Nine out of ten new cars sold in Norway last year used exclusively battery power. This means that this country is close to its goal of having only electric cars on the roads by 2025, writes Reuters.
Fully electric cars accounted for 88,9 percent of new cars sold in 2024, compared to 82,4 percent in 2023, according to data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV).
The best-selling brands were "Tesla", followed by "Volkswagen" and "Toyota". Chinese electric cars now account for nearly 10 percent of new car sales.
"Norway will be the first country in the world to virtually eliminate gasoline and diesel cars from the new car market," said Kristina Bu, president of the Norwegian Electric Car Association.
Fully electric cars surpassed pure petrol cars on Norwegian roads last year and now make up more than 28 percent of all cars driven in the Nordic country.
Oil-producing Norway penalizes petrol and diesel cars with high taxes, while exempting electric cars from import taxes and VAT to make them more attractive, although some levies are reinstated in 2023.
Reuters states that this policy is successful because it has been applied consistently regardless of the political orientation of governments.
"Very often we see in other countries that someone introduces tax incentives or benefits, and then withdraws them," Bu said.
Also, it helps that Norway does not have an automotive industry lobby group.
“We're not a car-making country ... so in the past it was easy to tax cars heavily,” said Ulf Tore Hekneby, director of Norway's largest car importer, Harald A. Meller.
The key was that we had incentives, instead of banning gasoline and diesel vehicles, Bu said. “That would make people angry. People don't like to be told what to do," she added.
The European Union has decided to ban the sale of cars that emit carbon dioxide by 2035, but may allow the sale of those that use fuels made from captured CO2.
Norway's policy means fully electric cars overtook pure petrol cars on Norwegian roads last year and now make up more than 28 percent of all cars driven in the Nordic country, according to figures from the Public Roads Administration in December.
"That's a big lesson: create a broad stimulus package and make it predictable in the long run," said Deputy Transport Minister Cecilia Knibe Kroglund.
Although almost every new car buyer in Norway has switched to electric, some still remain loyal to classic engines.
"The main buyers of internal combustion cars in Norway are rental car companies, as many tourists are not familiar with electric cars," Hekneby said.
However, as Reuters points out, the growing share of electric cars on Norwegian roads means that other sectors must also adapt. At the pumps, more and more gas stations are being replaced by fast chargers for electric cars.
"In the next three years, we will have at least as many filling stations as there are fuel pumps," said Anders Kleve Svela, manager of Circle K, Norway's largest fuel retailer.
"In just a few years, more than 50 percent of all cars in Norway will be electric ... We need to expand the charging network accordingly," he added.
For drivers, switching to electric cars means charging can take a little longer in the winter due to the cold weather.
"Sometimes I miss being able to fill up the tank in five minutes and go straight away," said Dezire Andresen (28) while filling up her car at the Circle K station near Oslo.
"However, I'm more comfortable with an electric car ... It's better for the environment, and diesel cars produce so many bad smells."
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