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Tesla dominates in EV-heavy Norway where gas cars are nearly defunct
Tesla has been widely recognized as the world’s leader in electric vehicles, and in EV-heavy Norway, where gas cars are nearly defunct, the automaker is dominating.
A report from the New York Times earlier this week recognized Norway’s explicit focus on transitioning away from ICE vehicles and instead transitioning more people toward EVs. The country has been a model for other areas attempting to do the same thing: woo consumers away from gas in an effort to embrace electrification.
Norway has done such an incredible job getting people to try EVs that it has a lead over the U.S. in terms of the adoption of electric cars that the report puts the U.S. more than a decade behind. Norway has already passed the 50 percent EV adoption mark, which President Biden hopes the U.S. can achieve by the end of the 2020s.
But it gets worse.
Norway has already marked an 80 percent sales rate of EVs. That occurred last year, and gas cars are expected to be a thing of the past by the time 2025 rolls around.
While some skeptics are convinced a quick transition to EVs could be detrimental, Norway has proven that a country of its size can handle the move. It has not been hindered by lack of infrastructure or a high rate of critical analysis. Of course, conditions and situations are much different than here in the U.S., like population, for example.
New York City alone has 3 million more people than all of Norway, and while the Big Apple has made drastic strides to encourage EV adoption, there is no comparison in terms of sustainable powertrains compared to Norwegian residents.
In a country where EVs have largely taken over the realm of passenger vehicles, one company continues to stand out, and that’s Tesla.
In May thus far, Tesla has already captured over 35 percent of the market share, leading Volkswagen by a margin of well over 20 percent. Volkswagen’s 430 EVs registered so far in May in Norway have it holding 12.9 percent.
In 2022, Tesla held 15 percent of the total market for EVs in Norway, according to EU-EVs. Volkswagen had 12.3 percent, a much tighter margin than May of this year. However, if 2023 continues to trend the way it has through the first four-and-a-half months, Tesla will have completely solidified itself as the undisputed leader in Norway.
So far through May 10, Tesla has 11,610 registrations, accounting for 31.1 percent of the Norwegian EV market. This is nearly double Volkswagen’s 5,983 cars sold, which puts it at 16 percent. Toyota is third with 7.3 percent.
Tesla’s prowess as the leader in EVs goes well beyond the United States, and Norway, a country with so much belief in electrification, has embraced the automaker’s status as a dominating force.
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Tesla is planning for a new 300+ stall Supercharger station that will be an expansion of an existing facility, and the company is planning to add a surprise for the Semi.
The Firebaugh, California Supercharger is currently 72 Superchargers, but Tesla filed for an expansion that will add 232 additional plugs for passenger vehicles, and it also plans to add 16 Semichargers.
This will be the biggest Supercharger station Tesla will have to date, just months after it finished the Supercharger Oasis in Lost Hills, California, which has 168 stalls. This will have 304 total Supercharger stalls, and then the additional 16 Megachargers.
🚨 This Supercharger station will have 304 total stalls and 16 Semichargers following this expansion
Absolutely INSANE size 🔥
This is located on I-5, so many semis will be traveling along this route https://t.co/hM9hdLcWwg
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The Firebaugh Supercharger is located on I-5, which is a major reason for why Tesla has chosen the location for additional Megacharger plug-ins, as Tesla Semi Program Manager Dan Priestley said on X earlier today.
Lots of trucks to electrify on I-5
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) January 13, 2026
The project was revealed by MarcoRP, a Supercharger tracker.
The expansion is a massive signal for charging demand, especially as Tesla’s Superchargers are opened to numerous automakers and are no longer exclusive to the company’s EVs. Additionally, the installation of Megachargers is a good sign to come for the Tesla Semi program, which aims to truly ramp up this year.
Tesla plans to launch production of the Semi later this year.
It could also mean Tesla is going to expand its footprint of large-scale Supercharger projects in the coming years, which would be a big boost as EV adoption continues to soar in the United States.
Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.
Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.
@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper
The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.
The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.
All Black Headliner
The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.
The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:
Credit: Tesla
Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen
The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.
In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.
Tesla Model Y Seven Seater
Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.
Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.
Credit: Tesla
The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Tesla plans for new 300+ stall Supercharger with a special surprise for Semi
Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles
