Tesla Europe sales lowest in 15 months

The carmaker registered just 13,951 vehicles in April, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said Wednesday, down 2.3% from a year ago and its worst tally since January 2023. Tesla’s result was an exception in an otherwise encouraging month for battery-electric vehicle sales, which rose 14% industrywide.

Tesla similarly reported a downturn in shipments from its Shanghai factory for the month, in contrast with strong growth for China’s broader plug-in car industry. Musk told investors on April 23 that the company expected to bounce back from several issues that affected production in the first quarter, including Red Sea shipping disruptions and the suspected arson of power lines near its German sport utility vehicle plant. “We think Q2 will be a lot better,” Musk said during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call.

Tesla shares declined as much as 1.8% before the start of regular trading Wednesday.