Elon Musk’s Tesla is facing a global assault and nothing sums up the nightmare situation better than Australia.
Tesla’s Australian sales slide has continued, with the brand recording a significant reduction in sales last month compared to the previous year.
The nation’s best-selling electric vehicle brand recorded 1592 sales in February, which was more than double the disastrous 739 deliveries notched in January.
But that number is significantly down on the 5665 sales of February 2024.
That represents a reduction of more than 70 per cent.
The manufacturer is in interesting territory, fighting soft demand for electric vehicles and an increasingly hostile response toward chief executive Elon Musk.
Vandals have targeted Tesla vehicles around the globe, even prompting some owners to disguise their vehicles as other models.
Tesla sales can be bumpy, riding highs and lows as enormous car shipments roll through Australian ports.
Temporary delays such as summer’s Qube ports stevedore strike can have a noticeable effect.
But the brand’s sales dive is undeniable.
Tesla’s rolling average for the last six months is around 2100 sales per month, which is down from an average of around 3500 per month in the six months ending in August 2024.
There is light around the corner as local examples of the updated Tesla Model Y arrive, starting with the local debut of the new-look model at this weekend’s Everything Electric show in Sydney.
The manufacturer is fighting battles on several fronts.
In the US, rival brands such as Ford and Polestar are offering significant cash incentives to convince Tesla customers to switch allegiances.
Protesters have picketed Tesla dealerships in the US to hit out against Elon Musk’s close ties to President Trump and the DOGE department that has slashed public costs and jobs in America.
