Summary
- Customers who initially boycotted Tesla Sweden due to conflict with IF Metall are returning
- IF Metall initiated a strike against Tesla Sweden for not using a unionized workforce
- Despite the strike, Tesla Model Y became the most popular vehicle in Sweden in 2023 and 2024
- ABB Sweden previously boycotted Tesla Sweden but is now allowing employees to choose Teslas as company cars again
- ABB Sweden found that Tesla’s employment conditions are good enough but is closely monitoring the situation
Article
Tesla Sweden faced a boycott from some customers due to a conflict with IF Metall and its allies, who initiated a strike against the company in October 2023. The strike was a result of Tesla Sweden not using a unionized workforce. The ongoing strike caused challenges for Tesla Sweden, including difficulties in obtaining license plates for its vehicles and shipping cars into the country. Other unions allied with IF Metall also initiated sympathy strikes against Tesla Sweden, affecting the company’s operations, including its Supercharger expansion in the country. Additionally, some companies supporting unions, such as Ericsson, Telia, Skanska, and Kone, announced that they would no longer be using Teslas in their fleet.
Despite the challenges faced by Tesla Sweden, the company’s vehicles continued to sell well in Sweden. In 2024, the Tesla Model Y became the most popular vehicle in the country, following the same achievement in 2023. According to a report from Dagens Arbete (DA), many Swedish companies continued to buy Tesla vehicles despite the strike initiated by IF Metall. Some companies that had previously boycotted Tesla Sweden, such as ABB Sweden, are now returning to using Teslas as company cars. ABB Sweden had initially stopped using Teslas as company cars at the early stages of the conflict with IF Metall but has since allowed employees to choose Teslas once again, citing that Tesla’s employment conditions are good enough.
ABB Sweden’s press manager, Christine Gunnarsson, stated that the company has conducted a thorough investigation and found that Tesla Sweden’s employment conditions are comparable to or better than the relevant collective agreements. While ABB Sweden has concluded that Tesla’s employment conditions are sufficient, Gunnarsson mentioned that they are closely monitoring the situation with Tesla, including the ongoing labor dispute and discussions around collective agreements. The company wants to ensure that Tesla continues to maintain good employment conditions. This cautious approach indicates that ABB Sweden is willing to reconsider its decision if the situation with Tesla changes significantly.
Despite the boycott and strikes against Tesla Sweden, some customers who had initially boycotted the company are now coming back. A report highlights that despite the ongoing strike by IF Metall and its allies, Tesla’s vehicles have remained popular in Sweden. The company’s resilience in the face of the conflict and challenges posed by the strike has impressed some customers who are now willing to resume purchasing Tesla vehicles. The positive sales performance of Tesla’s vehicles in Sweden, including the Tesla Model Y becoming the most popular vehicle in the country, indicates that the company has managed to maintain its market share and customer base despite the boycott and strike. Tesla Sweden’s ability to bounce back from the conflict with IF Metall and win back customers demonstrates the company’s strong position in the Swedish market.
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