Tesla's sales volume in Germany fell by a third in May, the German road traffic agency KBA said on Wednesday, although sales of battery electric vehicles rose overall.

KBA said Tesla sold 1,210 cars in Germany in May, down 36.2% from year earlier, while the total number of newly registered electric vehicles increased by 44.9%, KBA added.

The automaker's sales dropped for fifth straight month in several European markets, as Europeans buy more Chinese EVs and some protest against CEO Elon Musk's political activities.

The German agency said the sales volume of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD increased ninefold to 1,857 units in May.