Summary
Tesla's European sales fell nearly 45% in February amid backlash over Elon Musk's political ties to Donald Trump and controversial actions, including support for Germany's far-right AfD party.
The company sold fewer than 16,000 cars, dropping its market share to 9.6%, the lowest February figure in five years.
Meanwhile, Chinese rival BYD reported global revenue of $100 billion, surpassing Tesla. Volkswagen and BMW also saw significant EV sales growth.
Analysts attribute Tesla’s decline to both political controversy and a Model Y update.