Norway’s EV market keeps charging ahead
Norway’s stunning roads are increasingly quiet, as EVs dominate new car sales
In August, electric vehicles accounted for a genuinely staggering 94.3% share of new car sales in Norway, as the nation’s road users continue to accelerate ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to EV adoption.
There were almost 10,500 electric vehicle sales in the Scandi nation last month, compared to just 634 non-EV sales (including petrol, diesel, and hybrid models), according to the OFV, Norway’s national Road Federation. While electric vehicles have made up the majority of new car sales each year since 2020, the 94% monthly figure marks a new high even by their standards, with the Norwegian government aiming to reach a point in 2025 when every new car sold is electric or hydrogen.
Gas out
The adoption has been a long time in the making — since the 1990s, successive governments have introduced a range of policy measures and incentives to get Norwegian nationals onboard with the EV surge. For example, Norway’s electric vehicle drivers have benefitted from perks like free parking, various tax exemptions, cheaper toll fees, the use of bus lanes, and much more besides over the years. It helps that the country is one of the wealthiest on Earth, in part — somewhat ironically — thanks to its huge oil reserves, which have given it a gargantuan wealth fund.
While many of the benefits have been gradually repealed as adoption increased more recently, the figures suggest that Norway could be well on the way to reaching 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by next year, a full decade ahead of the EU goal.
