Norway has had huge success in adopting electric vehicles, with 82% of new cars sold in the country in 2023 being electric, according to the Norwegian Road Association. This high adoption rate can be attributed to the Scandinavian country's generous subsidies for electric vehicle owners as well as its investment in charging infrastructure.
Tesla Sales in the country may only represent a small slice of the 1.8 million vehicles the company delivered globally last year, but their importance to the electric car maker goes beyond revenue. Tesla's early foothold there has made Norway a pivotal proving ground for the company and a national model for the transition to electric vehicles. As a result, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made a number of trips to the small Nordic country, often praising its support for technological change.
Norwegians were the first European customers to receive shipments of the Tesla Model S in 2013. In April 2014, Tesla broke the Norwegian record for most monthly sales of a single model, electric or gas, with its Model S. Today, the top selling model is Tesla's Model Y. Tesla accounted for about 20% of all vehicles sold in the country last year, according to the Norwegian Road Association.
But with competition heating up from other electric car makers including Toyota, Skoda, Volkswagen and BYD, it remains to be seen whether Norwegians will continue to favor Tesla in the future.
CNBC traveled to Norway to meet locals, government officials and experts to find out how Tesla became so successful in the Scandinavian country. Watch the video to get the full story.
