By JOHN-PAUL FORD ROJAS
Tesla sales plunged 62 per cent in the UK last month amid a mounting backlash against 'toxic' boss Elon Musk's role in Donald Trump's administration.
The electric car maker sold just 512 vehicles in April, the lowest level in more than two years, and down from 1,352 in the same month in 2024.
That was despite the fact that the wider electric vehicle market grew by 8.1 per cent, according to the figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Separate data showed that Tesla sales in Germany fell by 46 per cent in April to 885, also hitting the lowest level in more than two years.
The trend has been widely attributed to a boycott by consumers who are angry at Musk's key role in the US president's administration.
Musk is spearheading a 'department of government efficiency', widely known by its acronym Doge.
Toxic: Consumers are angry at Tesla boss Elon Musk's role in Donald Trump's administration and have been boycotting the electric car firm
Doge has gained notoriety for trying to ram through spending cuts, including the dismantling of USAID agency which helps some of the world's poorest.
Protesters in many countries have targeted Tesla – on some occasions turning to extremes with dealerships set on fire or spray painted and cars vandalised.
Sales have dropped across Europe, with demand in Germany down more than 60 per cent so far this year.
Until now, Britain has bucked the trend, with Tesla sales for the year-to-date down by only 1 per cent.
But the chaos stoked by the Trump administration intensified last month as the President announced a series of steep tariffs on trading partners, setting off carnage on global markets.
That appears to have caused consumers' patience to snap.
Shares in the firm are down almost a third so far this year wiping billions from Musk's fortune. And it has warned that it could be hurt by the trade war launched by Trump.
Professor David Bailey, a motoring expert at Birmingham University, said: 'Musk is toxic for many. Tesla sales are taking a big hit as a result.'
Sales of new cars fell 10.4 per cent in the UK last month as tax hikes and weak consumer confidence took their toll.
Registrations fell to 120,331 in April, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed. It was the sixth decline in seven months.
The latest drop came as ‘fragile economic confidence’ weighed on prospective buyers, the trade association said.
The SMMT also revealed a new market outlook which suggests government targets to sell more electric vehicles are even further from being met.
It predicts EVs will make up just 23.5 per cent of new car sales this year, compared to a goal of 28 per cent.
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