Sales of new passenger cars in Germany fell by 2.8 percent year-on-year in January to 207,640 vehicles. But the pace of decline slowed from more than seven percent in December. Sales of electric cars rose by more than half, despite a sharp drop in demand for cars from US brand Tesla. That’s according to data released today by the Federal Motor Vehicle Authority (KBA). Sales by Czech carmaker Skoda Auto fell 1 percent to 16,526 vehicles in Germany in January. Skoda thus maintained its leading position among imported brands.
Tesla faces sales decline
Skoda’s share of the German car market rose to eight percent in January from 7.8 percent a year earlier, according to KBA data. Škoda Auto is part of the German Volkswagen Group. The group’s main brand, VW, maintained its overall lead in the German market in January, with sales up 11.6 percent to 46,381 vehicles. VW’s market share thus increased to 22.3 percent from 19.5 percent a year earlier.
Sales of pure-electric cars in Germany rose 53.5 percent year-on-year to 34,498 vehicles in January. However, electric carmaker Tesla, headed by US billionaire Elon Musk, suffered a 59.5 percent drop in sales in the German market to 1,277 vehicles.
Tesla’s sales drop in Germany due to negative attitude towards Musk
According to DPA, experts explain this decline by, among other things, the negative attitude of German customers towards Musk’s political activities. Musk is a close ally of new US President Donald Trump, whom he supported in the election campaign.
Germany is the largest car market in Europe. In the whole of last year, new passenger car sales in Germany fell by about one percent to 2.8 million vehicles, according to earlier KBA data.
Source: Reuters
