Tesla Inc. sales jumped in the past three months, marking a comeback for the Austin automaker that has been hammered by customer revolt over CEO Elon Musk, an aging vehicle lineup and repeal of federal tax breaks for electric vehicle purchases.

The EV maker said it delivered 480,126 cars to customers, up 25% from a year ago, when many European car buyers refused to buy a Tesla because of Musk’s work in the Trump administration and embrace of far-right political candidates abroad. Second-quarter sales were up 34% from this year’s first three months. They also topped the 401,000 Wall Street analysts had been expecting, according to FactSet.

Of the vehicles delivered in the April-June period, 467,762 were Model 3 or Gigafactory Texas-made Model Ys. Tesla delivered 12,364 of all other vehicles such as Cybertruck and Tesla Semi, the latter of which was involved in its first fatal crash this week. 

As sales slumped last year, the company lost its crown as the world’s largest EV maker to China’s BYD. 

But Tesla has been steadily rebounding this year. The company earlier reported deliveries of 358,023 cars from January through March, a 6% increase from the same period a year ago.

For the second-quarter, Tesla didn’t break out results by country but an earlier report from European trade groups reported sales increased during May in Europe, including a 300% rise in Germany. Research firm Cox Automotive estimates U.S. sales are still falling fast, though, down 20% in the second quarter from a year ago.

Tesla’s performance in the second quarter might not be enough to overtake BYD. Bloomberg reported it’s poised to report 557,090 electric vehicle deliveries in the second quarter. 

Tesla now is gearing up for a third quarter that could see more activity on Cybercab, its new purpose-built robotaxi, and the introduction of its six-seat Model Y in new markets. Tesla said Thursday the Model Y Long Wheelbase is now available in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, boasting more headroom and legroom for passengers, additional trunk space, and 325 miles of range. 

Tesla is hoping to lure more Europeans as countries approve use of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance system. The Netherlands approved the system in April, followed by Estonia, Greece and Lithuania. European EV sales already have been boosted by high gasoline and diesel prices due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Tesla has also increasingly touted activity outside of its automaking business, pushing efforts on its robotics and teaming up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX on a chip manufacturing factory. Its energy business is also gaining. Tesla said it deployed 13.5 gigawatt hours of energy storage products in the second quarter, up 53% from the January-March period.

The company’s auto sales fell last year amid protests at showrooms in the U.S. and Europe that also saw vandalism against Tesla drivers. In the U.S, customers were angry about Musk’s work with President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency and support for far-right candidates and causes. Musk left the administration in May 2025 under pressure from investors and Tesla board members to return his focus to business.

Tesla shares were down more than 8% by late afternoon. Still, the stock is up about 25% from the same time a year ago.

Tesla is set to post its financial results for the second quarter after markets close July 22.