Sales of electric vehicles in the European Union (EU) rose in the first two months of 2025, but Tesla saw a sharp drop in new registrations, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Battery-electric car sales grew by 28.4 percent year-on-year to about 255,489 units, accounting for 15.2 percent of the total EU market, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

Tesla registered around 19,000 new vehicles during the same period, down nearly 49 percent from more than 37,000 a year earlier.

The decline comes amid strained transatlantic ties, worsened by U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about "buying" Greenland and tariff hikes on the EU. Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk has close ties with Trump, has faced growing consumer backlash in parts of Europe.