EV Sales

Tesla sales plunge again in November: Is this the Elon Musk effect?

Published by
Giles Parkinson

Sales of Tesla electric cars plunged again in the month of November, with the brand suffering a fall of 35.5 per cent compared to the same month a year ago, despite a range of new incentives designed to boost sales.

Latest data released by the Electric Vehicle Council puts Tesla’s total sales at 2,450 for the month of November, down from from 3,940 in November last year. Total sales for the year stand at 34,754 – still by far the biggest in the country but down 20.88 per cent compared to 2023.

The biggest impact has been felt by the Model Y – just recently the best selling SUV in the country and the best selling car of any type in the world. But in November it sales plunged 47.5 per cent over the same period a year ago and its year-to-date sales are down 29.27 per cent to 19,392.

It is thought that the Model Y sales could be impacted by the anticipated release of the upgraded version, although it is not clear when this will arrive.

But others have also speculated that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s role supporting president-elect Donald Trump, becoming “first buddy” and promoting right wing conspiracy theories on X is also having an impact.

Stickers that say the “Anti Elon tesla Club” and I bought this Tesla before we realised Elon Musk was crazy” have begun appearing on Tesla cars in Australia (and around the world), and on social media numerous people are claiming they have decided against buying Tesla cars because of the actions and words of Musk.

Source: EVC

The Model 3 electric sedan is also down 6.95 per cent for the year, although its performance in the latest month has rebounded slightly, showing a 12.42 per cent improvement over the same month a year earlier. Tesla has been offering discounts on leases, referrals and other incentives to try and boost sales.

Polestar, the other electric-only brand that reports exclusively to the EVC – both brands quit the main car industry group over its opposition to vehicle emissions policies – is also suffering with a fall of 25.2 per cent in year to date sales.

Its Polestar 2 sales suffered badly in the latest month, with just 35 units delivered, although the newly released Polestar 4 clocked up 38 units. Just 3 of the top of the range Polestar 3 were sold in November, taking its total since its release in the last few months to 59.

The FCAI will release data for all new car sales later this week, which will include electric models of other car makers. One of the key stats to watch out for will be the performance of the MG4, now the country’s lowest cost EV which overtook both the Model Y and the Model 3 to become the top selling EV in October.

See also The Driven’s month by month sales data which will be updated with the full data when released.

View Comments

    • Hate to disrupt the echo chamber, but Tesla sales have actually gone up since the US election, from 1,464 in October to 2,540 in November, a 73% increase. Similarly, Tesla share prices have increased by 44% since Nov 5th, making a new Tesla possible for many shareholders.

      • Month to month means nothing as it depends on ship arrivals. What matters is YoY sales, and those have dropped quite a bit. No idea how Tesla fanbois can keep deluding themselves that Tesla is the best EV at this point. Look at the facts:

        • Teslas are sorely lacking physical buttons and stalks, which surveys have shown are preferred by most buyers. People complain about the Tesla interface and the lack of real controls constantly online.
        • Tesla does stupid things like hiding emergency door releases under covers and hatches, and people literally burn to death because they can't get out of the car after a crash. This alone is completely unforgivable and should stop any ethical person buying a Tesla.
        • Tesla has promised FSD for many years and it's still a long way away, despite Tesla taking money for it for many years. A completely unethical practice.
        • The Tesla CEO is a total right wing, homophobic, hating nutjob, anyone who denies this must have their head in the sand. The fact that the board has not sacked him years ago shows the company is rotten right at the very top.
        • Every Tesla sale puts money in the pockets of said board members and RWNJ CEO. No ethical person could buy a Tesla at this stage. Sure, many people are deluding themselves that "Tesla isn't Elon", but Tesla directly benefits Elon, you can't support one without supporting the other.

        There are plenty of excellent EV alternatives that don't support psychopathic haters...

        • What matters is YoY sales, and those have dropped quite a bit.

          Actually, Tesla just had its best global Q3 ever, deliveries up 6.4% YoY. And more importantly, the cars were made at a profit, unlike most EV manufacturers.

          • Actually, YoY sales for November are down. Headlines are saying 'Tesla sales Crash'. 55% down for Tesla in Germany. Tesla down 45% in Australia. And Tesla sales down 36% in the U.S. It is being called the 'Elon effect'.

        • LOL
          You've got dot points!
          How to say that someone lives in your head rent free, without saying that someone lives in your head rent free!
          HAhahahaha

          • Sad thing is Sam, you actually believe what you are saying here, like you are actually clever or something. I write about renewables, EVs etc for a living, so all this stuff is in my head all the time, nothing to do with Musk in particular, he just happens to be part of the industry, and not a good part of it.

          • here we go … Sydnay siders slagging each other off again. This mag certainly attracts ratbags & especially when Tesla or Toyota is mentioned.

          • Sort of don't like the comment but do so from where it came from!
            Kyle must be in a tangle in his head.

        • Keep in mind that Elon Musk used to vote Democrat (as did Trump himself, and Joe Rogan, and Tulsi Gabbard and millions of other people). The Democrat party ironically BECAME the threat to Democracy. They attacked free speech and shut down dissent (read up on the Twitter files). Elon had to buy Twitter to save free speech, he is a hero for that, the Democrat party are the villains, never forget that. The Democrat party also tried to kick Trump off ballots, that's not democracy. They also ran a candidate who had never received a single primary vote, that's not democracy. They tried to use frivolous lawfare to stop a political opponent, that's not democracy. They even tried twice to take down Trump with violence. There's a very good reason that Trump won in a landslide, and won the popular vote. Most Americans are sick of the Democrat gaslighting, lies, and woke agenda. We don't want open borders, sexualization of children, boys in girls sports or mutilation of kids' bodies. Elon Musk is on the right side of history and you are not.

        • Competition in the industry is great, we need more and more. The issue for me isn’t Tesla or slumping sales of Tesla (or the politics of it). It is that EV sales are not growing as a whole in Australia. We should all work together so we can promote all EVs and focus on better infrastructure for all EVs and a greater understanding of the technology in broader society. Stop the in fighting, and focus our energy on more productive and positive issues. We want to attract more people not push them away.

      • Tesla sales have always shown a large increase from Oct to Nov. (BTW it's 2450 not 2540 sales for Nov) but the increase has been much smaller this year, they also have an ever decreasing market share.

        2022 Oct 1109, Nov 2196, +98.0%
        2023 Oct 1988, Nov 3940, +98.2%
        2024 Oct 1464, Nov 2450, +67.3%

        November sales are largely impacted by Sep-Oct orders - we won't really see any post election impacts until Dec-Jan sales , whether there is any correlation is debatable.

      • The stripping out MY is set to make life even more difficult for sales staff dealing with non-members. All models have underperformed sans STALKS.

      • Yep...a lot of those anti Musk, anti EV Republicans are starting to wake up. Lose one...gain two?

    • Apparently it's more to do with the main buyers of Tesla being private sales, so coupled with high interest rates this sector is depressed at the moment.

      Toyota Camry Hybrid is a great car, and bought by fleets. But Tesla model 3 sold over double at a more expensive price point. So it's good for Tesla. The model 3 stalks and ideology aside is a fantastic machine.

    • The Model 3 doesn't seem affected so I'd say the anti Musk hype is overblown. Anybody who passed up the safest best car on the road solely on political reasons is worse than dumb, it is risking your family's safety amongst other things. How come the Aussies are still buying cars from Communist China?

  • I can't speak for the Elon Effect, as I would never buy a Tesla, it just doesn't interest me, but your article doesn't mention the enormous competition now available compared with a year ago,,,

    • True, but prices have come down for most makes, and the general trend is to EVs and hybrids and away from ICEs, so Tesla sales should have held up or only diminished a bit. Added to that, a lot of EV enthusiasts would find Musk's recent statements repugnant (understatement!)

      • "Tesla sales should have held up" or could have gone up if they had been able to capitalise on some great first innovators designs and tried not to annoy their public but the CEO seems to be expert at that. Such a waste.

    • You didn't note the reference to look out for MG4 sales as being very interesting after recent discounting?

  • Sticker: "I BOUGHT THIS CAR BEFORE ELON WENT CRAZY"

    Ketamine can fry the brain. We are watching him implode.

      • There's an article somewhere on the net that claims ketamine is just the start (cocaine, ecstasy, LSD and more) . He's apparently into a lot of drugs, hence the uninhibited behavior.

    • He almost certainly is imploding - but he was always a 12-year-old in an adult body - and his implosion may well take most of us with him.

  • I find this article and commentary bewildering at best when if comes to the Musk effect. Where is people's conscience and outspokenness when it comes to water-spiked meat, a looser CEO at Stellantis, an authoritarian AU government, and the list goes on. I only say: let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

    • It's interesting that the statement "he who is without sin ... " seems to have become favoured by those who have many sins. Your list is off topic for this site and frankly a bit weird.

  • Who cares about monthly sales numbers in the tiny market that is Australia.
    Seriously Giles, you should start writing over at Cleantechnica where the muskophobia is rampant.

    • I agree with your first sentence. We are a minnow in an ocean of sharks.

      As for the rest, well it's not often we get to see the very public erratic behaviour of the head of a car company that can so materially affect the value and sales.

      It must have escaped your attention but this site is infested with Muskovites.

    • Australia, like NZ are only a handful of countries that is fully open to EVs from all over the world. We have one of the largest range of vehicles (brands) offered around the world (ICE and non-ice) despite the volume being very small compared to other countries

  • "The Model 3 electric sedan is also down 6.95 per cent for the year, although its performance in the latest month has rebounded slightly, showing a 12.42 per cent improvement over the same month a year earlier."

    I find that interesting as this time last year the market was waiting for the refreshed model 3.

    • Model 3 orders ceased for pre-Highland on the 31st August 2023 and opened for Highland on the 1st September, the Highland really didn't start shipping until the end of November 2023, no surprise November 2023 numbers, which were basically pre-Highland inventory clearances were down.

  • I don't think it's to do with the CEO of Polestar or Tesla. I think it's more a case of the luxury end of the BEV market is becoming exhausted. As shown by Polestar sales.
    I think the only anomaly at this end of the market is how BMW are managing to sell so many BEVs.

  • Giles that table is very blurred on my phone. Do you have the actual sales numbers of MY and M3 for November 2024?

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