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Tesla’s sales in France dropped by 63 percent

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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

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Xiaomi SU7 overtook Tesla Model 3 in sales in China

Since it appeared on the market in early 2024, no one could have predicted that Xiaomi’s first car would experience such success. In just eight months since its debut, Xiaomi has shipped more than 130,000 SU7s, and in December it managed to outsell the Tesla Model 3.

Xiaomi currently offers several versions of this model, and all of them achieve outstanding sales results. That’s big for a company whose primary market is China, home of the biggest EV manufacturers. So, why are buyers more likely to opt for the SU7 than the Tesla Model 3?

The biggest difference between these two models is the price. With a starting price of 26,710 euros for the Standard version, the SU7 beats Tesla’s Model 3 by almost 10 percent, as it costs at least 29,000 euros. Also, Tesla recently increased the prices of all versions of the Model 3 in China, and with the growing competition from domestic manufacturers, this represents a rather big challenge for Tesla’s dominance in the Chinese market.

Chinese manufacturers think differently. They listen more to the needs of local buyers , offering more attractive cars at competitive prices and putting a lot of pressure on international brands. This will become even more evident when the Xiaomi YU7 hits the market, which will happen in the summer of this year.

Source: Reuters

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Tesla’s Cybercab can be operated via a controller

In early October, Tesla unveiled its self-driving car, the Cybercab, without traditional controls and without any driver control. Now, sources at the Petersen Museum, where the Cybercab is on display until next year, have revealed that the car can be controlled via a controller.

According to AutoEvolution, the Tesla Cybercab comes with a small Xbox-like controller that plugs into the car and is used for steering and pedals. A recently released video shows the car climbing a ramp while a person sits in the front seat, who is believed to be using the controller. Sources have confirmed that the controller was indeed used at the museum, but that it is also possible to control the car wirelessly from outside the vehicle.

Currently, Tesla is looking for an operator to use their Cybercab cars, but many believe that this will not happen in the next three years. The cars will be controlled remotely in order to address safety and navigation issues that robotaxi vehicles will not be able to handle on their own.

One of the problems that the American company needs to solve in the coming period is the maintenance of these vehicles, and some companies have given up on providing this service due to high costs. Also, some markets are currently unavailable for Cybercab due to strict regulations, so Texas is considered an ideal place to start.

Source: Tesla, via Instagram