Demand for the U.S. automaker’s vehicles slid amid stronger competition from Europe and China and rising anger at Elon Musk’s political forays.

While Tesla's April sales numbers fell by nearly half, Germany saw a 53.5 percent increase in the total number of newly registered electric vehicles over the last year. While Tesla sales declined in Germany, sales for the Chinese EV company BYD's vehicles skyrocketed.

Tesla's sales volume in Germany nearly halved in April, German road traffic agency KBA said on Tuesday, even as sales of battery electric vehicles rose overall.