by Success Amid Global Challenges
Despite sales problems in the US, Europe, and China, Tesla has found a region where the company can celebrate undeniable success. This is Norway, a country obsessed with electric vehicles, where Tesla has demonstrated nearly 35 percent sales growth since the start of 2025.
Also: BYD Sold Nearly Three Times More Cars in Europe Than Tesla
Unprecedented Record
The American electric vehicle manufacturer managed to sell more cars in the first 11 months of this year than any other automaker has ever sold in a full 12-month period in the history of the Norwegian market.
According to data from the country’s official vehicle registry OFV, Tesla sold 28,606 vehicles from January to November, surpassing Volkswagen’s long-standing record of 26,575 cars set back in 2016.
In November alone, an impressive 6,215 new Teslas hit the roads, nearly three times more than last year. This frenzy is linked to buyers rushing to beat a planned tax increase on electric vehicles scheduled for January 1st.
Previously, Norway completely exempted electric vehicles from taxes to stimulate demand. Even after introducing a cap of approximately fifty thousand dollars, most base and mid-range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y remained below this threshold. However, next year the cap will be lowered even further, which will already affect Tesla’s most popular models.
Sales Leader
The most popular model in Norway remains the Model Y crossover, which retains its status as the country’s favorite car, despite a slight sales dip at the beginning of the year. After a long-awaited update in the second quarter, the Model Y demonstrated a strong recovery.
Norway’s Unrelenting Electrification
Even those drivers who disapprove of CEO Elon Musk or the Tesla brand itself still choose electric power. An incredible 98.3% of all new cars sold last month were fully electric, keeping Norway on track to meet its goal of completely ending sales of new internal combustion engine cars as early as 2025.
Volkswagen increased sales by almost 50%, and Kia by an incredible 153% since the start of the year, but neither comes close to Tesla’s market share.
Contrast with the Global Situation
However, Tesla’s boom in Norway sharply contrasts with the company’s global situation in 2025. Global deliveries are expected to fall by 7%, and sales in the US fell by 24% in October, despite a brief 18% increase in September when buyers tried to secure the federal tax credit before it ended.
Electric Vehicle Sales Table in Norway 2025
Brand / NOV-25 / YEAR-TO-DATE-25 / CHANGE SINCE START OF YEAR
1 Tesla / 6,215 / 28,606 / +34.6%
2 Volkswagen / 2,198 / 18,690 / +49.8%
3 Volvo / 1,867 / 11,411 / +18.1%
4 BMW / 1,104 / 8,604 / +42.7%
5 Toyota / 309 / 8,171 / -34.6%
6 Skoda / 958 / 7,282 / +23.0%
7 Audi / 628 / 5,636 / +13.6%
8 Ford / 846 / 5,575 / +73.4%
9 Mercedes-Benz / 588 / 5,176 / +59.9%
10 Hyundai / 662 / 5,027 / -5.6%
11 Nissan / 382 / 4,412 / -13.5%
12 MG / 487 / 4,278 / -3.8%
13 BYD / 172 / 4,196 / +76.1%
14 XPeng / 529 / 3,367 / +95.5%
15 Kia / 551 / 3,262 / +153.1%
16 Polestar / 351 / 3,223 / +70.4%
17 Peugeot / 262 / 2,355 / +28.3%
18 Lexus / 127 / 1,662 / +21.2%
19 Porsche / 172 / 1,433 / +33.7%
20 Mazda / 318 / 1,404 / -10.3%
Source: OFV
The Norwegian market continues to be a unique proving ground for electric vehicles, where government policy shapes the market much faster than in most other countries. The future will show whether Tesla can maintain its leadership after the introduction of new taxes, but its current success is a vivid example of how fiscal incentives can catalyze a mass transition to clean technologies. At the same time, the dynamics of other brands, especially Chinese ones like BYD and XPeng, which are showing double and triple-digit growth, indicate that competition in this market is only intensifying. This creates an interesting picture where the local triumph of one company occurs simultaneously with its global challenges and increased competitive pressure from new players.
