Tesla, whose sales numbers dropped significantly in the European market last year, has entered a recovery process on the continent. Although it is thought that the interest of European consumers in the brand has decreased due to Elon Musk’s political statements, sales data show that this situation is starting to change.

Tesla announced that it will hire 1,000 new workers to increase production capacity at its Gigafactory facility near Berlin. With this move, the company aims to increase its weekly production volume to 7,500 vehicles by October.

Production capacity and market data

The company had previously initiated a recruitment process for 1,000 people at the facility and announced its plan to increase weekly production to 6,000 vehicles by the end of June. The current production increase will enable the German factory to reach an annual production capacity of around 390,000 electric vehicles.

This number is still below the targeted annual capacity of 500,000 vehicles when the facility opens in 2022. According to data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, Tesla registrations in Europe in the January-May period exceeded 118,000 units, increasing by 57 percent compared to the same period last year.

This increase in sales is supported by rising fuel costs and new zero-emission vehicle incentives in Germany. Elon Musk’s political stance and his close ties with US President Donald Trump were among the factors that negatively affected European sales in 2025.

Europe’s quest for technological independence

This rise of Tesla in Europe coincides with a period when European Union presidents continue their efforts to reduce dependence on US-based technology companies. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Europe should become a more independent power in the fields of defense and technology at the Munich Security Conference held in February.

The French government announced that it would switch to the local Visio platform instead of platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and signed software agreements with Mistral for its armed forces. The European Commission has prepared a technology sovereignty package that aims to strengthen digital autonomy in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The commission also stated that Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure should be classified as gatekeepers that should be regulated under the Digital Markets Act. The electric vehicle industry is seen as one of the most suitable areas for Europe to break its dependence on the USA, thanks to the presence of local manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW and Stellantis.

In the market, options with high range and fast charging features offered by Chinese manufacturers such as BYD also provide alternatives for consumers. Despite all these developments, Tesla maintains its confidence that consumers in the European market will continue to return to showrooms.

Do you think Tesla’s comeback in the European market will be permanent?