related to the fact that the standard version of the Model Y is currently not available, while the premium version has only recently been launched. Increasing competition from brands such as Volkswagen, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda and BYD is likely to intensify the challenges for Tesla. Whether the new facelift of the Model Y can save the situation remains to be seen. If you already own a Tesla and don't feel particularly good about it, you can make a statement with an "I bought this before Elon went crazy" sticker.
Source(s)
Electrek, T-Online, Auto Motor Sport
