Author Archives: shinymetalboxes

Toyota’s Templin Talks Tariffs

Posted on by

The long and short of it is this: affordability is challenging without the tariffs, so for consumers (and companies) they’re not going to be advantageous. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

“First, let’s start with the ‘T’ word,” Mark Templin, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), began in a presentation to a couple hundred journalists at TMNA headquarters in Plano, Texas, today.

“No, not Toyota. I’m talking tariffs.”

And Templin began a measured explanation as to why tariffs are not going to be good for Toyota and other OEMs and will certainly not be good for the consumer.

“A 25% tariff on all imported vehicles is not sustainable longer term without significant price increases,” Templin said, adding, “And the industry already has an affordability problem.”

Affordability?

According to Kelley Blue Book, the new vehicle average transaction price in April was $48,699.

Were that 25% added to the average transaction price, that number would grow to $60,874.

Average.

Is anyone going to be getting a 25% raise anytime soon?

The Whole & the Parts

In addition to which, there are, Templin pointed out, tariffs on imported auto parts.

“It’s important to understand,” he said, “that supply chains are global, they’re complex, and they’re very fragile. Many of the suppliers”—which make things like parts that are used in shops and garages for purposes of repair—“are not capitalized for an abrupt tariff.”

Bottom line: the tariffs “will make servicing and repairing vehicles more expensive for customers.”

So for those who realize they’re not going to be able to afford a new vehicle and so will hold on to their existing one will discover that taking Old Reliable into the shop isn’t going to be an inexpensive operation.

Auto Is Really Important to the Economy

Templin pointed out that the auto industry added more than $1.2-trillion to the U.S. economy last year, nearly 5% of GDP.

Not only does the industry directly employ 10.1 million people in the U.S., there is a multiplier effect whereby each auto job creates nine more jobs.

Hobbling the industry with tariffs is probably not a good economic decision.

Templin pointed out that Toyota has 14 plants in North America, 11 of which are in the U.S.

“Nearly 80% of what we sell in the U.S. is built in North America, and over half is built here in the U.S.”

So, some might think, why not simply move more production into the U.S. and thereby avoid the tariffs?

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky—better known as the “Georgetown Plant”—has been in operation since May 1988. Since then they’ve produced more than 14 million vehicles. Last year alone the people at the plant manufactured 435,631 vehicles and 714,400 engines. The Camry, which was the best-selling sedan in the U.S. last year for 23 straight years running, is built at Georgetown. So far Toyota has invested more than $11-billion in the facility. Yes, they know more than a little something about domestic manufacturing. (Image: Toyota)

It Takes More Than a Moment

“Contrary to what some may think,” Templin said, “the auto industry has long product life cycles, and we can’t simply move production facilities overnight.”

And if a world-class manufacturer like Toyota can’t do it quickly, odds are those that are less adept are going to take a whole lot longer—assuming any companies are going to go down that road.

“Right now,” Templin said, “we are in a wait-and-see mode.”

Toyota execs are working to provide as much stability as they can for employees, dealers and suppliers.

“Our message to all of them continues to be: ‘Stay calm and stay focused on the customer.”

“At Toyota, we make decisions based on consumer and market needs rather than the policy direction of the moment. So our thinking is long-term,” Templin said.

The company has invested some $50 billion in the U.S. over the past 68 years. Yes, they think long-term about their operations here. Of that there can be no doubt.

Templin said that he’s met with policy makers in Washington and that he believes they understand the importance of the auto industry to the U.S. economy and the consequences of tariffs.

Let’s hope he’s right.

The 2026 HUMMER EV Gets a New Feature

Posted on by

And it’s shared with those already on the road. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The GMC HUMMER EV—both SUV and pickup—may be big, but the vehicle is not a big seller.

In Q1 2025 there were 3,479 delivered.

While that number is comparatively low—the company delivered 6,794 Corvettes, another vehicle with a non-trivial MSRP—another way of looking at HUMMER EV sales that appear better is to compare it with the number of Silverado EV and Sierra EV models delivered during the same period of time: 2,383 and 1,249, respectively.

So the behemoth is doing OK by that measure of electric vehicle sales.

Today GMC announced the 2026 HUMMER EV.

The biggest new feature is something called “King Crab.”

This mode allows the rear wheels to turn faster—“significantly faster,” according to the company—than the front wheels.

This is said to improve maneuverability “when navigating tight spaces off-road, moving around obstacles or rock crawling.”

The 2026 HUMMER EV Carbon Fiber Edition SUV. (Image: GMC)

Given that the vehicle is 216.8 inches long and 86.7 inches wide (not including mirrors), or 18.07 feet long and 7.23 feet wide, enhanced maneuverability over the vehicle’s previous four-wheel steer capability is undoubtedly useful.

One interesting thing about King Crab: GMC is making it available to all HUMMER EV owners as an over-the-air update.

That is certainly a nice touch.

And another impressive set of stats: the HUMMER EV 3X Pickup produces 1,160 hp and 13,000 ft-lb of torque.

That’s like something out of a Marvel movie.

Survey Reveals OEMs’ Anticipation of EV Market Penetration

Posted on by

Well, optimism is always a good thing to have. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The Kerrigan Advisors 2025 OEM survey—which was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025, so it is pre-tariff—indicate that OEM execs are still bullish on the prospects for electric vehicles in the U.S. market.

Asked what their expectation is for EV market share by 2025—presumably that would be “by the end of 2025”—the largest cohort, 46%, answered 10% to 20%. While that bandwidth may have included a lot of 10%s and 11%, it still shows a certain sense of bullishness among these execs.

The second largest cohort, 40%, answered 7% to 10%.

So either way, there is a solid number of execs who see things growing, which is reasonable given the amount of new EVs that are being rolled out.

(The remaining 14% of respondents: 8% say 21% to 30% market share, 2% 31 to 40%, 3% 41% to 50%, and 1% greater than 50%. It would be interesting to know who that 1% is.)

That said, they are willing to admit that the EV transition isn’t happening as quickly as anticipated.

80% say that it is going slower than planned. 10% say faster than planned and 9% as planned.

Still, there is an evident stick-to-it-ness among the OEMs.

One question that might seem ominous—remember that in 2024 Elon Musk said that if Chinese EVs come into the U.S. market they would “pretty much demolish” U.S. OEMs—has it that 76% of OEMs “think Chinese OEMs will eventually enter the U.S. market.”

While “eventually” is possibly a long time, perhaps that recognition that it may happen will allow the U.S. OEMs to make the necessary countermeasures.

Advanced Automotive Manufacturing—in Georgia

Posted on by

The Hyundai Metaplant America is the kind of manufacturing facility that other OEM manufacturing execs probably dream about. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

I have seen the future of automotive manufacturing and it is in Savannah, Georgia. More specifically, it is in Ellabell, GA, but it is proximate (20 miles) to the more well-known locale.

The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), which had its grand opening in late March, has been building Hyundai EVs since early October 2024. The first product is the IONIQ 5. It has since added the IONIQ 9.

The complex consists of 11 buildings with 7.5-million square feet under roof.

Hyundai has invested $12.6 billion in HMGMA as well as two battery joint ventures, one with LG Energy Solution and one with SK On.

The initial announced capacity was 300,000 vehicles per year.

Even before the launch is fully ramped the company announced it is going to increase capacity to 500,000 units.

HMGMA will not only be producing EVs for Hyundai, but products for sibling brands Genesis and Kia. And in addition to EVs, the plant will manufacture hybrid vehicles.

Shiny & Bright

To be sure there is something to be said for a new plant the way there is for a new car. Everything is bright and clean.

But HMGMA is exceptionally bright and clean—there are even skylights in the vaulted roof of the General Assembly building.

The epoxied floors shine with nary a smudge.

There are AGVs and robots throughout the HMGMA complex. (Images: Vasilash)

Advanced Manufacturing Tech

Hyundai operates the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore, where the company is developing smart manufacturing systems as well as producing vehicles with the hardware and software developed there (it has an annual capacity of 30,000 EVs).

The Singapore site is the testbed for the tech that is deployed in HMGMA.

While there is a significant number of robots working in the Weld shop—475—what is more impressive is the number of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) of various types, sizes and configurations that are autonomously running throughout the plant. These units are doing tasks ranging from parts delivery to actually lifting the finished vehicles at the end of the line and positioning them for subsequent inspection and tests.

The people working on the line—called “Meta Pros”—are not only walking on wood surfaces to make it easier on the legs during a shift, but tasks that might otherwise have them climb into a vehicle-in-process—such as installing a center console—are automated so as to relieve them of what might be ergonomically awkward conditions.

Hyundai owns Boston Dynamics, the producer of Spot, the four-legged robot shown here, performing an inspection task.

Investing Even More

Hyundai has announced that between 2025 and 2028 it will be investing $21 billion in the U.S. Part of that funding—as in $9 billion—will be to increase the total production capacity it has to 1.2 million vehicles. (It also has a plant in Montgomery, Alabama, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, which builds the Santa Fe, Tucson, Santa Cruz, and Genesis GV70.)

When HMGMA is fully staffed there will be approximately 8,500 people working there.

The average salary for a Meta Pro is $58,105, not including benefits. Other workers in Bryan County, where the plant is sited, have an average wage of $47,000.

A good job in a modern facility for a good salary. That’s what bringing manufacturing to the U.S. is really about.

2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance

Posted on by
(Images: Volvo)

Small but pricey. And probably more so soon.

By Gary S. Vasilash

The Volvo EX30, a small electric SUV, had been a strong contender for an award in the 2024 North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

But the company had to pull it from contention due to it not having vehicles in the U.S. market by the end of 2023. Logistical issues. The vehicle was being built in Zhangjiakou, China. The company added capacity by also building them in Ghent, Belgium. Know that it is a global vehicle so plenty of markets are interested in the EX30. In 2023 in the U.K., for example, it won the Sun Car of the Year Award and the Sunday Times Small SUV/Crossover of the Year. Evidently there were more of them in the U.K. than there were in the U.S.

When the car was introduced to the media in late July 2023 in New York City, the company touted that this was a vehicle that was engineered with the environment and sustainability in mind, as they used a variety of materials especially on the interior that began their existence as other things before being reprocessed to Volvo trim. (E.g., the seat cushions and lower backrests are covered in Nordico, a material made, in part, from pine oil. The seat uppers and door inserts are covered with a knitted material than is derived from PET bottles.)

Things Change

The initial plan had it that the starting MSRP for a single-motor EX30 would start at $34,950.

But things—including the aforementioned logistics—changed and the EX30 is available in the U.S. only in a dual-motor setup (which provides a maximum 422 hp).

Consequently, the starting price has gone up. It is $46,195.

Not a trivial difference, but again, the vehicle has more oomph than the original entry and it is an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

Not Long

The EX30 has a 69-kWh battery that provides an estimated range of 253 miles. Not great, but then you have to look at that 422 hp.

Also, EVs are heavy. The EX30 has a curb weight of 4,151 pounds. That may not be particularly telling in itself so know that a 2025 AWD Toyota RAV4 with a gasoline engine weighs 3,490 pounds. That’s a 16% difference.

Quite Minimal

One of the things that the EX30 is is minimalist.

There are very few conventional interfaces on the interior. Things like is a nice metallic door handle for opening. Tabs for adjusting the HVAC louvers. A wiper stalk. A gear shift stalk. And switches for window operation.

But pretty much everything—including opening the glove compartment—is done via the 12.3-inch center display. Or with capacitive buttons on the steering wheel.

And “everything” includes encompassing what a driver would typically find on the other side of the steering wheel: a gauge cluster.

If you want to know how fast you are driving you have to look to the right. Which strikes me as being ergonomically inappropriate, especially for a company that has long been synonymous with “safety.”

Maybe researchers in Gothenburg determined that it is no problem, but this driver in Detroit found it to be troublesome.

Brighter Not Always Better

Another issue I encountered was a result of the panoramic—as in the size of essentially the entire roof—sunroof. The glass panel may have been treated to deal with sun load and radiation, but I found it to let in far more light than I would like. Quibble, quibble.

It does have all manner of sensor-based tech—from pedestrian and cyclist steering avoidance to adaptive cruise control, from a blind-spot information system to a door opening.

The exterior look is clean and contemporary. There is 31.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity, which is suitable for a vehicle of this type and size (166.7 inches long; 72.4 inches wide; 61.2 inches high; 104.3 wheelbase).

But here’s a thing: the issue of tariffs have to loom large regarding this vehicle. The one Driven here was built in China. . .and while keeping track of what’s what on the tariff front, one thing is for certain: when it comes to China they’re not going away.

2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Limited

Posted on by

This is an impressive package, especially for those who like to not frequent gas stations

By Gary S. Vasilash

The current-generation Hyundai Elantra, the seventh, is not what one might think of when pondering the sedan.

That is, you might think “Compact car,” with the bigger Sonata being “midsize car.”

But it turns out the Elantra, which measures:

  • Length:                            185.4
  • Width:                              71.9
  • Height:                            55.7
  • Wheelbase:                  107.1

is actually in the EPA “Midsize” segment. (And, yes, Sonata “Full-size.”)

The Elantra is a sizeable sedan (comparatively speaking, of course) and there’s plenty of interior room—as in 99.4 cubic feet in the passenger compartment—as well as adequate cargo-carrying capacity—14.2 cubic feet.

2025 Elantra Hybrid: stylish and with ~500 miles on a tank of gas, it is quite a compelling package (Image: Hyundai)

The exterior sheet metal has an array of creases and facets that make the car continue to have a distinctive appearance, even though model year 2021 is when the body styling first appeared on the car. Making something look fresh for that many years is no mean feat.

The interior has a clean look. Meaning that it is not overwrought. There are a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. It is hard to imagine anyone needing any more digital real estate than that in a car. There are actual buttons to control the HVAC. There is a Drive Mode button that allows the selection of Eco, Smart or Sport; when making a selection the colors on the gauge cluster change (e.g., go Sport and there’s, of course, red).

The seats, covered with a simulated leather (H-Tex), are comfortable. The rear seats can accommodate adults, but odds are if you’re taking some colleagues, say, out to lunch, they’re going to be calling “Shotgun.”

One of my quibbles is the drive mode defaults to Eco. I would have liked it to stay in Smart because that adjusts the throttle and the transmission based on driving conditions.

“Sport?” you wonder.

Yes, there is a discernable difference in performance when making that selection.

But we’re talking about a hybrid here. It has a 1.6-liter Atkinson Cycle engine that produces 104 hp and 109 lb-ft of torque; with the 32-kW electric motor supplement the output is increased to 139 hp and 195 lb-ft. The Elantra Hybrid has a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (a transmission type that is becoming increasingly rare).

The point is, this is about fuel efficiency, not leaving the other vehicles behind when the light turns green.

And on the subject of fuel economy, the sticker says 49 mpg city, 52 mpg highway, and 50 mpg combined. I found my driving experience to be closer to the 49 mpg overall than the 50, though I did switch drive modes every now and then—yes, including Sport, which was handy in freeway driving.

The MSRP for the this top-trim hybrid is $29,450, It is quite an impressive package for the price for at least a couple of reasons.

First, there is the fuel efficiency that the hybrid provides. Consider that with its 11-gallon fuel tank it is good for about 500 miles before having to go to the local Shell station.

Second there’s the MSRP. For a not-very-large car payment, with the Elentra Hybrid you can get a lot of car. What’s not to like about that?

Toyota: Steady and Slow. . .

Posted on by

. . .well, maybe it won’t outright win the race, but its approach to technology sure seems like the right one. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

You may recall that not long ago Toyota was being chastised for being insufficiently aggressive in pursuing an electric vehicle strategy. It seemed as though Toyota would be like a vehicle abandoned by the side of the road, striped and desolate.

It isn’t that it wasn’t putting EVs on the road. Just not enough of them. And not just with the sort of capability that would be expected of Toyota. So went part of the criticism.

Akio Toyoda was considered backward for taking an approach that would have powertrains suited to varying needs, whether it is a straight ICE, a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, a battery electric, or even—in exceedingly limited quantities at least—a hydrogen electric setup.

Turns out that this steady approach is actually one that is winning in the market.

According to Kelley Blue Book in Q1 2025 there were 296,227 EVs sold in the U.S.

That’s from 25 brands.

In Q1 2025 Toyota (including Lexus) sold 110,225 hybrids. That’s about 37% of the number of all the EVs sold by all of those other companies. And while those brands are struggling to make money from EVs, presumably Toyota isn’t putting hybrids under the hoods of a mulitude of vehicles because it isn’t making money selling them.

So doing what it is doing powertrain-wise is probably not a bad decision on Toyoda’s part.

Another area where Toyota wasn’t as visibly bullish as some other companies is in autonomous driving.

No real analogue to Cruise Automation or Argo AI.

There was (and is) the Toyota Research Institute, but they were doing other things, too.

And now there is no Cruise Automation. No Argo AI.

And this week Waymo and Toyota announced they’ve “reached a preliminary agreement to explore a collaboration focused on accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies.”

Waymo is clearly the leader in the U.S. in autonomous driving tech, with the company offering rides in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.

Also this week May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle tech company, and Uber announced a partnership that will have autonomous vehicles available for ride-hail in Arlington, Texas, by the end of the year.

The vehicles for the Arlington program?

Toyota Sienna minivans. (They’re hybrids.)

Toyota is a strategic partner in May Mobility.

Toyota Sienna hybrid minivans will be used in the Uber/May Mobility deployment in Arlington, Texas. (Image: Uber/May Mobility)

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T E-SC AWD

Posted on by

Looks good. Drives well. And is full of high-quality materials and top-notch tech

By Gary S. Vasilash

All of that alphanumeric nomenclature isn’t particularly telling unless you happen to be a cipher expert and have the key necessary to decode it.

And one of the points that isn’t made in all of that but should probably be made clear is that, yes, the roofline, which swoops down toward the rear and resolves into a kick-up spoiler, is coupe-like.

But (1) coupes typically have two doors and this has two. And (2) coupes are generally cars and this is an SUV.

And what an SUV it is.

Genesis GV80 Coupe: presence and appropriate performance. (Image: Genesis)

Of the many vehicles I have driven of late, none has garnered the positive attention that this one has, from both strangers (I encountered a couple in a parking lot admiring the GV80) and relatives (a brother-in-law who has seen the panoply of vehicles I’ve driven and for the first time asked me to give him a ride).

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, comparatively speaking, and especially in southeastern Michigan, Genesis vehicles overall are rare.

But likely it has more to do with the execution of exterior and interior design that is exceptional.

Outside

In the front of the vehicle there is the familiar crest-shaped grille, which is bold but not in-your-face. The headlamps are two lines (the two lines are a design theme of Genesis models) that seem to be much narrower than might be expected for the lights.

And it isn’t’ simply an issue of seeming: they’re using “Micro Lens Array” tech that allows the light to do their work yet in a form factor that is smaller than is ordinarily the case.

There is also restraint in the use of chrome trim on the body side, mainly used in the door undercut above and in the area below the rocker panels.

Inside

Nappa leather seating surfaces. Actual carbon fiber trim (and plenty of it). Microfiber suede headliner (no, not actual suede leather, but not only does it look like it, it also looks a heck of a lot better than tricot or other fabrics typically used).

There are power front seats. And power second row seats. The driver gets a power cushion extension, bolster, and massage function.

Note the carbon fiber and the color of the stitching—to say nothing of the knurled knobs that provide an interface to the infotainment system and gear selection. (Image: Vasilash)

Sometimes when there is a coupe design the second row suffers in terms of headroom. In the GV80 Coupe the front headroom is 40.2 inches and the rear is 37.6 inches. Two points about that: (1) I had a six-footer in the second row who was perfectly comfortable; (2) that second row measure is merely 0.8 inches less than the headroom in the non-Coupe GV80, so it is not like a lot is being given up.

Power

Here we get to the rest of the nomenclature in the name of the GV80 Coupe.

The powertrain is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with a 48-Volt e-Supercharger. (What’s that? An electric motor that compresses air and forces it into the engine intake, which improves combustion. This means it improves performance. It is more efficient than traditional mechanical superchargers or turbochargers. But, of course, it is more sophisticated.) It is mated to an eight-speed automatic. There are, not surprisingly, paddles on the steering wheel should you want to shift it yourself.

Tech

On the inside there is a 27-inch-wide OLED screen. What’s notable about this is that it is comparatively restrained compared to other vehicles in its class that have screens so big that they pretty much silently scream “Look at me! I am a giant screen!” The screen in the Genesis does everything necessary without digital ostentation.

The vehicle is “Cloud Connected,” which means everything from over-the-air (OTA) updates to dynamic routing in the navigation.

There is an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Then there is the sensor-based functions ranging from cruise control with stop and go capability to parking avoidance assist (front/side/rear).

Price

One could say that this is a “total package,” and it is: the vehicle Driven, chock full of things that would otherwise be options on competitive vehicles, had a base MSRP of $85,750. It had two options: $650 for the paint and $30 for an NFC keycard (the size of a credit card, this card used Near Field Communication technology and provides a backup for the key fob or smartphone; it allows unlocking and starting the vehicle). The point is that while that may seem to be a steep(ish) price, again, there is so much in terms of high-quality materials and tech that were much of these things to be itemized, I’m sure the vehicle would be much more costly.

Cybertruck Repairs Can Be Expensive (to Understate the Case)

Posted on by

Edmunds.com found out just how expensive. And the truck was parked when the collision occurred

By Gary S. Vasilash

Although you’re likely to find a friend, neighbor, relative or even yourself who has a car-repair horror story, it is unlikely to top the one that the folks at Edmunds.com have with their Telsa Cybertruck.

According to the resource for auto information and available inventory, in July 2024 it bought a Cybertruck Foundation Series for $101,985.

The truck would undergo the Edmunds One-Year Road Test program.

But five months in, last December, the Cybertruck was involved in an accident.

The massive vehicle was parked. A compact sedan crashed into the driver’s side rear wheel and bumper so hard that it broke part of the rear axle.

Edmunds found that it needed to use a Tesla certified body shop in the LA area, where the outlet is based.

Turns out there were just two in a 50-mile radius of LA.

Here comes the tricky part.

One of the shops was in Huntington Beach. It had a one-month waiting lists. Then it indicated there would be six more months before the vehicle could be worked on.

Realize this would mean the vehicle would be towed to the shop, assessed, then towed to somewhere it would collect dust for six months before being towed back.

The second shop in Ontario, California, told Edmunds there was a one-month wait, but that after the inspection was made, it would get to work right away.

An appointment was made. And then delayed by another month.

Still, they took the truck in and after a thorough inspection that cost $1,128, got the repair estimate:

$57,879.89

The single biggest charge would be $9,149 for the rear suspension. The cost for the bed was close, at $8,762.79.

Because the value of the truck at the time were it not in the state it was would be $86,160, it was considered a total loss.

So Edmunds simply sold it to the online auction site Copart.

And got $8,000.

The price of repairs that was on the estimate for the Cybertruck is a few grand under what it would cost to buy a new 2025 Ford F-150 Lariat.

Tesla Tanking in the EU

Posted on by

It is down in Q1 by a big number. A very big number.

By Gary S. Vasilash

Although there are plenty of headlines about Tesla sales dropping 37.2% in Europe during the first quarter of 2025 compared to Q1 2024, it is actually a bit worse than that.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which reports the numbers, has two charts for new car registrations by manufacturer.

One is for the European Union.

One is for the European Union, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), and the United Kingdom.

The 37.2% drop is for the EU + EFTA + UK market.

While that combined market is bigger than the EU alone, the EU market alone had EV sales of 412,997 EVs in Q1 and the EFTA and the UK added only 160,503.

Obviously that EFTA + UK number can change the overall percentage.

But the trend in the EU itself is the one that is the more important.

The EU-only chart shows that Q1 2025 Tesla sales are down 45% compared with Q1 2024.

While there may be excuses about changeovers and Q1 not being great for sales, and it is true that there are negative numbers for several OEMs in the EU—for example, Stellantis -14%, Toyota -4.8%, Hyundai Group -7.2%, Mercedes -6.2%–but no OEM is off as much as Tesla.

Not All Red Ink

What’s more (truly more) is that the ACEA finds that Volkswagen Group for Q1-Q1 is +4.8%, Renault Group +9.5%, and BMW Group +0.4%.

Of all the countries in Europe—including the EFTA and the UK—the single biggest market in Germany. Where Tesla has a plant. And where Elon Musk became involved in politics.

Germany’s Robust EV Sales

During the first quarter of 2025 sales of battery electric vehicles in Germany were up 38.9% compared with Q1 2024.

There were 112,968 EVs sold in Germany in Q1. It is the dominant factor in all of the numbers.

While it is probably impossible to know precisely why Tesla sales were down 45% in the EU in a period when EV sales were up 38.9%, it isn’t hard to imagine why.