New car registrations for Tesla fell sharply in several key European markets in December, underscoring the company’s mounting challenges across the region even as it posted record sales in Norway, Europe’s most mature electric-vehicle market.
In France and Sweden, Tesla registrations declined by roughly two-thirds or more last month, extending a slowdown that has weighed on the automaker’s European performance since late 2024.
Sharp declines in France and Sweden
In France, Europe’s third-largest car market after Germany and Britain, Tesla registrations — commonly used as a proxy for vehicle sales — fell 66% in December to 1,942 vehicles, according to data released by PFA on Thursday.
For the full year, Tesla registrations in France dropped 37%, reflecting sustained pressure on demand.
Sweden saw an even steeper monthly decline. Tesla registrations fell 71% in December to 821 vehicles, data from Mobility Sweden showed.
On a full-year basis, registrations in Sweden declined 70% in 2025.
The weakness in these markets comes despite Tesla rolling out cheaper versions of its Model Y and Model 3 across Europe, a move that had been expected to revive demand.
So far, the strategy has failed to meaningfully reverse the downturn.
Competition, protests weigh on brand
Tesla’s European sales have been slowing since late 2024 amid intensifying competition from both established automakers and new entrants, an ageing vehicle lineup, and protests linked to CEO Elon Musk’s public praise of European right-wing political figures.
These factors have weighed on brand perception in several countries, particularly in Western and Northern Europe.
Up to November, Tesla’s market share across Europe, Britain and the European Free Trade Association slipped to 1.7%, down from 2.4% in the same period of 2024, according to industry data.
Norway stood out as a clear exception. Tesla registrations there jumped 89% in December from a year earlier to 5,679 vehicles, registration data showed on Friday.
The brand captured more than 19% of the Norwegian car market in 2025, setting a new annual sales record.
Tesla’s strong showing in Norway reflects the country’s unique EV landscape, where almost all new car sales are electric and supportive policies have long favoured battery-powered vehicles.
Analysts brace for global delivery decline
The uneven European performance comes as analysts expect Tesla to report a significant decline in global vehicle deliveries later Friday.
Consensus expectations suggest deliveries fell by around 11% year over year in the fourth quarter.
Tesla took the unusual step earlier this week of publishing its own average of analyst estimates, which was even more pessimistic and pointed to a 15% drop.
The company-compiled consensus of 20 brokers forecasts fourth-quarter deliveries of 422,850 vehicles.
By comparison, the FactSet consensus stands at roughly 440,000 units, down from about 460,000 just a few weeks ago.
More recent analyst estimates have drifted lower, with some clustering closer to 415,000 vehicles.
For context, Tesla delivered around 497,000 vehicles in the third quarter of 2025 and approximately 496,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2024, underscoring how sharply demand has cooled.
Policy shifts add to pressure
A major driver of the slowdown has been the expiration of the US federal electric-vehicle purchase tax credit, worth up to $7,500, at the end of September.
The policy change made EVs more expensive overnight and pulled forward demand into the third quarter, when Tesla posted a record 497,099 deliveries.
That surge, however, also set the stage for a weaker finish to the year.
In Europe, Tesla’s challenges are particularly stark.
Through the first 11 months of last year, Tesla sales across the region fell 28%, even as industry-wide registrations of battery-electric vehicles jumped 27%, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The data highlights the extent to which Tesla has been losing ground to rivals in a market that continues to expand overall.
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