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Tesla sales rise around 2.4% in France in October

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Drop in Norway after rising for several months

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Tesla facing fierce competition in Europe from Chinese EV

makers

By Nick Carey

LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Tesla's sales plunged

in October in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in the latest sign that

the U.S. electric vehicle maker's European struggles continue,

but the company posted a small gain in France for the second

consecutive month.

The automaker's new car registrations - a proxy for sales -

dropped 89% in Sweden, 86% in Denmark and 50% in Norway. Tesla

had seen sales rise in a number of European markets in September

after falling for most of this year.

Tesla's sales rose almost 2.4% in France, slightly below the

2.9% growth in total sales in that market.

The drop in Norway came after several months of growth in a

market where almost all new cars sold were EVs and Tesla has

remained the country's largest automaker.

Tesla has been hit by falling sales in Europe this year

because it has a small, ageing lineup of models at a time when

legacy manufacturers and Chinese rivals are releasing new EV

models at a rapid clip. Through September Tesla's sales were

down 28.5% in Europe versus the first nine months of 2024.

The company has also faced a backlash from some European

consumers against CEO Elon Musk, who helped bankroll Donald

Trump's U.S. presidential election victory last year and has

championed European far-right parties.

In Denmark, Tesla was outsold by several Chinese EV brands,

including BYD, Xpeng ( XPEV ) and Geely's

Zeekr.

"Car buyers have more choice than ever, with an influx of

new EVs from established manufacturers and ambitious newcomers

from China," said Ginny Buckley, CEO of electric-car buying and

advice site Electrifying.com. "Tesla no longer has the market to

itself and that seems to be showing in its sales figures in

Europe."

In Sweden, Tesla sold just 133 vehicles, lagging not just

mainstream brands but also luxury German automaker Porsche

, which sold 172 cars. Through October, Tesla's sales

in Sweden are down 67% versus the same period last year.