In brief: Elon Musk's close relationship with Donald Trump and his outspoken views have led to a backlash against Tesla vehicles in many countries around the world. However, sales of the EVs in the UK rose by a fifth last month, with the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y the nation's second and third most-popular models, respectively. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) writes that almost 4,000 Teslas were sold in the UK in February, up 20.7% year on year and increasing Tesla's market share from 3.75% in February 2024 to 4.6% last month.Electric vehicle popularity continues to grow in the UK. Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEVs) registrations were up 19.3% and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) increased 7.9%. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations were up by 41.7% to 21,244. That's despite the UK's overall car market declining by 1% to 84,054 new registrations.The figures are a contrast to Tesla's declining popularity in Europe. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed sales of new Tesla cars almost halved in Europe last month, which is being attributed to Musk's support of Trump, his role as head of DOGE, the dismantling of USAid, and association with Germany's far-right AfD party.It's not just in Europe where Tesla's business is suffering. Sales in Australia were down 72% last month compared to the same period a year earlier. Sales of Tesla's entry level Model 3, which had been the second-best selling EV in Australia in 2024, were down 81%.In Germany, demand for anti-Musk stickers for Tesla cars has exploded, and several corporations have said they will no longer be using Teslas in their fleet vehicles. // Related StoriesIn Poland, the country's tourism minister called on citizens to boycott Tesla vehicles. There was also a poll in the Netherlands suggesting 31% of respondents who owned Teslas were considering selling or had already sold them.Figures for the start of 2025 show Tesla registrations were down 63% YoY in France, 59% in Germany, 44% in Sweden, and 38% in Norway. It has been noted that factors beyond Musk may have played a part in these fallinf sales, including customers awaiting Tesla's release of the updated Y model, cheaper Chinese rivals, and people buying fewer cars in general.In addition to the UK, Tesla sales have also risen in the US. Preliminary data for February indicates that around 42,000 of its EVs were sold during the month in the United States, up 14% year-on-year.Masthead: Bruno Martins