What's driving the dramatic drop in Tesla sales?

The Advertiser

04-06-2025

Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024.
The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president.
In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year.
Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall.
Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians.
According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs.
In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809.
There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures:
Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK.
Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said.
And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk."
There may be other factors as well, though.
Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin.
They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market."
But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following.
"The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades."
And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said.
The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back.
If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper.
But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles.
One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed.
"It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said.
She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it.
Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service.
He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly.
But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe.
Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is".
Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said.
"The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car."
Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024.
The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president.
In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year.
Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall.
Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians.
According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs.
In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809.
There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures:
Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK.
Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said.
And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk."
There may be other factors as well, though.
Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin.
They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market."
But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following.
"The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades."
And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said.
The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back.
If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper.
But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles.
One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed.
"It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said.
She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it.
Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service.
He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly.
But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe.
Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is".
Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said.
"The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car."
Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024.
The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president.
In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year.
Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall.
Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians.
According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs.
In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809.
There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures:
Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK.
Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said.
And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk."
There may be other factors as well, though.
Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin.
They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market."
But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following.
"The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades."
And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said.
The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back.
If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper.
But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles.
One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed.
"It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said.
She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it.
Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service.
He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly.
But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe.
Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is".
Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said.
"The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car."
Sales of Teslas in Australia have dropped dramatically in the wake of the Trump-Musk bromance. Figures just out show the brand's sales in Australia this year so far are half what they were for the same five months of 2024.
The dive in sales came as Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, became more controversial because of his scorched-earth aid to the American president.
In Canberra, often seen as a torch-bearer for electric vehicles, new figures show the Chinese brand BYD gaining ground rapidly. In the first five months of this year, it sold 490 cars in the ACT - a rate of three sales a day, well up on last year.
Tesla doesn't publish its sales numbers for the ACT but registrations with the government indicated a fall.
Across Australia, the new figures show that BYD has started out-selling the American car once thought to be the way forward for progressive Australians.
According to the stats, Australians bought 9,577 Teslas in the first five months of this year but 15,199 BYDs.
In the first five months of last year, the race was the other way round, with Tesla in the lead on 18,433 sales nationally and BYD on 7809.
There are two other takeaways from the new industry figures:
Another relative new-comer - Polestar - said its sales were growing substantially - up by 40 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Polestar has substantial Chinese money behind it but its research and development is based in Sweden and the UK.
Its managing director in Australia, Scott Maynard, thought the big need now was for far more charging stations in Australia beyond the current 2,500: "Crucial to the adoption of electric vehicles is the roll-out of charging infrastructure," he said.
And he accepted that politics may have tainted Tesla. "I think the brand has unfortunately been caught up in the politics of Elon Musk."
There may be other factors as well, though.
Richard and Dianne Czurnak are a two-car family: he drives a Tesla and she drives a BYD Dolphin.
They bought the Tesla nearly three years ago when, as he put it, "There was a lot less available on the market."
But then the BYD appeared, with more Chinese brands following.
"The Chinese brands all becoming very competitive in price," Mr Czumak said. He also felt that Tesla hadn't really developed new models at the pace the competition has. "It has stayed basically the same, with refreshers and upgrades."
And he accepted that Elon Musk's involvement in Trumpian politics may have tainted the brand. "We all understand there's a reputational aspect, and I think that has had an effect on the brand," he said.
The couple drive the BYD to Sydney and back, with a short charging stop off in Pheasants Nest, just short of Sydney - one charge gets them there and back.
If they were to buy a third car after their BYD and the Tesla, he would go for another Chinese car: the XPeng G6 is very similar to the Tesla Model Y - but cheaper.
But there's no doubt either that Mr Musk's association with Mr Trump has tainted the Tesla brand in some "progressive" circles.
One Canberra Tesla owner said earlier that she was embarrassed when she drove around. She avoided parking her cobalt blue Tesla too close to other cars in case the paintwork was keyed.
"It's a weird combination of embarrassment and rage," Diana Streak said.
She accepted that "it's a fantastic car", but didn't like its association with a politics she reviles. Her friends teased her about it.
Since then, Mr Musk has withdrawn as an active wielder of the chainsaw on the American public service.
He and Mr Trump haven't fallen out, or not yet at least - though the businessman has called Mr Trump's tax plans "a disgusting abomination", and Mr Trump isn't the sort to take such insults calmly.
But the earlier apparent warm friendship - or bromance - turned the Tesla brand toxic in the eyes of some former fans: "swasticars" was the common jibe.
Bumper stickers appeared saying: "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy" and "Bought it before we knew how awful he is".
Some said the car and the man were different - Mr Musk does not own a controlling share in Tesla. "Tesla is not Musk," Ross Hetherington, the vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia said.
"The amount of crap that's going on is insane," the Canberra-based Tesla fan said. "I bought the car because it's a great car."