Tesla sales in the United States fell almost 9 percent in the first three months of the year, even when the general market for electric vehicles grew, according to the data compiled by a research firm.
Automobile buyers are moving away from Teslas and towards models as General Motors’ Chevrolet Equinox Electric Vehicle, which begins at around $ 35,000 and can travel more than 300 miles with a position, Cox Automotive, the investigation firm, in a report.
Sales of fully electric vehicles in the United States increased 11 percent during the first quarter to approximately 300,000 cars and light trucks, Cox said, much faster than the car market in general, which has been stable. About 8 percent of the new national car sales were electric, said Cox, a slight increase of 2024.
“Despite many obstacles, and what you can read elsewhere, sales of electric vehicles continue to grow at a healthy rate in the US market,” the company said.
Tesla, whose executive director is Elon Musk, still sells many more electric cars in the United States than any other car manufacturer, which represents 44 percent of the market, according to COX. But their participation has fallen from 51 percent of the previous year.
The decrease in US sales of Tesla reflects a global fall. The company said this month that you deliver them during the quarter in all markets fell 13 percent to 337,000 vehicles.
Analysts attribute the decline to the selection of Tesla aging models; Bad sales of his most recent, Cybertruck; growing competition; And Mr. Musk’s hug to President Trump and right -wing policy, which has led to protests for Tesla’s dealers and alienated many buyers. Democrats and independent are more likely to buy electric vehicles than Republicans.
In addition, Cybertruck’s sales have not lived up to the projections made by Mr. Musk. Tesla sold 6,400 Cybertruck trucks during the quarter, more than double the year before, when the company was still increasing production, but only half of the last three months of 2024.
Traditional automobile manufacturers took to offer electric vehicles that could compete with Tesla for technology and design, but had updated. GM sold 10,300 equinoxes in the quarter. The vehicle was not available a year earlier. GM brands, which also include Cadillac and GMC, represented 11 percent of the electric vehicle market during the quarter, compared to 6 percent of the previous year.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E was the best-selling electric vehicle that was not a Tesla, according to Cox figures. But Electric Mustang sales can suffer in the coming months. It is made in Mexico and is now subject to Trump’s 25 percent tariff on imported cars. That could force Ford to increase the price of the car.
It is expected that Trump’s commercial war has a minor effect in Tesla, because the company manufactures all cars it sells in the United States in Factories in California and Texas. But it will still be injured. Tesla stopped accepting orders from Chinese customers for their S and model X model, luxury vehicles that the company only makes in California, after China imposed great taxes on US imports in retaliation for Mr. Trump’s rates.
Claire Fu Contributed reports.
