TSLA has been facing serious challenges in China for years, and one of the biggest warning signs came back in 2022 when the Chinese government started banning Tesla cars from certain areas over national security concerns. As Fortune reported at the time, China prohibited Tesla vehicles from entering the Beidaihe district for two months while the Communist Party held its annual summer retreat. No official reason was given beyond “national affairs,” but it followed other Tesla restrictions, including a ban near military complexes and a similar prohibition in Chengdu during President Xi Jinping’s visit. Don't Miss: are quickly catching up. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today. Sales in Germany fell by 60% in January, France saw a 63% drop, and in the UK, Tesla sales went down by 8% even though electric car sales overall went up. In California, Tesla sales dropped by 11.6% last year, even though people are still buying electric cars at the same rate. Compared with 2023, the state saw 30,000 fewer Model 3 registrations. Although it performed better, the Model Y still lost almost 4,000 units. One possible factor in Tesla's struggles? Musk's political involvement. His controversial actions, including his alleged illegal interference with the U.S. Treasury Department, have drawn backlash. In Germany and the UK, Musk's support for far-right political movements has reportedly turned off many potential buyers. According to the EV Politics Project, Tesla is losing support among its traditional base—urban, progressive-to-centrist EV buyers—faster than it is gaining new conservative supporters, who are generally less interested in EVs. Read Next: