Model S - Car Of The Year in Norway

[paracord]

Its just fantastic, i am so proud too be an Tesla owner: Dagbladet.no - Årets bil 2012

 

[Yggdrasill]

Norwegian Car of the Year 2014!

Norwgian Car of the Year 2014 is the Model S. It was the people's favourite, with 24% of the vote (runner up, Subaru Forrester, got 6.6%) and a unanimous decision by the jury. The BMW i3 came second.

I just have to link this article as well, as it must be the most gushing article I've seen: An All Electric Folk Hero.

An all electric folk hero

There could not be another winner. Tesla Model S has taken Norway by storm. The car is a gift to the people - and a pure gift package from Norwegian authorities.

The people have spoken - and the jury has spoken:

Car of the Year 2014 is an electric vehicle . If someone had predicted that just five years ago, the person would have been seen as a weirdo with imagination and totally devoid of any automotive interest. But much has happened since then. The recent development of electric vehicles - helped by major political incentives - has revolutionized the Norwegian fleet, and actually for the last three months an electric vehicle has topped sales statistics.

Car Norway has been turned on it's head. Suddenly it's cool to run silently.

When the first Tesla Model S started became available, I saw something that I hadn't seen for a long time. I don't remember the last time, but I think it must have been when Mercedes launched its A-class for the first time. At that time, a small gem that was achievable for most people.

Now I speak neither of comparable performance, design or success. But rather about the sudden huge interest from the mass majority. Because as the Tesla accelerated in front of me from the car pool lane, other motorists trailed it and pressed their mobile phones against the windscreens to get photos of "the one and only." The car that drives like a rifle bullet, looks like a Jaguar, accomodates a whole family on long trips and that saves the city air from CO2, NOx and dark clouds.

And in the center I saw conditions that were a superstar worthy: When the same brand new Tesla owner stopped in front of me to parallel park - and suddenly realized how big the new car was - people gathered on the sidewalk to witness the event. Not to see if the Tesla-owner was of the reckless kind with bad depth perception. But simply to take a closer look at the exciting car and have a nice chat with the happy owner.

Tesla Model S has flowed over Norway as an epidemic. In no other country in the world, there is greater interest for the american Tesla. This is a car with the performance of a BMW M5 or Mercedes cars that have been tuned at the powerful AMG guys. In Germany - and everywhere else besides little Norway - Tesla costs the same as those supercars from premium manufacturers.

Here at home, however, it costs a third. Then it is no wonder that the Tesla dealer is trampled by excited car buyers who want cool power on the cheap.

Because Tesla is a pure electric vehicle, you can purchase it without paying so much as a dime in taxes. Not even VAT. Which suddenly makes the price the same price as for a well-equipped Passat. There alone it is 1-0.

In addition, the usage benefits are so large that many are enticed to pony up. There are customers who have actually waited eighteen months to get the new car.

Who doesn't want to save a half hour of driving because you have a separate lane past all the congestion or be able to drive onto on a ferry without reaching for the wallet? Who doesn't want free parking, to get away with a few tens of dollars in registration fees or receive a full tank completely free just by plugging in? And there will be more to come now that electric cars will not be subject to VAT on leasing. This means that directors can almost halve the tax, while the company saves money in fuel and toll fees. 2-0.

Tesla (and electric cars in general) is a pure gift package with extraordinary help from the government. That does not only generate broad interest. It creates a tribute. And a sales rush. It's like buying a Weber gas grill for the price of a bag of coal. Subsidised because it is more environmentally friendly. Or dine on chateaubriand at a fancy restaurant for the price of eggs and bacon at a diner. Just because the meat is ecological.

Tesla is definitely not a bread and butter car. It is a tenderloin. A car that makes you yourself tender. A technological masterpiece that has implemented much of what we like to surround ourselves with at home. The giant info screen with all the info and constant internet connection is just one of many "must have" no other car manufacturers can demonstrate.

But as with any new technology, it brings with it a lot of skepticism and ends in one fundamental question: Does it work?

Towards the end of last winter we put the American marvel at trial. Did it tolerate the cold weather? Did everything work as inteded here in the freezing north? Could it manage the distance between Oslo and Geilo in one electric leap?

The answer we got was an unequivocal yes. And now, in addition Tesla has invested in several charging stations that allow you to "fill up" along the way. After a frank and a wipe you can get back in the car, have 80 percent capacity on the batteries and cruise on for another 400 km.

That's enough for most people.
And it is by far enough for victory.

 

[Raffy.Roma]

There is another thread on the same subject:

Norwegian Car of the Year 2014!!

 

[Doug_G]

Merged.

 

[Krugerrand]

Thanks for sharing. Very cool!

 

[brianman]

Is this an accurate translation?

It is a tenderloin. A car that makes you yourself tender.

 

[RobStark]

Norway is full of Tesla AND Weber fans?

 

[Yggdrasill]

Is this an accurate translation?

Actually, yes. It does read a bit like a somewhat confused love letter. (Though some of it is probably lost in the translation.)

 

[Kipernicus]

After a frank and a wipe

wha?

 

[NigelM]

wha?

Colloquialism for "pitstop", aka food and bathroom break.

 

[tslafan123]

Does anyone know what the wait time in Norway currently is? Also, any history of deliveries per month?

I remember seeing something when people were trying to make Q3 delivery estimates..

Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Kipernicus]

Colloquialism for "pitstop", aka food and bathroom break.

That's what I thought... but ewww

 

[brianman]

Actually, yes. It does read a bit like a somewhat confused love letter. (Though some of it is probably lost in the translation.)

It was interesting. Because the translation of "tenderloin" and "tender" works in English as well. It's almost lewd in English. I was curious if it was similar in the original form.

 

[AustinPowers]

Tesla Model S has flowed over Norway as an epidemic. In no other country in the world, there is greater interest for the american Tesla. This is a car with the performance of a BMW M5 or Mercedes cars that have been tuned at the powerful AMG guys. In Germany - and everywhere else besides little Norway - Tesla costs the same as those supercars from premium manufacturers.

Here at home, however, it costs a third. Then it is no wonder that the Tesla dealer is trampled by excited car buyers who want cool power on the cheap.

Because Tesla is a pure electric vehicle, you can purchase it without paying so much as a dime in taxes. Not even VAT. Which suddenly makes the price the same price as for a well-equipped Passat. There alone it is 1-0.

In addition, the usage benefits are so large that many are enticed to pony up. There are customers who have actually waited eighteen months to get the new car.

Who doesn't want to save a half hour of driving because you have a separate lane past all the congestion or be able to drive onto on a ferry without reaching for the wallet? Who doesn't want free parking, to get away with a few tens of dollars in registration fees or receive a full tank completely free just by plugging in? And there will be more to come now that electric cars will not be subject to VAT on leasing. This means that directors can almost halve the tax, while the company saves money in fuel and toll fees. 2-0.

Tesla (and electric cars in general) is a pure gift package with extraordinary help from the government.

Well, the only sad part about it is, that without such extraordinary help from the government, electric vehicles are, as the article admits, just as expensive (or even more so in many cases) as comparable ICE's.

I would actually love the current German governmental negotiations between the Conservatives and the Social democrats to fail, because then the alternative would be the Conservatives and the Green party, which would make EV incentives far more realistic here. As it stands, EVs will have a hard time here - for many years to come. No matter whether they are as great as the Model S or not, the majority of people will see them (as they do now) as expensive bragging toys for the rich. Very sad indeed.

But all the more reason to give Norway two thumbs up for their foresighted polititians (I always thought that was contradiction in terms).

 

[Yggdrasill]

I am quite sure that Norway is now where the rest of the world will be in 5-10 years. As batteries drop in price and the volume of EVs climbs ever higher, the production costs will continue to fall rapidly. Norway has basically artificially lowered the price of the EVs to the price range they will be at in 5-10 years. There comes a point where the rest of the world, much like Norway, realizes that electric cars are cheap, practical, fun, comfortable, safe and green, and at that point, things will start to happen very quickly.

 

[Jaff]

Agree completely...Norway is currently the only country that is "doing it right"...

I am quite sure that Norway is now where the rest of the world will be in 5-10 years. As batteries drop in price and the volume of EVs climbs ever higher, the production costs will continue to fall rapidly. Norway has basically artificially lowered the price of the EVs to the price range they will be at in 5-10 years. There comes a point where the rest of the world, much like Norway, realizes that electric cars are cheap, practical, fun, comfortable, safe and green, and at that point, things will start to happen very quickly.

 

[Mario Kadastik]

Well, the only sad part about it is, that without such extraordinary help from the government, electric vehicles are, as the article admits, just as expensive (or even more so in many cases) as comparable ICE's.

I would actually love the current German governmental negotiations between the Conservatives and the Social democrats to fail, because then the alternative would be the Conservatives and the Green party, which would make EV incentives far more realistic here. As it stands, EVs will have a hard time here - for many years to come. No matter whether they are as great as the Model S or not, the majority of people will see them (as they do now) as expensive bragging toys for the rich. Very sad indeed.

But all the more reason to give Norway two thumbs up for their foresighted polititians (I always thought that was contradiction in terms).

I don't quite agree with your comparison. In Norway the car is cheap because it's equivalent to a Passat. A PASSAT! It's a factor of two or more cheaper than the M5 or similar cars. Therefore Norway has made the car as cheap to buy as ordinary family saloons yet this is a luxury car so it's heavily subsidized. In addition the cost to own will make it even cheaper.

What for example the incentive program in Estonia has done (the 18k subsidy, nothing else) is that it's equivalent in price to mid-class Audis (i.e. A6, S5) and mid-to-high end BMW cars etc. A 90k car will cost the same to own thanks to the subsidy as a 50-60k Audi. Therefore the government has brought the car price to a region where it can effectively compete with its direct competition without needing to worry about a bit higher price from being electric. To get to Norways level the subsidy would have to be 40k and the car to compete with 30k cars or even less.

 

[AustinPowers]

I don't see a disagreement with my comparison in your post.

But anyway, the situation in Norway is a bit different than in many other countries because (especially but not only) powerful ICE's are taxed very heavily, making them far more expensive to buy and own than for example here. In Germany, the VAT is the same for every car, ICE or EV, small microcar or top of the line luxury Rolls. There is no such thing here like extra tax for powerful engines or any other kind of eco tax. That you pay at the pump... So of course, ownership costs for powerful ICE's (as well as insurance and road tax) is higher than for small and economical cars, but surely not as expensive as in Norway I would think.

 

[SnowWhine]

Around 6 months...mine will be here in 14 days :biggrin:

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

…/ In Norway the car is cheap because it's equivalent to a Passat. A PASSAT! It's a factor of two or more cheaper than the M5 or similar cars. Therefore Norway has made the car as cheap to buy as ordinary family saloons yet this is a luxury car so it's heavily subsidized. /…

But is it really a subsidy?

As I understand it (and in addition to what Austin said above), it’s just that in Norway they removed the VAT on the Tesla. And added an extra progressive tax on large, heavy gas-guzzlers. I think removing the VAT for EVs is great. If Sweden also removed the VAT on EVs, I could actually ‘sell’ a Model S to some relatives of mine…