Why don’t Norwegians hate Tesla like the rest of Europe?

Recession does Don’t stop. Tesla Sales in Europe fell again in November 2025, confirming a Negative trend Which has been going on for more than a year.

The data you reported Reuters It shows that monthly registrations for Tesla cars – an accurate way to measure sales – fell by half compared to the same month in 2024 in the continent’s main markets: down 58 percent in France, minus 59 percent in Sweden, and down 49 percent in Denmark. And in Germany where Elon MuskThe European automaker-controlled carmaker has its only factory on the outskirts of Berlin, which is only registered 750 vehicles sold In October, less than half the number Sold A year ago.

The big exception to this downward trend is in Norway, where Tesla vehicle registrations nearly tripled, to 6,215 units.

Figures for the first ten months of 2025 reveal a structural crisis. Tesla lost about 30 percent of its European sales compared to the same period in 2024, according to what the British newspaper “Daily Mail” reported. Data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturersthe body that brings together industry manufacturers on the continent. Tesla’s market share in the electric vehicle segment fell from 12.6 percent in May 2024 to 7.2 percent in May 2025, according to an analysis by Schmidt Automotive.

Volkswagen The company took the lead among electric car manufacturers by selling 133,465 units in the first six months of the year, compared to 108,878 units for Tesla, and the Chinese manufacturer BYD sold more than twice the number of cars that its American competitor sold in October.

Global shock waves

The reasons for the decline are many. Musk’s political stances have alienated a large portion of his European customer base, especially in Germany where the businessman has openly supported the AfD, the far-right party in Germany known as the AfD. Mask’s virtual participation in Alternative for Germany election rally In January 2025, during which he called on Germans to overcome guilt over their Nazi past, he sparked a wave of boycotts. German companies such as pharmacy chain Rossmann and energy group LichtBlick announced they were divesting from Tesla fleets, while Poland’s Sports Minister, Slawomir Nitrasz, called on citizens to boycott the brand.

Then there is the fact that competition is becoming increasingly fierce. More than 150 electric models produced by European, Chinese, Korean and Japanese companies are available on the European market. As Reuters reported again, A survey conducted by Escalent of more than 2,000 buyers in the five largest European car markets revealed that 38 percent of respondents believe that the Tesla brand has now lost its aura of modernity and quality.

Tesla registrations in Italy also declined for six straight months until October, the month in which they were only sold 256 cars47 percent lower than in the same month of 2024, according to data from the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. In the first 10 months of the year, 9,047 Tesla vehicles were registered in the country, a decrease of 33 percent. The Italian figure is important, because in the first five months of 2025, the country’s electric car sector grew by 73 percent. Therefore, the problem is not related to the electric car market, but rather to Tesla itself.

Norwegian reasons

But in Norway, the data tells a different story. Tesla sold more cars in the Scandinavian country in 2025 than any other manufacturer in national history, surpassing the previous record set by Volkswagen in 2016. As reported by ReutersData released on December 1 by the Norwegian Road Association, the body that monitors traffic on Norwegian roads, showed that Tesla registered 28,606 vehicles from January to November, representing a 34.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Tesla now owns 31.2 percent of the entire Norwegian car market.

Success is the result of very specific factors. Norway is the country with the highest penetration of electric vehicles in the world: in November, 97.6 percent of new registrations were for battery-powered cars. The record stems from an incentive system built over more than two decades that made electric cars cheaper than conventional cars through a 25 percent VAT exemption for cars priced below NOK 500,000. That’s about 42,500 euros or $49,360.

However, the November increase should also be read in light of the impending change. The Oslo government announced in Budget 2026 Norway intends to reduce the tax exemption limit to 300,000 kroner starting next year (25,500 euros / 29,600 dollars) and then completely cancel the benefit in 2027. Therefore, Norwegian consumers rushed to complete their purchases before the new rules come into effect.

This story was originally published by Wired Italy It was translated from Italian.