Tesla Inc.’s registrations plummeted in Germany last month as Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk irked voters taking part in the country’s closely contested federal election.
Sales plunged 76% to 1,429 cars, according to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority. Tesla’s showing was in stark contrast with overall electric vehicle registrations, which jumped 31% in February.
Musk endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany in the months leading up to the Feb. 23 election, throwing his weight behind an anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party that’s assailed the country’s political establishment.
While the AfD vaulted into second place, the likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to keep the party at arm’s length.
Through the first two months of the year, Tesla’s sales are down 71% in Germany and 44% in France, the two biggest EV markets within the European Union.
In the U.K., which surpassed Germany last year as the top EV market in the region, Tesla’s registrations are up 11% through the first two months, after a big gain in February.
Craig Trudell and Marilen Martin, Bloomberg News
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