Tesla Sees Strong Recovery in Germany in May While Polestar Struggles

Tesla’s sales in Germany rebounded in May. After a weak spring, Tesla saw 1,210 vehicle registrations, a 37% increase from April. At the same time, Polestar experienced a 42% year-over-year and 21% month-over-month drop to just 240 registrations. 

The registration figures of the two automakers were highlighted in a report from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), which also noted that Germany saw 239,000 new car registrations in May.

Tesla’s Recovery and Polestar’s Decline

Tesla’s May performance marks a recovery from a weak spring. As per KBA data, Tesla saw just 885 registrations in April and 1,210 registrations in May. However, it should be noted that while Tesla’s recovery in Germany is strong, the company’s registrations are still down 36% year-over-year.

Polestar, on the other hand, saw 303 registrations in April and 240 registrations in May. According to CarUp, this was despite Polestar implementing campaigns such as discounts and interest-free financing deals in the country. Polestar also introduced two new models in its program.

Germany’s Other Key EV Players

BYD, Tesla’s biggest challenger, showed a lot of growth in Germany in May. During the month, BYD saw 1,857 registrations, up 824% year-over-year and 19% month-over-month. Fellow Chinese EV makers Leapmotor and XPeng also exhibited growth, with the former growing 62% month-over-month and the latter seeing a remarkable 1,450% year-over-year growth, respectively.

The electric vehicle market in Germany still has a lot of areas for improvement. Electric vehicles accounted for only 18% of the country’s vehicle sales in May, which means that Germany is a market where gasoline and diesel vehicles still dominate. This means that brands like Tesla and Polestar have a lot of space to grow–if they can properly attract consumers, at least.

EV.com recognizes Tesla’s recovery and Polestar’s decline in Germany as critical for understanding EV trends. You can explore the best offers on Tesla, Polestar, and other electric vehicles we have on our listings here.