Tesla’s registrations in Sweden rebounded sharply in September, with the US manufacturer emerging as the top-selling brand after months of steep declines tied to a nearly two-year labor conflict and increased competition.
According to data from EU-EVs, Tesla registered 1,427 vehicles between between September 1 and 27, capturing an 18.4% share of the EV market.
That marks a turnaround when compared to the full month of August, when just 210 Tesla vehicles were registered, accounting for 3% of sales.
However, month to date figures in September still trail far behind last year’s 4,792 units.
The company’s Model Y, which was upgraded earlier this year, has been leading the market in September with 1,135 registrations, followed by the Volvo EX40 and Volkswagen ID.7.
The September surge puts Tesla on track for its strongest quarter in Sweden since late 2024, although year-to-date deliveries remain far below last year’s levels — as pointed out by X user ‘piloly.’
Sweden is one of several European markets — including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark — where Tesla sales have slumped this year.
As of the end of August, only Norway, Spain, Iceland and Lithuania were showing growth compared with 2024.
The slump in Sweden coincides with a protracted labor dispute. October 27 will mark the second anniversary of IF Metall’s strike against Tesla, making it the longest industrial action in modern Swedish history.
The strike, launched in 2023, has been supported by sympathy strikes from other unions and targeted actions such as blocking license plate deliveries.
Negotiations involving IF Metall, Tesla, and Sweden’s National Mediation Office remain deadlocked.
The union says Tesla refuses to consider collective bargaining agreements that would align its Swedish workforce with industry standards on wage increases, working hours, and pensions.
“Other alternative solutions” are now being discussed, IF Metall chair Marie Nilsson said in August, signaling a softening of the union’s stance after more than 600 days of industrial action.
Tesla has relied on workarounds to keep its business running in Sweden, including importing vehicles in bulk via German ferries to bypass restrictions.
Spain is the only country to post Tesla sales growth for three consecutive years, while the UK — Tesla’s largest European market — is close to returning to positive territory.
Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu released earlier this week a new research note saying the firm now expects Tesla to post ‘roughly flat’ Q3 deliveries when compared with a year ago.
Compared with the second quarter of the year, Deutsche Bank estimates them to jump 20% to 461,000 units.