Tesla records lowest Australian sales in two years

Sales of Tesla electric cars – the best-selling electric-only car brand in both Australia and the world in 2024 – have fallen to record lows as CEO Elon Musk becomes increasingly involved in global politics.

Figures released by the Electric Vehicle Council show January 2025 Tesla sales in Australia fell 33 per cent to 739 compared to 1107 in January 2024.

The Tesla Model 3 – the second-best selling electric car sold locally in 2024 – suffered the most with a significant 62 per cent drop, posting 274 sales against 723 in January 2023.

While January is typically a slow sales month for new vehicles, the result is the lowest figure for Tesla in Australia since July 2022 – which was impacted by a COVID-related shutdown which saw only four sales officially recorded. 

While January Tesla sales figures for the United States are yet to be released, the brand’s Europe figures revealed a 13 per cent fall.

France saw the sharpest drop of 63 per cent – compared to a 0.5 per cent fall for electric car sales overall – followed by Germany with 41 per cent lower sales year-on-year.

Musk – who became part of US President Donald Trump’s administration inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – has publicly declared support for Germany’s far-right ‘Alternative for Germany’ party.

He was also embroiled in controversy after performing a Nazi salute while addressing the crowd at the inauguration, having celebrated Trump’s election win after donating more than $US288 million ($AU463.25 million) to his campaign, according to the latest figures published by The Washington Post.

According to website Politico, a Tesla showroom was vandalised with swastikas – the emblem used by the German Nazi party (National Socialist German Workers’ Party) in the 1930s and 1940s.

While it is unclear how much Musk’s political views have impacted Tesla sales, the car maker’s ageing line-up as well as reduced subsidies in some countries may have also contributed to the lower sales result.

In Australia, sales for electric brand Polestar also fell a significant 45 per cent year-in-year in January 2025.

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