Despite having one of its hands tied behind its back due to ongoing protests and strikes from trade union IF Metall and its allies, Tesla Sweden performed admirably in 2023. So notable was Tesla’s performance in the Swedish auto market that the Model Y crossover actually became the country’s best-selling car over the year.
As per data from Sweden-based automotive statistics firm Car.info Sweden, Tesla saw a 120% increase in its sales and market share in 2023. This was particularly impressive since the general auto segment in Sweden experienced a very tough year in 2023. The country saw sales of about 280,000 cars over the year, which was below 2022’s figures.
As noted in a report from CarUp, Tesla’s market share in Sweden more than doubled in 2023. This suggested that the electric vehicle maker took about 11,000 vehicle sales from other brands over the year. Interestingly enough, Kia and Volvo together saw a decrease of about 11,000 new vehicle registrations.
IF Metall has initiated a series of strikes against Tesla Sweden, and the union’s allies have implemented sympathy strikes targeting the electric car maker. Tesla’s cars are unable to enter Sweden from the sea due to a blockade in the country’s ports, and the company is not able to get registration plates via Postnord. Tesla Sweden has responded to these challenges by adopting novel strategies to get around the union’s protests.
Yay🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪 !!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 29, 2023
Thanks to the excellent Tesla team in Sweden!
These strategies appear to have paid off. As per Car.info data, the Tesla Model Y actually became Sweden’s best-selling car in 2023, with 16,416 units sold over the year. The Model Y was able to beat popular vehicles such as the Volvo XC40 and XC60, which saw 13,661 and 11,669 vehicle registrations in 2023, respectively.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for his part, was very supportive of Tesla Sweden’s 2023 results. In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the CEO thanked Tesla’s team in the country, which he dubbed as “excellent.” “Yay Sweden! Thanks to the excellent Tesla team in Sweden!” Musk wrote.
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