Norway has had tremendous success with EV adoption; according to the Norwegian Road Federation, 82% of new automobiles sold in the country in 2023 were electric. This high adoption rate can be linked to Scandinavian countries’ considerable incentives for electric vehicle owners, as well as their investment in charging infrastructure.
Tesla’s prominence in the country extends beyond revenue, despite accounting for only a small portion of the company’s global sales of 1.8 million vehicles in 2018. Tesla’s early presence in Norway has made it an important testing ground for the firm, as well as a national model for electric car transition. As a result, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made several trips to the small Nordic country, frequently praising its support for technological advancement.
In 2013, Norwegians became the first European consumers to receive delivery of the Tesla Model S. Tesla’s Model S beat Norway’s record for the most monthly sales of any single model, electric or gas, in April 2014. Today’s best-selling model is Tesla’s Model Y. Tesla accounted for almost 20% of all vehicles sold in the country last year, according to the Norwegian Road Federation.
However, with competition from other EV automakers such as Toyota, Skoda, Volkswagen, and BYD increasing, it remains to be seen whether Norwegians will continue to prefer Tesla in the future.
CNBC visited to Norway to talk with locals, government officials, and experts to learn how Tesla has achieved such success in the Scandinavian country. To learn more, watch the video.
