Tesla surpasses Audi in global car sales for the first time

Audi’s sales decline is due to growing competition in Europe and China, as well as weak demand for electric vehicles. According to the agency, sales fell, among others, in Germany, China and North America. Deliveries of all-electric models decreased by 8%, to approximately 164 thousand.

Bloomberg writes that sales of electric cars in Europe are lagging behind expectations after government subsidies were reduced in several countries. In response to slowing sales, Volkswagen began cutting capacity and Audi planned to close a plant in Brussels due to low demand for the Q8 e-tron electric SUV.

Additionally, Tesla faced problems in 2024, recording its first sales decline in 10 years. According to Bloomberg, Musk’s company has had difficulty maintaining its position as the world leader in electric vehicle sales, ahead of China’s BYD.

In November 2024, Manager Magazin learned of Audi’s plans to cut “thousands” of non-production jobs amid three quarters of declining profits. The publication notes that the automaker plans to lay off approximately 15% of its staff, and in Germany alone the cuts should affect about 4.5 thousand jobs.

In October, Reuters reported that Volkswagen planned to close at least three factories in Germany and lay off “tens of thousands” of workers to cut costs. In December, the Financial Times wrote that the automaker, under pressure from the union, abandoned this idea and moved to reduce production capacity and reduce staff without layoffs.

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