Tag Archives: Germany

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

The VDA proposes a ban on the sale of fossil fuels in Germany from 2045

The European Union plans to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, meaning buyers will be able to choose electric or hydrogen cars, but some members are against it. Now, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is proposing a ban on the sale of fossil fuels in the EU from 2045.

Germany was one of the proponents to extend the sale of cars with ICE after 2035, but on the condition that only synthetic fuels are used. However, not everyone is convinced that this is a good thing. The chairman of the management board of BMW Oliver Zipse recently said that lawmakers shouldn’t rush with shutting down internal combustion engines. Instead, the EU should encourage the adoption of low-CO2 fuels as soon as possible. Not only for new cars but also for the existing fleet, because there are over 250 million cars in 27 EU countries.

“At the moment there are many indications that the European Commission is looking for a false solution whereby the ban on internal combustion engines is relaxed through an obviously misleading solution in the form of synthetic fuels,” Zipse said.

However, the VDA wants to ban the sale of petrol and diesel for new and old cars so that drivers switch to synthetic fuels, in order to reduce CO2.

Germany plans to have 15 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, but the reality is somewhat different, considering that this country is recording the biggest drop in sales of electric vehicles.

Source: Reuters

EV

XPeng G9 and P7 now available in Germany

Another Chinese car manufacturer, XPeng, has arrived on the European market with its two new electric models, the XPeng G9 SUV and the XPeng P7 sedan. This company was founded in 2014, and after Scandinavia and Germany, it plans to conquer other EU markets as well as Great Britain.

XPeng P7 will be offered in three versions: Long Range, Performance and Wing Edition. The standard version (Long Range) will be powered by an electric motor with 276 hp (203 kW), while the other two versions will be powered by two electric motors with a total power of 473 hp (348 kW). The Long Range version will be equipped with an 82.7 kWh battery that provides a range of 576 kilometers. The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 29 minutes. The Performance and Wing Edition versions will have a slightly shorter range (505 km), and when it comes to the price of the Long Range version, it will start at 49,600 euros.

XPeng G9 SUV will be offered in three versions: Standard Range, Long Range and Performance. The Standard Range version is powered by a single electric motor with 313 hp (230 kW). It is equipped with a 75.8 kWh battery that enables a range of 460 kilometers. The Long Range version has a larger 93.1 kWh battery and a range of 570 km. The most powerful version, Performance, is equipped with two electric motors with a total power of 551 hp (405 kW) and a range of 520 km. The 75.8 kWh battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 20 minutes. The price of this model starts at 57,600 euros.

Source: XPeng