The latest annual "Elbilisten" survey from Norsk elbilforening (Norway's EV Association) finds that 31% of EV owners say they're politically skeptical of Chinese-made EVs, up clearly from 23% the year before. Over the same period, Chinese-owned brands' share of Norway's EV market reached 25% for January–July 2026 — 20,566 units out of 81,041 EVs sold, roughly a quarter of the market. That figure's own methodology counts brands by ownership, not visible identity: it includes BYD, XPeng, NIO and MG alongside Volvo, Polestar, Smart and Lotus, all Chinese-owned but not brands most buyers would call "Chinese cars." The underlying data doesn't break out a narrower figure for just the visibly-Chinese brands. OFV's narrower definition, which excludes Volvo and Smart, puts Chinese brands at 18.2% of new cars for January–September 2026, but the period and the definition both differ, so it can't be compared directly with the 25% — see where Chinese-brand buyers come from. Sentiment and sales are moving in opposite directions regardless.
Skepticism is rising, but it isn't stopping purchases
The same survey found that the share of EV owners avoiding specific brands for political reasons actually fell, from 63% to 53% — political considerations are losing influence over car-buying decisions overall. What stands out is the direction of change: political skepticism toward Tesla specifically dropped sharply, from 43% to 24%, while skepticism toward Chinese brands rose against that trend. Christina Bu, Secretary General of Norsk elbilforening, notes that buyers are weighing price, technology, geopolitics and data security together when they decide.
What this means for Chinese brands
Worth flagging: the skepticism survey almost certainly means "Chinese brand" the way most buyers would, while the 25% sales figure uses the broader ownership-based definition — these aren't quite the same population, which makes the comparison worth reading carefully rather than taking at face value as "skepticism up, sales up regardless." The message here isn't contradictory — it's clear. Product and price still decide most purchases in Norway; political skepticism hasn't yet translated into a real barrier to buying. But a rising share approaching one in three owners shouldn't be ignored either. It's a real, growing segment, and brand image and PR strategy need to address it directly rather than assume it doesn't exist.
The data-security concern that keeps surfacing in the survey deserves particular attention from Chinese brands. Rather than leaning only on value-for-money messaging, being proactive and transparent about how vehicle data is stored and used may be the most direct way to bring skeptical buyers around.
The takeaway
What Norway's market is showing is that skepticism and sales can rise together. For Chinese brands planning to enter, the real work isn't waiting for political sentiment to fade — it's building transparency and trust that hold up to scrutiny, well before that becomes a problem.
Source (Norwegian): Yrkesbil, "Kina-skepsisen øker, mens salget går opp", citing Norsk elbilforening's annual Elbilisten survey (31 March – 3 May 2026, ~15,000 EV owners).