Offering an incredible speed of 125 miles per hour, Tesla Motor Inc.’s all-electric Model S has emerged as the most sought-after car in Norway, pushing the highly popular Volkswagen Golf to the runner-up spot in sales. Selling a total of 616 cars during the month of September, Tesla enjoys a market share of 5.1 percent for the month compared to a mere 4.6 percent enjoyed by the gas-run Volkswagen Golf that registered a sale of 561 units.

The Model S

The Model S sedan from Tesla has all of a sudden become the number one choice for Norwegians, who are not bothered about paying more even to own a second-hand car. While in the U.S. the vehicle can be owned for $60,000 to $70,000, in Norway it’s charged anywhere in the range of $110,000 to $117,000. What’s quite surprising is the fact that a majority of the five million people of this car-crazy nation are even prepared to pay $20,000 more to take ownership of the car from current owners. “You get great value for your money with the Model S in Norway’, says Joar Tenfjord, head of Tesla’s dealership in Bergen, second largest city in Norway. Describing Model S as a spacious car, Tenfjord also rates it as highly “environmentally friendly.”

When the first Tesla Model S hit the roads in Norway on August 7 many eyebrows were raised seeing the amazing speed possessed by the electric car that also enjoyed an acceleration of 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds. Electric cars are the first option for Norwegians because these cars are eligible for several subsidies, free parking, free charging at stations, right to utilize express lanes on highways and toll exemption. Unsurprisingly, the high-performing Tesla’s Model S has come to capture the auto market in a big way, offering all that a genuine car lover in Norway can look for.

Enormous Demand

The growing demand for Tesla Model S across Norway has made it the best-selling car not only among electric cars, but also among conventional vehicles. “there has been an enormous demand for this car, and it doesn’t seem to stop. We have a lot of customers on the waiting list right now, Tenfjord said, adding there are existing owners who take advantage of the situation to make a very good margin of profit. As of now, only 12 new Tesla cars are available for sale on finn.no, the leading classified online source in Norway, with a sale price quoted up to $130,000.

Following Tesla’s Model S, the BMW Series 5 costs somewhere in the range of $110,000 to $115,000 in the country, although the latter’s internal combustion engine is comparatively less powerful. Since taxes are levied in Norway based on the size of engine, cars with conventional engines of more or less same power are sold for about $200,000. Interestingly, even the video showing of a Model S catching fire in an accident near Seattle has not affected its sales among Norwegians, who seem to have taken the incident lightly.