Tesla's sales in key European markets fell again in March, data showed on Tuesday, adding to signs that drivers are shunning Elon Musk's electric car brand as competition from China stiffens and some protest against his political views.

Tesla’s European problems are not over. Some countries have already reported their March delivery numbers,, and despite the new

Vehicle sales at China’s BYD soared 58 per cent in the first quarter in a stark contrast to an expected fall in demand for Tesla’s electric cars, as European consumers shun Elon Musk’s brand. The Shenzhen-based group on Tuesday said it delivered 986,098 passenger vehicles in the first quarter, of which 416,388 were pure EVs, up 39 per cent.

Most analysts were expecting a large sales decline, in part because numbers coming out of Europe have not been good, and because Tesla temporarily closed some factories to update production lines for the new Model Y.