Tag Archives: European market

News

Tesla’s sales in France dropped by 63 percent

In 2024, Tesla sold 1.7 million vehicles worldwide (1.1% less than in 2023), and the beginning of 2025 shows that the same trend will continue. According to sales results for January, Tesla is losing in all markets, and the biggest drop was recorded in France of 63%.

Demand for electric vehicles in Europe last year was in decline, especially after the abolition of subsidies, and buyers are increasingly opting for hybrids. However, some data shows that the electric vehicle market is slowly recovering.

Tesla’s sales decline came as the German electric vehicle market grew by more than 50 percent year-on-year in January, knocking its market share from 14% to just 4%. In France, Tesla sales fell by 63 percent in January, while in Norway 38 percent fewer Tesla vehicles were sold. In the UK, sales fell by 8 percent compared to a year earlier.

What is the biggest reason for Tesla’s poor performance? Some believe Musk’s support for the AfD party is one reason. Last month, Musk hosted Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD, on his social media platform for a 75-minute debate in which she falsely claimed that Adolf Hitler was a socialist. The AfD is also a party that calls for mass deportations of migrants and uses Nazi slogans in its campaign, and has been classified as right-wing extremist by Germany’s intelligence agency.

This choice of sides and interference in the German elections, which will be held on February 23, has been criticized by both Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz.

Automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt attributed Tesla’s decline in the German market to consumers waiting for the upgraded Model Y, which is scheduled for the first half of 2025. An entrepreneur from the state of Baden-Württemberg said he received 2,000 orders in one weekend, with customers saying: “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”

Source: Reuters

News

Toyota sold over 1 million C-HRs in Europe

In 2016, Toyota launched a subcompact crossover SUV, the Toyota C-HR, and it took just eight years for over 1 million cars to be delivered to their owners. We are only talking about cars sold on European soil, which is a respectable achievement for the world’s largest car manufacturer.

Why is this car so popular? Well, Toyota’s plan was to design a car that would be attractive to customers, which turned out to be a complete hit, as design was decisive for customers in choosing this SUV. Since it appeared on the market, it has become one of Toyota’s best-selling models, and in 2024 alone, over 100,000 customers chose the C-HR.

In 2023, the second generation of this model was launched, which also turned out to be good timing. Precisely in that period, the popularity of SUV cars began to grow intensively, so it can be said that Toyota was lucky. It is offered with three powertrain versions: 1.8 L 2ZR-FXE I4 engine combined with an electric motor for a total output of 140 hp (103 kW), 2.0 L M20A-FXS I4 engine combined with motors for a total output of 194 hp (145 kW) , and a plug-in hybrid variant with a 2.0-L M20A-FXS I4 engine combined with a motor for a total output of 220 hp (164 kW). All versions use an eCVT transmission.

Source: Toyota

News

BYD sent a ship with 5,000 EVs to Europe

In March 2024, Chinese carmaker BYD ordered seven new transport ships to meet the goals and the increasing demand for electric cars in Europe. The first of the new ships (BYD Changzhou) set sail from the port of Yantai in late November with 5,000 new EVs.

The 200-meter-long ship, with a capacity of 7,000 vehicles, headed for the ports of Bristol (UK) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) with vehicles produced in several plants. It was built to high international standards and uses a dual-fuel LNG drive, which reduces carbon emissions during the journey.

These seven ships will help BYD to transport its cars around the world faster. Currently, Chinese companies own fewer than 50 car cargo ships, and their combined capacity is less than 150,000 vehicles. In comparison, Japanese companies have ships that can transport 1.6 million vehicles.

“Having our own ships helps us better control our exports. We can now deliver our environmentally friendly vehicles to customers around the world in an even more efficient manner,” the company said.

Since the beginning of the year, Chinese manufacturers have exported 5.28 million vehicles, up 25 percent from 2023. BYD currently operates in 99 countries and regions around the world, and plans to acquire more ships to enhance its global supply of quality and environmentally friendly vehicles.

Source: BYD