Tesla sales plunged 45% in Europe in January, according to research firm Jato Dynamics, even as overall electric vehicle sales rose. That comes after a report of falling sales in California, its biggest U.S. market, and the first annual drop globally for the company last year.

“I don’t even want to drive it,” said Model 3 owner John Parnell, a Democrat from Ross, California, adding that he also is cancelling his order for the company’s Cybertruck, losing a $100 deposit. “He’s destroying the brand with his politics.”

The sales numbers were particularly bad in Germany and France in January, down roughly 60% each, more than the average decline for the more than two-dozen European countries surveyed. Sales in France fell another 26% in February.

More worrisome was the breakdown for Tesla’s individual models. Sales of Tesla’s Model 3 dropped 33% across all European countries even though that car is not being updated and there is no reason for buyers to wait

  • thejml@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    Elon Musk is probably the single worst thing for Tesla. Sure the FSD that drives into trains and lakes and people is a problem, but you can potentially fix or mitigate that with OTA updates and recalls.

    If the Tesla board was smart, they’d fire Elon as before he tarnishes the brand even further.

    • takeda@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      The thing is that he also was the reason why the stock was so inflated in the first place. I think that’s why they still keep him.

      If they remove him out likely will fall further, on the other hand if no one is buying their cars the company is nothing but a scam stock.

  • Moonrise2473@feddit.it
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    2 months ago

    Tesla now is definitely in panic mode! In my country they slashed the price of the model 3 by 4000 euro AND they’re doing mystery shopping inspections like the traditional carmakers!

    I make beer money with mystery shopping (Corporations pay me $2/hour to go to pretend to buy their product in their stores to report the customer experience). Traditional carmakers ask this to do all the time: KIA wants pictures of their ads in their dealers to see if the match the guidelines, Ford wants to know if i ask a oil change what price I will be quoted, Honda wants to know what people will be told if they ask to test drive a CBR650, and so on.

    New this month… TESLA! They never had to resort to this kind of stuff, that means they’re desperate.

    showing some mystery shops

  • Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io
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    2 months ago

    “Risks turning off car buyers and sinking … stock” Damage is already done, and continues. This isn’t a risk, it’s already happened.

  • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.org
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    2 months ago

    Tesla stock has been wildly inflated on just a P/E basis for at least a decade at this point. Musk has gone from asset to ass … I mean, “liability.” Not great, but not his problem. Not like he’s going to be panhandling if he loses $100 billion.

    • jarfil@beehaw.org
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      2 months ago

      Like every good billionaire, he’s been playing the stock game by taking on loans and exchanging stock, based on valuation (aka: hype). If the valuation plummets, then depending on his exposure, he could default on those loans and end up penniless.

      We don’t know his exposure level, he’s been avoiding anything that would require disclosing all his assets and liabilities, so we’ll have to wait and see.

  • Maeve@kbin.earth
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    2 months ago

    I saw one of those ugly swastiktrucks the other day, way out here in nowhere.

    • melp@beehaw.org
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      2 months ago

      I flip every single one off when I see them. Petty and childish? Yes. I can live with it.