On the afternoon of March 11, the South Lawn of the White House turned into a makeshift outdoor Tesla (TSLA) showroom as President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk toured a smattering of the brand’s EVs in front of a press gaggle.
The public display of affection comes less than 24 hours after a Truth Social post. The President denounced ongoing boycotts and protests against the Musk-led automaker and stated that he planned to buy a Tesla vehicle to demonstrate his support.
Trump eventually settled on a red Model S sedan, an $80,000 sedan that impressed him with its technological features and performance capabilities.
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” Trump said while settling into the car. “This is a different panel than I’ve had; it’s all computer!”
President @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk hop in a Tesla! pic.twitter.com/NRRm7IEQGf
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) March 11, 2025
Trump’s admiration comes amid slumping U.S. Tesla sales.
In remarks on the White House lawn during the March 11 ‘Tesla Summit,’ President Trump noted that Musk and Tesla was being “treated very unfairly by a very small group of people.”
“[…] I just want people to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot, and he’s a great patriot, and he’s also done an incredible job with Tesla,” Trump said.
However, the latest data from S&P Global Mobility shows that the Musk-led EV firm saw new U.S. registrations fall by 11% in January, while rival electric vehicle makers saw their figures surge by 44%.
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According to S&P, Tesla generated 43,411 new registrations that month and claimed a 42.5% market share, a 12 percentage point drop year over year.
Meanwhile, electric vehicles offered by companies other than Tesla generated 58,777 new registrations in January, as Tesla competitors —mostly traditional automakers— saw double and triple-digit percentage gains.
Ford (F) claimed the number two spot behind Tesla. Its 8,366 registrations in January was a 54% rise compared to the year-earlier. Compared to Tesla’s strong lineup, the Blue Oval’s EV offering pales with its two models: the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.
General Motors-owned Chevrolet (GM) followed. It saw a 36% gain when it generated 5,935 registrations in January, while German auto mainstay Volkswagen saw its EV sales by 163%
Related: Tesla makes a desperate attempt to escape its sales nightmare
Much of Tesla’s losses came in some of its more consumer-facing models. In January, registrations for Tesla’s Model Y compact crossover, the best-selling electric vehicle in the United States fell to 23,898 vehicles, a 26% year-over-year drop.
Registrations for Tesla’s bigger Model X crossover also fell significantly in January. S&P Global Mobility said that just 1,813 vehicles were registered in January, representing a 45% year-over-year drop. Additionally, just 889 Model S — the car Trump ultimately decided on— made it off showroom lots in January, a 38% drop from the same time a year ago.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for Tesla’s lineup. Its Model 3 compact sedan saw a 19% year-over-year gain in January registrations, as it moved 14,004 of them off forecourts. Currently, it is offering massive discounts to recoup sales.
Additionally, Tesla’s Cybertruck saw 2,807 registrations in January, a number much higher than the 72 in January 2024 but lower than the average of 3,300 monthly registrations throughout 2024.
Tesla, Inc. shares are traded on the NASDAQ as TSLA.
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