Tesla sold almost 60% fewer cars in Germany in January than in the year-earlier period, as the U.S. electric vehicle maker faces a test of popularity amid headline-grabbing political involvement by its billionaire CEO Elon Musk.

Germany has apparently seen the writing on the wall for what Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, represent, and in turn, sales plummeted 59 percent in January. It comes as Musk further inserts himself into both the U.

In January, Tesla's new car registrations in Germany plunged 59.5% to 1,277, despite hosting its sole European factory. Sales also fell sharply in France (down 63%), Norway (38%), and the UK (8%) year-over-year, FT writes .