Two Free Tesla Roadsters Waiting on Jessheim After 2017 Referral Surge
Norwegian YouTube personality Bjørn Nyland is waiting to take delivery of two free Tesla Roadsters earned through a viral 2017 referral campaign. While Elbil24 reported that Nyland secured the vehicles by sharing a discount code with his subscribers before Elon Musk closed the scheme in 2019, the newly unveiled rocket-assisted supercar brings production delays.
The Bottom Line
- The Referral Haul: Nyland secured two free Tesla Roadsters by leveraging his YouTube audience during Tesla’s 2017–2019 referral program, joining an elite group of roughly 22 individuals globally with two vehicles pending.
- Production Timeline: Following a dramatic launch event in Waco, Texas, Elon Musk projects production to begin in 2028, nine years past the original 2020 target.
- The Tax Burden: Free vehicle acquisitions in Norway trigger taxation upon delivery.
The Mechanics of the 2017 Referral Campaign
Back in 2017, Tesla launched a global promotional campaign to accelerate customer acquisition. Users who shared a personal referral code received a credit toward vehicle purchases, while the code owner earned a 2 percent discount per successful transaction. Nyland, known as Teslabjørn through his dual-language YouTube channels, recognized the reach of his subscriber base early. As Elbil24 documented, his followers actively utilized the code, accumulating enough referrals to secure the first car with 100% discount and, subsequently, two units of the unreleased Tesla Roadster before Musk terminated the promotion in 2019.
Data gathered by the user group “Tesla Insider” indicates that roughly 80 individuals globally earned enough credits to claim a vehicle entirely through referrals, with at least 22 claimants securing two cars. Based on initial reservation pricing structures, those unbilled units represent an estimated $30 million liability for the automaker. For Nyland, the upcoming Roadsters present a logistical calculation.
Weighing Production Delays Against Realities in Norway
The long-awaited Roadster finally materialized during a demonstration in Waco, Texas, where the vehicle deployed cold-gas thrusters and a SpaceX-derived fan suction system to demonstrate vertical stabilization and extreme acceleration. The flagship configuration targets a top speed of 600 km/h, though safety regulators point out that variants utilizing thrusters may face classification as aircraft rather than automobiles under standard transport legislation.
| Roadster Variant | Estimated Reservation Cost | Key Performance Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Performance (Base) | 550,000 NOK | 0–96 km/h in under 1.6 seconds |
| Thrust | Undisclosed | Cold-gas rear thrusters; 0–96 km/h in under 0.9 seconds |
Nyland operates as a pragmatist regarding the delivery window. He expects to receive the entry-level Roadster Performance variant, given that specific tiers were never designated during the 2017–2019 referral windows.
Corporate Strategy and the Broader Market Context
As E24 reported, financial analysts at Barclays note that broader corporate restructuring could reshape the automaker’s roadmap, with market watchers speculating on potential integration between Tesla and SpaceX to consolidate artificial intelligence and engineering resources. Analysts suggest that such corporate maneuvers could secure Elon Musk greater voting power, estimated at 56 percent in a combined entity.
Despite the technological crossover showcased in Texas—combining aerospace thrusters with automotive chassis dynamics—market skeptics continue to question the underlying valuations. Nordea Investment Director Robert Næss told E24 that he struggles to rationalize the current market capitalization for both entities, calling valuations inflated even as enthusiast-driven milestones like Nyland’s pending deliveries move closer to execution.
