Update: 4/29 6:02 pm est – Added comment from Troy Teslike, starts para. 4
The volume of Tesla inventory vehicles in Europe has spiked to its highest point this year, indicating the potential for another price cut.
Tesla has been finding a lot of success in the European market ever since it introduced its Model Y SUV to the continent, which has quickly become not only Tesla’s top seller in the region but the top-sold vehicle in many of Europe’s largest economies. Despite this success, Tesla saw a slight but noticeable decline in sales in the European market during the year’s first quarter. Now, trouble seems to continue for the American EV brand, which now sees a record number of inventoried vehicles in Europe.
The revelation regarding Tesla’s European inventory spike was posted on Twitter by Troy Teslike, who tracks Tesla sales and production.
Here is a chart that shows Tesla’s inventory in Europe over time (cars listed for sale on Tesla’s website): https://t.co/xbjD6sh8wm Supply is not an issue anymore. Therefore Q2 sales should give us a clear picture of demand
Europe sales:
• 94,819 in Q4 2022
• 93,784 in Q1 2023 pic.twitter.com/BxQm2bJX4P— Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) April 28, 2023
The results posted on Twitter show that Tesla has reached well above its record high for the year, primarily with units of Model 3s and Model Ys. However, a surprising number of Model Ss and Model Xs also seem to be accumulating.
In a comment to Teslarati, Troy Teslike laid out a couple of reasons Tesla may be experiencing a buildup of units in Europe. “I think the inventory buildup in Europe suggests a shift from being production-limited to demand-limited,” Teslike begins. “However, this doesn’t mean deliveries will be affected. It just means production exceeds demand.”
Teslike then points out that, thanks to Tesla’s continuing massive production ramp, a buildup of inventoried units has been slowly but surely creeping up on the automaker. “Tesla’s global production was higher than deliveries in the last four quarters. That resulted in an increase in inventory. Most of that inventory build-up happened in Europe.”
Tesla’s inventory at the end of Q1 was equal to 15 days of supply based on page 6 of Tesla’s shareholder letter https://t.co/n3wXWLqrHl Here is how that compares to other quarters.
Production was higher than deliveries in the last 4 quarters. pic.twitter.com/s5zc5s9Kgp
— Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) April 28, 2023
Concluding his statement, Teslike points to a specific source, Tesla Giga Shanghai. Thanks to Shanghai’s incredible production output, and Tesla’s uphill battle in China, excess units are ending up in Europe, but, according to Teslike, this may not be a bad thing. With added volume on the continent, the American automaker will be able to address demand quicker than ever, the only question is, will it be able to garner the necessary demand?
This strange inventory anomaly has attracted countless analysts besides Teslike, looking to find the stem of the issue. Does it stem from slowing demand for Tesla vehicles? Is it indicative of a slowing EV segment more generally? Is this issue just a symptom of more significant regional macroeconomic problems? Or, for the optimists, is this sudden spike even something worthy of concern?
It goes without saying that Europe, much like many other Western markets, has seen a good deal of economic turbulence in the first half of the year, including persistent high living costs, high inflation, and even the potential for bank collapse, however considering the success of other EV makers, this factor is unlikely the sole contributor.
Furthermore, with the dramatic uptick in EV sales seen at brands like Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes, it would be hard to believe that Tesla’s offerings suffer from a lack of affordability, especially as they already undercut these competitors by a substantial margin.
It should be noted that competition within the EV market, particularly in Europe, has gotten quite fierce with the entrance of countless new offerings, not only from the aforementioned luxury competitors of Tesla but also from Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, and Ford; brands that are all reasonably successful within the European affordable vehicle market outside of EV sales.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made it clear that Tesla’s pricing strategy, attempting to continue to lower prices to attract more customers, will continue well into the future. However, considering the current round of price cuts has still resulted in a record spike in inventory, it remains unclear if this will be the fix Tesla is looking for.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
News
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim is nearing its first deliveries
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
News
Tesla ships new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints
Tesla is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.
Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.
Another beautiful example of Tesla’s vertical integration.
Neighbors were complaining about noise and commotion at this new Supercharger in San Francisco.
So Tesla pushed a software update that asks people to turn their volume down, with a button to do it in 1 tap. Smart. pic.twitter.com/8esuliuzwr
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) May 20, 2026
This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.
When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”
Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.
This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.
Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.
These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”
Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.
As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.