Germany leapfrogged Norway as Europe's biggest market for electrified cars, a sign consumers are warming to the technology just as Volkswagen Group and Daimler ready models to take on Tesla. Sales of electrified vehicles surged 70 percent in Germany to 17,574 cars in the first quarter, nudging ahead of Norway for the first time, according to data from European industry association ACEA. The figure includes full-electric cars such as Tesla's Model S, as well as plug-in hybrids such as the BMW 2-series Active Tourer. VW, Daimler and BMW are retooling their assembly lines in response to stricter European regulations on combustion engines and fallout from the 2015 VW emissions-cheating scandal. While consumers have turned away from diesel -- especially in Germany automakers are depending on customers to embrace electrified powertrains if they are to recover the massive investments they are making.