How Norway became an electric vehicle pioneer

Norway has cemented its reign as a leader in electric vehicle purchases with nine out of 10 new cars sold in Norway last year being powered by electricity.

The Scandinavian nation is "leagues ahead" in the “electric car race", said Quartz, and has "become the poster child" for the transition to EVs, said DW.

Green and robust

As far back as the 1990s, Norway set out to manufacture EVs and, although "early attempts" had "limited commercial success", they "fostered public awareness and acceptance of electromobility", said the outlet.

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Norway's "remarkable commitment" to fighting climate change has been "driven by strong government policies, robust infrastructure, and a supportive public". Its "wealth and size" played a part in its "EV success" – it has a population of 5.5 million and is one of the world's richest nations, thanks to substantial oil and gas reserves, ironically.

Norway "penalises" petrol and diesel cars with "high taxes", said Reuters, and exempts EVs from import and value-added taxes to "make them more attractive", although "some levies" were reintroduced in 2023. EVs have been exempt from road tolls and parking fees and were allowed to use bus lanes in and around the capital, Oslo.

The approach has worked because it has been "consistent over time" and maintained by governments of "various political persuasion", said the outlet, in contrast to other countries where "someone puts tax incentives or exemptions and then they pull back again," said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV association.

Offering incentives, rather than banning petrol and diesel cars, has also helped, said the outlet, and another advantage is that Norway "does not have an automaker lobby". Norway's power grid is "one of the greenest and most robust in the world", said DW, and usually produces a "surplus of energy", which helped ease the home charging of EVs.

Ambitious goal

Norway has set a target for all cars sold to be zero-emission vehicles by the end of 2025, a milestone that would put it a decade ahead of the European Union, of which it is not a member.

But "reaching that ambitious goal" will "likely be a difficult task", said Quartz. Øyvind Solberg Thorsen, from the Norwegian Road Federation, said that "the figures and the increase in share show that the last few percentages" to meet the 2025 target may be "difficult to achieve".

While nearly all new buyers of cars in Norway have gone electric, "some hold-outs remain", noted Reuters, particularly among rental companies, which prefer to use cars that are familiar for tourists.