Tesla Motor’s all-electric Model S became the top-selling car in Norway last month, with drivers also paying a premium to buy the sports car second-hand to avoid having to wait five months for a new one, dealers said. The high performance Tesla S had a market share of 5.1 percent in Norway last month, accounting for 616 of the 12,168 new cars sold and pushing the conventionally-powered Volkswagen Golf into second place with a 4.6 percent share.
Electric cars have been especially popular in Norway because of generous subsidies, free parking, government-provided re-charging stations, the right to use express lanes on highways and exemptions from tolls. The Tesla S went on sale in Europe in August. The model has a top speed of 200km/h and acceleration of 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds. Its 483km range outstrips other all-electric cars. Tesla has already sold 14,300 units of the Model S in the United States so far this year.
