Norway March 2019: Tesla Model 3 at 29% share, breaks all models monthly sales record, Audi e-Tron #5, EVs at record 58.4% share

Almost 1 in 3 new cars sold in Norway in March is a Tesla Model 3.

The Norwegian new car maker shoots up by a whopping 27.6% year-on-year in March to 18.375 registrations, lifting the YTD cume up 13.9% to 38.485. There is one main culprit for this surge: the Tesla Model 3 which has triggered an avalanche of records this month. Firstly total EV sales double year-on-year (+100.1%) to a new record 10.732 units, accounting for an all-time high 58.4% share of Norwegian sales vs. 37.2% a year ago in March 2018. This is the highest EV share ever reached anywhere in the world and the first time a country ever purchases more than 50% EVs in a single month. In contrast, hybrid sales drop from 26.8% to 18.9% share, petrol sales are down to 12.3% share and diesel sales down to an all-time low 10.4%.

Now that some US production of the Tesla Model 3 has switched its destination to Europe, thousands or pre-sales clocked in over the past 3 years can finally be honoured and it makes for gargantuan sales figures. In March, the Tesla Model 3 sells an incredible 5.315 units in Norway alone, accounting for an out-of-this-world 28.9% share. Never before had a single nameplate sold that many monthly units in Norway. A caveat to this record volume is that these are registrations of models sold over a period of a few years, it’s not instant buyers turning up at a dealership, but still, these are astoundingly high volumes nevertheless. To put these figures in perspective, the monthly records for other Teslas in Norway are for the Model X: 1.429 sales (December 2017) and 11.6% share (September 2018), and for the Model S: 1.493 sales and 10.8% (September 2013), which were already spectacular world-best scores of their own. This means Tesla has now managed to place all its models to-date in the Norwegian monthly pole position.

The Audi e-Tron is the 5th best-selling car in Norway in March.

Accordingly, the Model 3 single-handedly lifts Tesla (+315%) to the #1 brand spot in Norway for the month with a record 5.822 sales and 31.7%, shattering the brand’s previous volume and share records which were 2.455 sales in December 2017 and 19% share in September 2018. Tesla also takes control of the Norwegian charts YTD at 7.024 units and 18.3% (+313.4%) well above last year’s leader Volkswagen at 4.737 and 12.3%. Interestingly, Tesla isn’t the only brand to post very strong results this month, in fact the entire podium is in excellent shape with Volkswagen (+21.7%) and Toyota (+12.6%) in tow. Jaguar (+1723.1%), Audi (+103.5%), Hyundai (+97%), Mitsubishi (+75.3%), Suzuki (+51.4%) and Kia (+14.7%) also shine below.

Back to the models ranking where the VW Golf (+40.5%), Mitsubishi Outlander (+85.5%) and BMW i3 (+48.5%) also post spectacular year-on-year gains, while the Audi e-Tron directly breaks into the Top 5 for its first appearance in the Norwegian Top 20. The Jaguar i-Pace remains at a world-best #7, with the Hyundai Kona (+1800%), Ford Focus (+167.9%), Kia Niro (+92.1%) and Hyundai Ioniq (+44.6%) also impressive in the remainder of the Top 20.

Previous month: Norway February 2019: Tesla Model 3 lands directly at #2, Jaguar i-Pace #7 in first market uptick in 6 months

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

Full March 2019 Top 20 brands and models below.