At the same time, the Swedish-linked car brands Volvo and Polestar are in crisis. Large operating losses and crisis plans are required to find profitability in an increasingly tough market. Volvo Cars fell more than 30% on the stock market when it reported an operating loss of SEK 5.6 billion in the third quarter of 2026. Polestar is also struggling with net debt and large losses.
Meanwhile Tesla registrations rose 248% in October compared with the same month last year, Mobility Sweden said in figures published on Monday. The figures show that battery-electric cars accounted for 51% of new passenger-car registrations, up from 36% a year earlier.
Sweden registered 24,660 new passenger cars in October, just over 2% more than a year earlier, according to Mobility Sweden. New electric-car registrations rose 45%, while plug-in hybrid registrations fell 24% and their share of new passenger cars dropped from 29.5% to nearly 22%.
Companies accounted for six out of ten new passenger cars registered from January through October, and the same share of new electric cars, Mobility Sweden says. Its October figures cover registrations from October 1 to October 30 and count registrations rather than orders or sales, which the organisation says normally happen three to six months earlier.
"The decline in plug-in hybrids in favour of electric cars shows that more businesses and households are ready to drive an electric car. Businesses are driving the electric-car market while private customers are increasingly choosing electric cars, which is a sign of strength. The next step is to make an electric car a possible choice for more households. That requires a broader electric-car incentive and better opportunities to charge where people live, especially in apartment buildings."
Sofia Linder, chief economist at Mobility Sweden, to Mobility Sweden press release via Via TT
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