Tesla finally catches a break in Europe
Tesla shared its newest registration numbers for the European market. In February 2026, the company saw a 10% increase in sales across 15 major countries. This might sound like a major victory for the American carmaker, but the context tells a different story. To understand these numbers, we have to look at how poorly the company performed last year. When you start from the bottom, any move upward looks like a big win.
The data shows that Tesla registered 17,425 electric cars in European markets during February - a jump from the 15,775 vehicles they registered in February 2025. The 10% rise is the first growth the company has seen in over a year, but it is mostly because February 2025 was one of their worst months ever. Industry experts say the company is simply returning to a level that was previously considered a crisis.
When we look at the first two months of 2026 combined, the growth disappears. From January to February, Tesla moved 25,451 units. During the same two months in 2025, they moved 25,474 units. That means the company is actually behind its previous pace by 23 cars. For a giant company that wants to lead the world in EVs, staying flat is not usually the goal. Tesla is essentially running a race and staying in the exact same spot as last year.
The registration data shows that success depends on which country you visit. Some nations are falling in love with these electric cars all over again, while others are turning away. France is currently the star of the show for Tesla. In February alone, French drivers registered 3,715 new Teslas - a 55% increase for that country. So far this year, France has taken 4,377 Tesla cars, making it the brand's top market in Europe.
Germany and Spain also showed strong numbers for the brand. German registrations went up by 59% with 2,276 cars hitting the road in February. Spain saw an even bigger percentage jump of 74%, and Portugal shocked many with a 112% increase. These southern European markets are providing the fuel Tesla needs to keep its numbers from falling into the red. If it were not for these specific countries, the overall European report would look much darker.
Unfortunately, the news is not good everywhere. The United Kingdom used to be a stronghold for Tesla, but those days seem to be fading. Registrations in the UK dropped by 37% in February. This is better than the massive 57% crash seen in January, but it still shows that British buyers are looking at other options. The Netherlands saw a massive 45% drop, and Denmark fell by 18%. Even Sweden, a country that loves EVs, saw a 10% decline in Tesla registrations.
Norway provides a very strange example of how these numbers work. In February, Tesla registrations in Norway went up by 32% with 1,210 cars sold. That sounds great until you look at January, when the company only registered 83 cars in the entire country. Because January was so bad, the total for the year in Norway is still much lower than it was at this time in 2025. It is hard to celebrate a small win when the overall year is still struggling.
Competition is the biggest issue for Tesla right now. Other brands are growing much faster, with the Chinese BYD making a massive push into Europe. In January 2026 alone, BYD registered 18,242 electric cars. That is a 165% increase compared to the year before. While Tesla is fighting to keep its sales flat, BYD is expanding its reach and opening new dealerships across the continent. This pressure from China is changing the map for all EV makers.
Tesla European sales Jan-Feb 2025 v Jan-Feb 2026
| Country | Jan-Feb 2025 | Jan-Feb 2026 | Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1,186 | 2,051 | +865 | +72.9% |
| Austria | 489 | 842 | +353 | +72.2% |
| Portugal | 936 | 1,537 | +601 | +64.2% |
| Germany | 2,706 | 3,577 | +871 | +32.2% |
| Finland | 180 | 224 | +44 | +24.4% |
| France | 3,537 | 4,377 | +840 | +23.7% |
| Italy | 1,251 | 1,493 | +242 | +19.3% |
| Sweden | 1,018 | 1,065 | +47 | +4.6% |
| Denmark | 956 | 877 | -79 | -8.3% |
| Belgium | 2,061 | 1,895 | -166 | -8.1% |
| Norway | 1,606 | 1,293 | -313 | -19.5% |
| Poland | 297 | 195 | -102 | -34.3% |
| UK | 5,310 | 3,140 | -2,170 | -40.9% |
| Switzerland | 575 | 310 | -265 | -46.1% |
| Netherlands | 1,909 | 846 | -1,063 | -55.7% |
| The rest | 1,457 | 1,729 | -29 | -2.0% |
| Total | 25,474 | 25,451 | -23 | -0.1% |
Tesla usually delivers most of its cars in the third month of every quarter. This happens because ships arrive from its factory in Shanghai, and its German factory near Berlin ramps up production. In March 2025, the company delivered over 28,000 cars. If they follow that same path this year, they might finish the first quarter with about 55,000 total registrations, matching their performance from 2025 (which many people at the time called a "bloodbath" for the company).
The next few months will show if Tesla can truly recover. The company is hoping that a refreshed version of the Model Y and better production in Berlin will help. They need to figure out why buyers in the UK and the Netherlands are losing interest. For now, the 10% growth in February is a sign that the bleeding has stopped in some places, but the patient is still in the hospital. And it will take a lot more than one decent month to call this a full recovery.
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