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Official figures released on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) revealed a further decline in Tesla registrations, with only 1,429 electric vehicles recorded in February—a precipitous 76 percent drop from the previous year—coinciding with intensified scrutiny of billionaire Elon Musk’s outspoken endorsement of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) during the nation’s recent electoral contest.
This latest downturn follows a near-60 percent collapse in Tesla’s German sales in January, a slide precipitated by Musk’s high-profile foray into the country’s political arena, culminating in a cumulative 70 percent reduction across the first two months of 2025 in Europe’s largest automotive market.
The KBA data underscores a stark contrast between Tesla’s faltering performance and the broader context of Germany’s electric vehicle sector, with Musk’s vocal alignment with the AfD—expressed prominently during the campaign leading to the February 23 election—emerging as a pivotal factor in the American manufacturer’s diminishing foothold.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded a historic result in national elections on February 23, securing almost 21 percent of the vote.
The AfD was boosted by the vocal support of Musk, who used his social media platform X to say that only the far-right party could “save Germany”.
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), despite commanding substantial voter support in recent ballots, finds itself politically isolated within Germany’s legislative assembly, as mainstream parties uphold a resolute cordon sanitaire—invoking the nation’s shadowed history to justify their refusal to engage in alliances with the controversial faction.
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Germany’s market for electrically propelled vehicles has weathered a turbulent year, beleaguered by the abrupt cessation of a vital state-backed incentive program and a perceptible retreat in European enthusiasm for such technology—an economic double blow that has reverberated through the automotive sector.
In a striking divergence, Tesla’s commercial fortunes have continued to erode, even as the wider sphere of electric vehicle transactions exhibits signs of resurgence—a juxtaposition that has confounded expectations and sharpened focus on the American firm’s faltering trajectory.
According to statistics unveiled by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) on March 5, 2025, registrations of battery-driven automobiles surged to approximately 36,000 in February, a robust escalation of 31 percent over the same interval in 2024, heralding a cautious revival within the industry.
Conversely, the aggregate count of newly licensed vehicles dwindled to 203,400 during the month, reflecting a 6.4 percent contraction from January’s totals—a metric that underscores a broader attenuation in Germany’s automotive demand amid shifting economic currents.
