* More bad news for Tesla

* Changan drives into Europe

* BYD juggernaut rolls on

Tesla takes some more hits

In the 22 years since it was founded, Tesla has experienced

years of crisis, with no shortage of stock jumps and occasional

slumps.

And each slump is unique.

Tesla has now seen two consecutive months of plunging sales and

market share in Europe. Traditional carmakers Volkswagen and

BMW, once left in Tesla's dust, both outsold the EV maker in

February in Europe.

Tesla also had to recall just over 46,000 Cybertrucks in the

United States - almost every vehicle it has sold there - to fix

an exterior panel that can detach while driving.

This merely serves to illustrate that the electric pickup, which

Elon Musk originally unveiled in 2019 accompanied by a video of

it besting a Ford F-150, has not been the success he claimed it

would be.

I asked the clever folks at market research firm Cox Automotive

how the Cybertruck stacks up against other models on the U.S.

market and the answer was it "does well for an EV pickup truck."

But Ford sold more F-Series pickup trucks in a single month in

February (58,310) than the Cybertruck has sold since it

launched.

Oh, and there's more, with a record number of Tesla trade-ins

amid a wave of protests against Musk's work for Trump.

Now, Tesla has been written off before only to bounce back

stronger than ever, confounding its detractors.

And it's fair to say that the refreshed version of the Model Y

may well help sales rebound.

But what makes this particular slump different from others is

that Musk himself seems less invested in a comeback.

Back in 2018 when Tesla was going through "production hell" as

it scaled up assembly of the mass-market Model 3, Musk was

famous for going all-in and sleeping on the factory floor to

make it work.

Other than getting his new friend President Trump to use the

power and pomp of the presidency to hawk Teslas at the White

House, Musk seems much more interested in Washington than

Austin, Texas.

If Tesla reports poor first-quarter results next month, watch

for far more vociferous complaints from investors about Musk's

absence.

Recommended reading:

* FBI probing "violent activity" toward Tesla

* Kyle Vogt raises $150 million for robotics startup

* Lamborghini, Mercedes-Maybach's Indian expansion

Changan joins the fray in Europe

Changan belatedly became the latest of the big Chinese

automakers to launch in Europe, saying it will enter 10 markets

across the continent this year with EV models.

The third-largest Chinese automaker by sales, Changan joins BYD,

Geely and Chery in trying to break through in Europe's

competitive market.

The group showcased its electric SUV Deepal S07, its first model

for the European market, which starts at 45,000 euros ($48,775),

which will be followed by the Changan E07 and some hybrid models

in 2026.

Changan also plans a sales and services network across Europe,

with more than 1,000 dealerships. 

Like its Chinese rivals, Changan has grown rapidly and last year

was the world's No. 12 global automaker.

But like those other Chinese automakers, Changan will have to

fight for sales because few Europeans have ever heard of it.

BYD, on a roll

BYD posted a 73.1% jump in fourth-quarter net profit as China's

No. 1 automaker continues to go from strength to strength.

Unlike rival Tesla, whose shares are down 31% year-to-date,

BYD's are up 31%.

The Chinese company has been on a roll, overtaking Volkswagen in

2024 to become China's top-selling automaker, rolling out

cheaper models as it leads the crowd in a brutal two-year price

war in the world's largest car market.

BYD has also stunned the industry in recent weeks by unveiling a

new  super-charging  EV technology platform and announcing it

will offer  smart driving features  as standard on even its

cheaper models.

The company grew more than 40% to become the world's No. 7

automaker in 2024. If it matches that pace in 2025, it could

take the No. 3 spot.

Spain to build Leapmotor B10

Stellantis and Chinese partner Leapmotor will invest $200

million in a Spanish factory to produce the B10 electric

crossover for the European market from 2026, China's embassy in

Spain says.

Leapmotor's B10 is the first of a B series of EVs for overseas

markets, and Stellantis ( STLA ) says the model will bring "high-tech,

affordable EVs" to consumers outside China.

Leapmotor and Stellantis ( STLA )  scrapped  the original plan to make

the B10 in Poland after the Chinese government told automakers

to stop investing in European countries that supported imposing

tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

Fast Laps

General Motors  will use artificial intelligence chips and

software from Nvidia to develop autonomous vehicle technology

for its vehicles and improve workflow at its factories.

Chinese automakers Zeekr and Xpeng said they will start selling

EVs with technology that allows drivers to drive hands free.

Volkswagen sold a 2.2% stake in Traton for 360 million euros to

promote better trading in shares of its commercial-vehicle

subsidiary.

Potential U.S. tariffs on European-made products could hit

revenue at luxury carmaker Lamborghini, its CEO said.

Bentley posted its lowest annual revenue since the COVID

pandemic struck in 2020 as the British luxury automaker faced a

tough global market in 2024, but said it was pursuing "value

over volume."

Stellantis ( STLA ) is offering a new round of buyouts for some of its

U.S. factory workers as the automaker looks to cut costs

following a difficult 2024.

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(Editing by Mark Potter)