What’s going on here? European drivers grabbed the keys for lots of shiny new EVs last month, but – perhaps branding a certain CEO a fool – they left Tesla out of the plot. What does this mean? Europeans bought 37% more EVs in January than a year ago, even as waning interest in gas-guzzling models dragged the auto industry’s overall sales down. But buyers didn’t share their cash evenly: Tesla delivered fewer than 10,000 cars last month – that’s around half as many as a year earlier. The Cybertruck maker logged multiyear lows in Germany and France, its two key markets, and lost its long-held lead to China’s BYD in the UK. The party line might be to blame production or hotter competition. And in fairness, carmakers from Europe to China are rolling out progressively snazzy models at extremely competitive prices. But the real issue could well be Elon Musk’s increasingly controversial public persona pushing European buyers to look elsewhere. Why should I care? For markets: Zucc or bust. Musk might’ve lost some popularity with European drivers, but he could still win investors over. Research suggests that eccentric leadership – specifically, ditching the corporate script in earnings calls – can lift analysts’ estimates, regardless of results. But with folk growing skeptical of stretched valuations and tech firms’ ability to match AI spending with profit, they may soon be less tolerant of those who overpromise and underdeliver. The bigger picture: It ain’t easy being green. Carmakers have been pressured to sell more EVs or risk fines, forcing them to both cut prices of greener models and shell out for big-budget adverts. Adding to their stress, higher tariffs from the US could easily increase costs and decrease sales. That’s pushed carmakers to lobby for restrictions to be loosened. And if they get their way, we’ll soon see exactly how much Europeans care about eco-friendly credentials – as opposed to buying whichever model’s hogging the billboards. | 