Sales of Tesla electric vehicles have plunged again in the month of April, down 75 per cent from the year earlier period to just 500 for the month.
The sales fall affected both the Model Y electric SUV, ahead of the local launch of the much anticipated refresh model, and the Model 3 sedan.
The data released on Monday by the Electric Vehicle Council shows that just 280 Model Ys were delivered in Australian in April, and just 220 Model 3s. In the same month a year earlier there were 1166 Model Ys and 911 Model 3s.
A fall in the deliveries of the Model Y might have been expected, given that many consumers are waiting for the new version of the Model Y, but Tesla has also been trying to move old stock with discounts of up to $9,000.
But the scale of the fall, affecting both the Model Y and the Model 3, suggest that other factors are at play – and the consumer pushback against CEO Elon Musk, because of his work with US president Donald Trump and his promotion of far right political causes, are having an impact.
It means that for the month of April, the Tesla EVs will not figure in the top five EVs in terms of sales, trailing behind the likes of the BYD Sealion 7, MG4, the Kia EV5 and EV3, the BYD Atto 3, the BYD Seal, and the Geely EX5. Indeed, final figures show Tesla ranked 7th and 8th for the month in individual models.
See:Â EV sales remain weak in April as Tesla plunges and BYD takes the lead
The EVC data shows that for the year to date, Tesla sales are down 62 per cent for the first four months of the year, to a total of 5,660 compared to 14,866 in the first four months of 2024.
Polestar, on the other hand, has fared better. Total sales for the first four months of the year are up 32 per cent to 591 after a rocky start to the year, and its newest model, the Polestar 4 is doing OK, with 124 sold in April and 369 in the year to date.
The Polestar 2 has also seen a slight rebound in April, to 56, taking its total to 179 for the year, although that remains 60 per cent below the same period a year earlier.
Note: Updated to include other EV sales.
See also:Â Australian electric vehicle sales by month and by model in 2025
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.