MILAN (Reuters) – Tesla’s new car registrations in Italy rebounded sharply in March after a plunge the previous month to stand down 7% year-on-year in the quarter as a whole, data from the Transport Ministry showed on Tuesday.

The quarterly number adds to signs that drivers are shunning Elon Musk’s electric vehicle brand as competition from China stiffens and as a form of protest against his political views.

New registrations of Tesla vehicles rose 51% in March from the previous year, to 2,217 units, after a 54% yearly plunge in February.

In the first quarter, the U.S electric vehicle maker sold 3,469 new cars in Italy, the data showed.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Valentina Za)