Tesla sales have careened lower in Germany in January, as sales of the electric vehicle company headed by Elon Musk tumble across Europe.
The German trade group VDA reported that Tesla new-vehicle registrations fell 60% in January, which is the biggest percentage drop for an automaker that’s sold at least 1,000 cars in the country.
The German news comes after the French trade group PFA reported a 63% drop in Tesla sales in the country in January. In the U.K., Tesla sales fell a more modest 8%, but against a market where battery electric vehicles are up 42% year-on-year, according to the U.K. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Musk has taken a high-profile role not just in the Trump administration that’s unpopular in Europe but in German politics, where he’s endorsed the anti-immigration AfD party ahead of the Feb. 23 federal election.
Tesla stock (TSLA) fell 1% in premarket trade. The stock has slipped 3% this year but doubled over the last 52 weeks.
According to FactSet, Germany is Tesla’s third-largest market by revenue, though at 2.2% of the total it trails the 49% from the U.S. and the 21% from China.
France is the number-seven market, at 1.5%, according to FactSet.
