The Tesla Model S – Tesla’s take on a luxury electric car – was the best-selling car in Norway during the first few weeks of September 2013.
Tesla Model S EV (pictured) is the best-selling car in Norway
We’ve already seen that the Tesla Model S electric car is out-performing many luxury cars in the US, and with reviews of the Tesla S finding very little not to like it seems strong Tesla S sales are a trend that will continue.
Admittedly, Norway’s car market isn’t huge, but the Tesla Model S managed to move in to buyers hands in Norway in the first two weeks of September at a quicker rate than even the regular VW Golf, selling 322 compared to the Golf’s 256.
Now there are some very special reasons for this, not least the fact that there was pent-up demand in Norway for the Model S with buyers waiting for it to arrive before stepping in to buy in droves.
But the biggest reason – apart from the fact the Model S is very desirable – is Norway’s incentives for electric cars.
Norway has a high-tax regime for cars, and car purchase tax, import duty and VAT at 25 per cent add a big chunk to the cost of every ICE car on the road, with even a fairly basic Golf costing the wrong side of £25k and an M5 in the region of £200k.
But if you buy an EV in Norway the government does everything it can to help. There is no car purchase tax, no import duty, no VAT, no parking charges, no toll charges, no road tax and EV drivers can even use bus lanes.
Norway are on a mission to have 50k EVs on the road by 2018, and until they reach that target EVs will continue to receive the huge tax incentives, so it’s no wonder the Tesla Model S is doing so well as its cost in Norway is about the same as just the tax added to an M5 – around £70,000.
Still, it’s an impressive performance from Tesla.
Chris says
All these car magazines are hailing the Tesla as the new wonder car. The car has a range of 300 miles supposedly. What range is that when you have the air conditioning running in the summer or the heater in the winter?
How long does the battery last? They use the same technology as found in a mobile phone i.e. lithium-ion.
How much does it cost to replace the battery? Because, it will need to be replaced.
If you like to go on longer trips, such as a holiday, how long will it take to recharge? Or do you buy a second car or rent one?
There’s a lot of hype about this car.
And the last part. It’s a green car. No it’s not, unless the electricity is from nuclear or wind farms. Since 40% of UK power comes from coal, it’s unlikely to be the case.
Sergio says
Hey mate,
That’s a nice set of questions. And by nice, I mean that they all have been answered very clearly. Let’s begin, shall we?
Air conditioning at highway speed in 90 degree weather: 247 miles.
Heater at highway speed in 32 degree weather: 218 miles.
The current warranty on the battery (which is the same concept as cell phone batteries, but a higher grade) is 8 years and unlimited miles.Cost of batteries continues to drop exponentially.
Full charge at a Supercharger (which is free) is about 1 hour. 30 minutes gets you above half charge. No, there is no need for a second car. You can also charge at other electric car charging stations.
The last part of your post isn’t actually a question. However, most if not all Superchargers have accompanying solar panels, and many owners opt to charge with solar panels at home.
You’re welcome. =)
Chris says
Sergio,
I noticed you didn’t answer the question on the cost of replacing the battery. The cost is likely to be in the multiple thousands of pounds considering the size of the battery compared to a hybrid.
How many charging stations are there in the country? So, I should go and grab a coffee and a sandwich (according to Tesla’s website), while the Tesla is charged to half-full. Sounds wonderful, especially late at night when I just want to get home. This is assuming I’m near a charging station.
How many owners charge with solar panels?
How much power comes from the solar panels on the superchargers? I doubt that they produce enought power to charge a Tesla without additional energy from the electricity grid.
Your post seems like a marketing post from Tesla. How’s the weather in Fremont?
Chris.