Tesla Model 3 in Tonsberg, Norway
Tesla helped Norway become the world leader in the adoption of electric vehicles. Norwegian are returning: while throughout Europe Elon Musk’s sales continue to fall, in the Nordic country the brand keeps the lead – and is even selling more.
In recent months, the turn of Elon Musk, who has publicly assumed far-right positions and has intruded into the internal policy of several European countries, provoked negative reactions in many Europeans – and even acts of vandalism against Tesla cars and dealers.
Old loyal customers, especially in Europe, have even decided leave brand – Putting yours, or giving up buying a new one.
In Norway, however, the ‘Tesla shame‘It seems to have passed rapidly-and the sales of the American electric vehicle builder are shooting.
“To be frank, to say that I have a Tesla It’s a two -edged knife“, The Norwegian tells Espen Lysholm, who in May bought a model Y – his Third Tesla Novo In less than a decade.
“Earlier this year, everyone talked about the shame Tesla. We came to alert to it and said that It was necessary to wait for the sales numbers from the first trimester to realize whether or not there was ashamed Tesla in Norway, ”he says Oyvind Solberg Thorsenleader of the Norwegian Auto Federation.
“And we were right. There is no shame Tesla in Norway “At least not as we see it in other countries,” says Thorsen.
In the first half of this year, while the Tesla sales fell half in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, 24% grew in Norway compared to the previous year – which makes the country, with 5.5 million inhabitants, the second largest European market of the company.
Although small, the Norwegian market has a symbolic importance for the brand. Norway was the First country outside North America to receive Tesla’s top model, Model S, in 2013. On the other hand, the musk company contributed to make the country in world leader in the adoption of electric vehicles.
“In many ways, it can be said that Norway helped build Tesla“Says Thorasen.
Tesla’s sales after Musk spoke in a rally of the far-right party alternative to Germany (AFD) in January, telling the crowd that it was Time for Germany “move on” As for its Nazi past, which triggered calls to the boy’s boycott.
In November, after the collapse of the center-left coalition of Olaf ScholzElon Musk German and. In January, he appealed to King Carlos III to dissolve the British Parliament and criticized the Prime Minister Keir Starmer – That.
In France alone, Tesla sales decreased 67% In May compared to the same month of 2024, according to data from the country’s PFA registration. According to data from ACAP, In Portugal Tesla sales fell 36% in the first five months of the year e.
The impact is not limited to boycott; In recent months, in various countries in Europe, groups of vandals of the company, and some owners of Tesla vehicles found their cars damaged.
Tesla’s dominance may be being tested throughout Europe – but for now the brand continues to resist successfully to the growing threats to their leadership in Norway.
