Even More Evidence Musk Is Killing Tesla

What a stupid mistake.

Renault 5 — Renault

Tesla, specifically the Model Y, has held the European best-selling EV title for years now. But with the scars of the events that occurred eighty years ago resurfacing after “that” incident, Tesla as a brand has been sinking faster than the Bismarck. Even with the launch of the new Model Y, which looks like it has undergone botched plastic surgery to impersonate the Cybertruck, sales have flopped, and for the first quarter of 2025, Tesla lost their spot as the best-selling EV in Europe. What is telling is which EV has replaced the Model Y at the top. You would think it would be a similar EV, like the VW ID. 4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, or the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but no. It is the tiny Renault 5. And its success shows just how badly Musk has fumbled the bag, because he was warned of this well in advance.

If you live across the pond, you can’t buy the new Renault 5, which is a shame because it is utterly brilliant. At just £26,995 (that is £12,995 cheaper than the cheapest Tesla) for the top-spec 52 kWh version, it is a steal. That gives you a WLTP range of 256 miles, a 10% to 80% charge time of 33 minutes, and a 0–60 mph time of eight seconds. But don’t let that comparatively slow acceleration figure fool you — this car, like most Renaults, handles incredibly. It’s fun, lively, and chuckable, perfect for exuberant city driving. Yet with a reasonable range, an impressive efficiency at highway speeds, and decent 326-litre boot space, the Renault 5 can also handle long trips with ease.

In short, it is more of an EV than most people will need, as well as being a highly desirable object that doesn’t break the bank.

But, hang on, the Renault 5 sounds almost identical to another EV that was supposed to have launched already: the Tesla “Model 2”.

This $25,000 EV (which would work out to roughly £25,000 for an on-the-road price in the UK) was reported to be the same size as the Renault 5 and come with a 53 kWh BYD Blade battery, giving it a 250-mile range and a 10% to 80% charge time of around 30 minutes. In other words, it was going to be nearly identical to the Renault 5.

The 5 does have this cheap, compact EV section of the European market mostly cornered. The Peugeot e-208 has similar specs but is £5,000 more expensive. The Citroën E-C3 has a little less range for a little less money, and the MG4 has the same specs and price, but the quality and design aren’t up to scratch. The 5 is a perfect Goldilocks EV, which is why it is selling so well.

But the Model 2 was pitched to have an almost identical design, price and specs to the Renault 5. The 5 shows the Model 2 could have been Tesla’s saving grace in Europe, and had it been launched when it was supposed to, Tesla might still be the best-selling EV here. Especially because the backlash to Musk’s love of all things from 1930s Germany wasn’t the sole reason for Tesla’s rapid demise. Tesla’s sales in Europe began to decline months before “that” incident because there were better EVs entering the market. The VW ID.3, Kia EV3, Renault Scenic, and BYD Seal were all scooping up huge numbers of potential customers. In short, for Tesla to keep its sales figures up, it needed to expand into sections of the market with high demand and no supply. Like cheaper, compact, but still long-range EVs.