Tesla is on the verge of a major comeback, thanks to one unlikely ally: Norway.
"In the first half of this year as Tesla sales plunged by half in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, they grew by 24% year-on-year in Norway, making the country of 5.5 million the company's second-largest European market," reported Reuters.
Reuters attributed Tesla's sales plummet to the phenomenon of "Tesla shame," meaning that consumers in the electric vehicle market are disheartened by the recent politics of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and hesitant to support his company.
While it's imperative to work toward a sustainable future with reduced reliance on dirty energy through the widespread adoption of EVs, many consumers still disapprove and are boycotting Musk, specifically over how he spends the billions he earned from Tesla.
"I'll be honest that it's a bit of a double-edged sword having a Tesla," said Espen Lysholm, per Reuters.
However, the sales numbers show that many have nonetheless chosen to invest in a climate-friendly future.
Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association, suggested that for many consumers, the decision to buy an EV is based more on word-of-mouth recommendations than on the public perception of the company or individual politics. "Everyone in Norway knows someone who owns a Tesla," she said, per Reuters. "It's more personal."
According to the publication, 94% of all new vehicle sales in Norway are electric. The country sets the standard for reducing reliance on gas-powered vehicles and is right within the range (75% to 95%) required to hit international climate goals that limit Earth's warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and prevent many harmful impacts from rising temperatures.
There are many ways to support a cleaner transportation industry. One consumer who fully intends to buy another EV plans on shopping the booming secondhand market. "The company doesn't benefit from us buying their used cars," said Odd Bakken, a Tesla owner since 2014 who "once admired Musk as a visionary," per Reuters. And with increased competition from companies like Volkswagen, the name Tesla is becoming less and less synonymous with the future of electric vehicles.
Further, Tesla's charging network might be the most robust, but more and more EV owners are opting to power up solely with the sun. With solar panels, you can essentially charge your EV for free.
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