Tesla Model Y is the best-selling car in Sweden for March, according to a report from Mobility Sweden, the country’s auto industry organization.
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) accounted for nearly 60 percent of Sweden’s auto market for the month, with Tesla’s Model Y taking over 10.6 percent of all passenger auto sales. Its sales reached 3,202 units in only one month, jumping from its previous position of number four last quarter.
The closest record of any BEV sales to this would be the Volvo XC40 BEV, which took over 7.4 percent of Sweden’s auto market in December last year. It remained a second favorite for the month, with 1,255 cars sold. Volkswagen ID.4 placed in third with 898 units sold.
This year, it might be tough for any new EV to pass Model Y as the BEV leader across almost all European markets. Tesla’s European production is now passing 22,000 units per month, backed by its Shanghai production.
Overall auto sales in Sweden to go down
Electric cars are slowly taking over Sweden’s auto market, with a combined plug-in share of 59.9 percent. Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) alone took 41.6 percent of the market, an increase from 31.8 percent year-on-year, followed by plug-in hybrids (PHEV) with 18.3 percent.
In contrast, sales of gasoline cars decreased by 14 percent and diesel cars by 18 percent. Statistics predicted non-plug-in vehicles would not get near 50 percent share of the country’s market for the remainder of the year.
Mobility Sweden’s CEO Mattias Bergman, however, forecasted that overall auto sales in the country would go down as it is affected by “higher interest rates, inflation and generally increased living costs.”
The inflation rate in Sweden is running at 12 percent and may still be rising. The economy is predicted to recess by 0.6 percent this year as well.
These factors might halt consumer orders for new cars, including BEVs. However, a decrease in sales would not be visible until possibly late Q3, as there is still a large backlog of orders.