What “Tesla Shame?” Sweden car giant reports increasing sales despite controversy

Tesla may attract a lot of hate and controversy today due to Elon Musk’s political behavior, but in Sweden, the electric car maker’s vehicles seem to be doing fine.

This is, at least, as per comments from Swedish used car titan Riddermark Bil.

Tesla’s resilience

Jonas Björkman, head of business development at Riddermark Bil, shared in an interview with CarUp that Tesla’s “sales have increased.”
The company, which raked in SEK 9.6 billion last year, is among the largest in Sweden’s used car market.
“Tesla is the electric car brand we have sold the most units of, and sales continue at a high rate. Among the models, we see the greatest demand for Model 3 and Model Y, while older versions of Model S and Model X have a slightly lower popularity,” Björkman said.
Tesla’s performance in Sweden has been quite impressive, as the company’s vehicles have seen strong sales despite union IF Metall’s strike.
As per recent reports, some customers who boycotted Tesla due to IF Metall’s strike have returned to the company.

Emerging trends:

Blocket data has shown that Tesla ad visits dipped from 5.6 million in early 2023 to 4 million in 2024—a 28.6% drop.
January 2025, however, flipped the script, with a 7% traffic bump year-over-year.
Marcin Stepman, an automotive expert at Blocket, noted that customers may be looking to get a good deal on a used Tesla.
“After all the attention surrounding Tesla, it may be that some buyers are taking the opportunity to get a good deal on a used model, hence the increasing traffic,” Stephan noted.

New Model Y:

The release of the new Tesla Model Y is expected to drive more demand for the company’s vehicles.
The Model Y classic has been extremely successful in Sweden, with the vehicle becoming the country’s most popular car in 2023 and 2024.
With its upgrades to its exterior and interior, as well as its refinements, the new Model Y is expected to sell just as well, if not better, than its predecessor.