Tesla Sees EV Sales Grow In Germany, But Lags Behind VW, Škoda

BERLIN, April 9 (Bernama-dpa) -- Sales by United States (US) electric carmaker Tesla in Germany rose significantly in the first quarter, particularly due to a strong performance in March, according to figures by German authorities released on Thursday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Over 12,800 Teslas were registered in Germany in the first three months of the year, including some 9,250 in March alone, according to figures from the KBA national motor transport authority.

Only Germany's Volkswagen and Czech carmaker Škoda saw better electric vehicle sales in the first quarter, with German luxury brand BMW dropping from second to fifth place.

It comes after the KBA reported a sharp decline in Tesla sales in Germany last year, with Elon Musk's company only ranking ninth among EV sales in 2025.

Experts attribute last year's development to the growing unpopularity of Musk, who has attracted attention for his right-wing views and proximity to United States (US) President Donald Trump, before they fell out in the middle of last year.

Sales of Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 have since picked up significantly again in Germany, with the Model Y the most popular SUV across all manufacturers in March, according to the KBA.

New registrations of EVs rose across the board last month to nearly 71,000 battery electric vehicles, up 66.2 per cent compared to the same month last year, the data shows.

It came as fuel prices in Germany skyrocketed amid the conflict in West Asia.

But observers mainly attribute the surge in EV sales to a new government subsidy.

Other carmakers, including Volkswagen, Škoda and China's BYD, also saw growing sales last month.

-- BERNAMA-dpa