Tesla News: New Vehicle Registrations Fall In Two Vital European Countries

Registrations of Tesla vehicles fell in two of the company’s most important European markets last month: Norway and the Netherlands.

In Norway, there were only 83 new registrations in February, compared with 1,016 vehicles in the same month last year. The Netherlands saw only 155 vehicles registered last month, a drop of 68% compared to February 2019.

The Tesla Model 3 was the top-selling vehicle in both countries in 2019. In the Netherlands, the Model 3 sold more than twice as many cars as the second most popular automobile in the country, the Volkswagen Polo. In Norway, 15,683 Model 3 cars were sold over the year, compared to the second place Volkswagen Golf at 10,025.

Europe has become more friendly towards electric cars in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Norway was previously the largest market for electric vehicles on the continent but has been overtaken by Germany. The German government unveiled new tax rebates last year in order to encourage electric vehicle adoption in the country. Tesla is also working on the construction of a manufacturing plant near Berlin.

Tesla has been relying on its European markets for strong sales, as the ongoing coronavirus oubreak has weighed on its business operations in China. The company was forced to temporarily shut down its Shanghai Gigafactory, while the virus has negatively impacted Chinese demand for Tesla vehicles.