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What Tesla’s drop in sales tells us about the growing popularity of EVs
The news that Tesla’s year-on-year drop in sales, the first time this has happened to the EV pioneer, has been wrongly interpreted by many as a watershed.
This misunderstanding is understandable: until very recently Tesla was the barometer for EV sales, mirroring their popularity in more and more countries. That, however, is no longer the case: we have just experienced the great decoupling, the moment when sales of the company that put the EV on the map cease to represent the general trend, and simply become those of just another brand, undoubtedly important as a trendsetter thanks to the strength of its R+D, but whose sales are part of a growing market where other companies, and particularly Chinese ones, have a significant presence.
Tesla’s sales have indeed fallen in 2024 compared to 2023, but the important thing is that EV sales are on the rise: in November 2024, the UK showed year-on-year growth of 58%, although because they’re highly seasonal, every time the annual sales peak ended throughout those 12 months the doomsayers predicted the end of the growth cycle. In fact, this seasonality is not even due to evolving demand, but to Tesla’s somewhat erratic delivery schedules. In Norway, EVs are now the most popular choice, trashing the myth that they don’t perform well in cold climates. The…