Tesla Notches Over Twofold Increase in European Monthly Sales

By Mauro Orru

Tesla logged a more than twofold jump in European monthly sales in May as Elon Musk's electric-vehicle maker continues to rebuild strength in a region where Chinese rivals are gaining ground.

New-car registrations for Tesla models, a reflection of sales, more than doubled on year last month to 28,610 units across the European Union, the U.K., Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, an industry body also known as ACEA. In the EU alone, Tesla sold 21,767 vehicles, also more than double from a year earlier.

May marks the fourth consecutive month of growth for Tesla's sales in the continent, a sign that drivers are embracing its lineup of electric vehicles after more than a year in which Chinese rivals were making big gains and Tesla was in decline. February was the first month of higher new-car registrations for the company since December 2024, according to a review of ACEA data.

Aside from Chinese competition and difficulties in convincing drivers to switch to electric, Tesla had also been grappling with customer backlash due to Musk's involvement with the Trump administration while he oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency.

The latest ACEA figures show that the group is steadily regaining momentum in Europe, though competition from Chinese rivals isn't going away: BYD registrations more than doubled last month to 32,380 units, according to ACEA data, while Leapmotor logged a nearly sixfold increase to 9,945 vehicles.

Tesla's rebound comes as the company seeks approval for its full self-driving technology in the EU. In April, the Netherlands became the first country in the bloc to greenlight the system that helps drivers change lanes and navigate around other vehicles and objects. FSD doesn't make vehicles fully autonomous and is meant to be used only with a fully attentive driver, according to Tesla's website.

Since then, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, and Belgium have recognized the Dutch approval, allowing Tesla to roll out FSD in those countries while EU authorities review an application from the Netherlands Vehicle Authority to make FSD available across the bloc.

The market for battery-electric vehicles in Europe grew 39% last month. Registrations of hybrid-electric cars gained 8.2%, while plug-in-hybrid models were up more than 13%.

ACEA said monthly passenger-car registrations increased 3.6% in Europe as a whole and 3.2% in the EU, with sales up 0.1% in Germany, 3.7% in France and 7.6% in Italy.

Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 23, 2026 00:14 ET (04:14 GMT)