Tesla's California Car Registrations Decline for Third Consecutive Quarter
Tesla's California car registrations dropped 24% in the second quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of decline. High borrowing rates and competition from hybrid automobiles have influenced demand for Tesla's electric vehicles. Elon Musk's political associations and outspoken comments have sparked concerns about the brand's reputation.
Registrations plummeted by 24% from April to June, indicating that the EV powerhouse faces rising hurdles in its primary market.
The decrease in registrations can be ascribed to a number of factors, including high borrowing rates and tough competition from less priced hybrid vehicles. Consumers in the United States have been hesitant to buy Tesla's electric automobiles, in part because of CEO Elon Musk's divisive personality. Musk's political ties and outspoken comments have sparked concern about the brand, particularly in liberal places like California, which accounts for 10% of Tesla's global deliveries.
In the second quarter, Tesla's California registrations reached 52,211 vehicles, as reported by the California New Car Dealers Association. While the battery electric vehicle market experienced a slight decline of 1.3% during this period, sales of hybrid vehicles surged by 22% in California.
According to the article, Tesla's attractiveness may be fading, indicating danger for the direct-to-consumer maker. From January to June, Tesla's registrations in California fell 17%, while competitors such as Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and Rivian had double-digit percentage gains in sales.
Despite the drop in registrations, Tesla's Model Y crossover is still the best-selling model in the state. However, its market share in the first half of the year fell to 53.4%, down from 64.6% in the same period last year.
Tesla is about to release its quarterly results, and while the business delivered more automobiles than projected in the second quarter, the total was lower than the previous year.
Tesla just relocated its headquarters from California to Texas, and Elon Musk said that his other companies, including SpaceX, might follow suit owing to disagreements with Governor Gavin Newsom's ratification of a bill affecting transgender children.
Tesla's California car registrations fell by 24% in the second quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of decline.
High interest rates and competition from hybrid cars have impacted demand for Tesla's electric vehicles.
CEO Elon Musk's political affiliations and outspoken comments have raised concerns about the brand's image.
Source: REUTERS