Tesla sales are collapsing in Europe as the public are put off by Elon Musk’s vocal support for Donald Trump. It’s an object lesson in how politics can come at a cost to business, says Eliot Wilson

Last week it was reported that Tesla sales in Europe fell by 45 per cent in January compared to the same month in 2024, despite the market for electric vehicles being otherwise buoyant. This has led to inevitable speculation that the European public is turning away from the brand because of the high-profile and controversial involvement of its CEO, Elon Musk, in the provocative antics of Donald Trump’s second presidency: politics is costing him money.

Let us get some technical aspects out of the way which Musk’s supporters will – with justification – offer in mitigation. First, Tesla sales have tended to dip in January over recent years, though not by such a substantial margin. Second, the company’s Model Y compact crossover SUV, its bestselling model, is undergoing a facelift: the new version was launched in China in January for delivery there and in the United States, Canada and Mexico beginning in March, and it has only just become

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