Norway March 2018: Nissan Leaf shoots up to extravagant 15.3% share

No other nameplate has hit such a high market share in Norway this decade.

* See the Top 40 All-brands and Top 230 All-models by clicking on the title *

The Norwegian new car market rallies back up 7.5% year-on-year in March to 14.401 units, yet the year-to-date tally remains frankly in negative at -11.6% to 33.799 registrations. Norway is the world’s green car kingdom, and this month confirms this status in an impressive way. Electric cars are up 89.4% to 5.362 (up 38.7% to 9.686 YTD), Plug-in hybrids are up 45.7% to 2.673 (down 0.1% to 6.488 YTD) but Regular hybrids are down 37.8% to 1.178 (down 33.4% to 3.613 YTD). Add 4 hydrogen cars and that’s a total of 9.217 green cars registered in Norway in March, up 40% year-on-year to an incredible 64% market share vs. 49% a year ago and 52.2% over FY2017.

One big event eclipses everything else this month: the confirmed pole position of the Nissan Leaf with an extravagant 15.3% share and 2.172 sales, that’s a staggering 335% improvement on the previous generation a year ago and the highest market share hit by any vehicle in Norway this decade (previous best: 12.9% by the VW Golf last October). It’s also, and by far, the highest ever share hit by the Leaf in Norway, almost doubling its previous record established just last month at 7.7%, and a new volume record, almost 3-fold its previous benchmark of 781 also hit last month. It is the fourth time the Leaf ends the mont at # 1 in Norway after October 2013, January 2014 and February 2018 but judging by this month’s performance we are about to see a lot more of the Leaf atop the Norwegian charts. Adequately, the Leaf leapfrogs the Golf to become #1 YTD with 8.9% share, up 138% on the same period in 2017.

As a result, Nissan brilliantly takes the lead of the brands ranking, up a mammoth 163% year-on-year to 16.2% share, 93% of which going to the Leaf. Tesla has gotten us used to stunning performances in end-of-periods and this March is no exception: the US carmaker is up 89% year-on-year to #2 overall with 9.7% share  outselling Volkswagen (-14% to 9.4%) for the second time in the past four months after last December. Volvo also shines with sales up 31% to 8.6% in 4th place, distancing BMW (+4%), Toyota (-39%) and Mercedes (-30%). Smart (+650%), Jeep (+600%), Alfa Romeo (+200%), Dacia (+164%), Porsche (+64%), Mini (+38%), Mitsubishi (+25%) and Peugeot (+12%) also post very vigorous gains.

Back to the models ranking where the Tesla Model X leaps 63% year-on-year and 50 spots on last month to #2 and 5% share, ahead of the VW Golf up 12% to 4.8%. The Tesla Model S (+128%) is up 72 ranks on February to make it two Teslas in the Top 4. The BMW i3 (+34%), Mitsubishi Outlander (+17%, 95% PHEV), Volvo V90 (+64%) and Volvo XC60 (+169%) also impress in the Top 10. Further down, the VW T-Roc tops all recent launches at #19 (+5) above the Skoda Karoq at #38 (+11), the Volvo XC40 at #61 (-2) and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at #64 (+36).

Previous month: Norway February 2018: Nissan Leaf best-seller in market down 13.5%

One year ago: Norway March 2017: Toyota C-HR up to #3, Tesla Model X up to #4

Full March 2018 Top 40 All-brands and Top 230 All-models below.