Tesla registrations crash 17% in Europe as BEV market surges 14%
Hacker News
February 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Tesla’s European registrations dropped 17% in January 2026, falling to 8,075 vehicles across the EU, EFTA, and UK compared to the same month last year. This decline comes despite the broader battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market surging by 13.9%, with 189,062 units registered. The drop is particularly concerning because January 2025 was already a weak period for Tesla due to its Model Y production transition, and this year’s figures show no recovery despite the refreshed model being widely available.
The BEV market’s growth has been fueled by strong performances in key markets like France (+52.1%), Germany (+23.8%), and Denmark (+52.7%). Excluding Tesla, the EV market would have grown 15.9% year-over-year, highlighting how Tesla’s struggles are holding back the overall sector. In contrast, Chinese automaker BYD registered a significant 165% increase in sales, surpassing Tesla’s volumes and securing a 1.9% market share compared to Tesla’s 0.8%.
Tesla’s challenges extend beyond production issues. Norway, once a dominant market for the company, saw registrations plummet by 76.3% due to the end of tax exemptions. Meanwhile, the broader European car market is rapidly shifting toward electrification, with petrol and diesel cars declining sharply (-28.2% combined) and plug-in hybrids surging by 32.2%. Hybrid-electric vehicles remain the most popular choice at 38.6% market share.
The decline in Tesla’s registrations raises questions about its ability to compete in Europe’s evolving EV landscape. While traditional automakers like Stellantis and Volkswagen Group are growing their EV offerings, Tesla is struggling to
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/24/2026