Tesla's German car sales drop by almost half in December

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Tesla's TSLA.O sales volume in Germany nearly halved in December from the same month last year, the German road traffic agency KBA said on Tuesday.

KBA said Tesla sold 2,032 cars in Germany in December, a decrease of 48%. The number of Teslas sold in 2025 dropped 48.4% to 19,390 units compared with the same period last year.

By contrast, the volume of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD 002594.SZ surged more than 12-fold to 4,109 units in December, reaching 23,306 units in 2025.

The total number of newly registered electric vehicles in 2025 increased by 43.2% to 545,142 units, KBA added.

Tesla ceded its crown as the world's top electric vehicle maker to China's BYD after annual sales fell for a second year, hit by rising competition, the expiry of U.S. tax credits and brand backlash.

The U.S. automaker's registrations also fell in some other European markets in December as its market share in the region shrank in 2025.