Norwegians quietly rebel against Tesla

After a fender-bender with his Tesla Model S last February, Tor Havard Wiig thought he'd be back on the road in a week or two. Five months later, he is still waiting for parts and he is ready to sell the two-year-old car

The delay and limited communication of Tesla Inc. show that there is much to be done, says Wiig, a 43-year-old technology consultant in the Norwegian coastal city of Bergen. "I did not expect it to take so long to repair such minor damage."

While Tesla sales are booming in Norway, customers are complaining about the operation of a network of dealers. Although general manager Elon Musk says that Tesla's production level reaches this summer means that it's finally becoming a real auto company, the Norwegian experience suggests that Tesla's woes do not stop not at the assembly line. Musk has struggled to increase the production of a cheaper sedan, Model 3, and the company reportedly pressed suppliers to return the money paid for the components.

In Norway, where plug-in and electric hybrid vehicles accounted for more than half of new car sales in the United States. Last year, Tesla is the lowest-ranked car manufacturer on the list of service quality brands.

Tesla slipped, sales in Norway for its Model S sedan and its model X SUV having more than doubled last year and soared 70% until June. His repair staff, on the other hand, has only increased by a third, highlighting the potential problems he may face as electric cars become more common.

Jumping the Fjord

Source : OFV Vehicle Statistics

"You could probably call it growing pains," said Christina Bu, general secretary of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, a group that represents car owners. "They are moving fast to a mass market where customers will demand better service.Norway is the first country where this actually happens."

Musk said the Norwegians were angry, but blame the authorities for failing to act quickly enough to put in place a plan to send repair technicians to customers. houses. While some discussions have taken place, Tesla has not filed formal demand for mobile service centers, say Norwegian officials.

Tesla says that he plans to open a new repair shop in Oslo year and that satisfaction with regard his service is up because he has increased his team of technicians by 30%. Finn.no, Norway's leading recruitment site, shows 33 vacancies of Tesla consultants, technicians and mechanics published this month. BMW AG and Volkswagen, with the best-selling e-cars, do not show any.

"They have already hired a lot of people," said Satheesh Varadharajan, head of Tesla Owners Club Norway, which has more than 3,000 members. "It's not like they're still, they're pushing like crazy."

As Tesla stumbles, traditional automakers – with well-established service networks – add models and boost the production. Jaguar is presenting its $ 80,000 I-Pace crossover this year, with a 298-mile driving range, compared to 237 miles for Model X. Next year, Mercedes-Benz will unveil the E-C crossover, and Volkswagen is planning a new electric sedan to cope With the Tesla Model 3

Connected and battery-powered cars already play a major role in the nation's 5.3 million people who derive their power almost exclusively from hydroelectric power plants. But as Norway aims to make all new cars sold in the country starting in 2025, a goal that it will only reach with generous subsidies paid for by oil sales, automakers will have to repair their service problems.

A recent survey of the association of Electric vehicles revealed that a growing number of owners were complaining about the station. A shortage of charging has become the second reason most often cited for not buying an electric car, after concerns about the radius of action.

For now, Tesla can count on the type of goodwill reserved for outsiders. as he grows up and shifts the balance of his production away from luxury vehicles and towards the mass market.

"If it had been another car brand, you might be a little less forgiving," Henrik Eriksen said. his new Tesla S repaired almost immediately after buying it because of a problem with the main fuse. "But it's like a football team, you want to encourage the one you believe in."