Tesla EU Sales Fall 36.6%; Chinese EVs Surge

Tesla's EU sales plunged 36.6% in August to 8,220 vehicles, cutting the company's August market share to about 1.2% from 2% and leaving year-to-date sales down roughly 43% to about 85,673, according to ACEA data. Including EFTA countries and the U.K., Tesla's August deliveries fell about 22.5% to 14,831 units. The broader European battery-electric vehicle market rose about 30.2% in August and is up roughly 24.8% year-to-date to more than 1.13 million units. Chinese EV brands surged roughly 121% in August to about 43,529 units, doubling their market share to around 5.5% and outselling some legacy European marques that month. Observers say intensifying competition from Chinese automakers and political backlash against CEO Elon Musk — illustrated by protests such as a Berlin dealership being doused in paint — have weighed on Tesla's sales and stock, even as national incentives and stronger adoption in Germany, the U.K. and Norway are boosting overall EV uptake.