The Daily Populous Wednesday September 18th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by bbc.com and submitted by tieir2

Norway sees electric cars outnumber petrol models

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have been boosted by tax breaks and other incentives, funded in large part from the money Norway makes out of oil and gas.

The Nordic country of 5.5 million people is aiming to become the first nation to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars - by 2025.

Of the 2.8 million private cars registered there, 754,303 are now all-electric, compared with 753,905 that run on petrol, according to new figures from the Norwegian Road Federation.

Norway, one of the world's largest exporters of oil, now has more electric cars on its roads than petrol-driven vehicles.

The country has a sovereign wealth fund worth more than $1.7 trillion (£1.3tn), built up from the proceeds of its oilfields, to act as a "pension fund" for when it runs out.

This cash cushion has made it possible for the government to offer green incentives to motorists, including exempting electric car buyers from sales tax.

In the early days of the EV revolution, Norway's environmental activists even enlisted the help of the country's biggest pop group, A-ha, to promote the use of the vehicles.

Despite this milestone, there is still work to be done. Diesel models remain most numerous at just under one million, but their sales are falling rapidly, says the Norwegian Road Federation.

At present, nine out of 10 new cars sold in Norway are electric vehicles, industry figures indicate. And it's not hard to see why when you consider how much the authorities do to favour them.

Many places offer free parking for EVs and their drivers do not have to pay city tolls.

And while electric car owners in many countries complain about the lack of charging facilities, there are numerous free chargers in every Norwegian town and city, with 2,000 of them in Oslo alone.

DrAnjaDick on September 17th, 2024 at 12:58 UTC »

I visited Norway last year in August. There were EVs everywhere, charging stations everywhere, even at small remote rest areas and villages, and nearly every car park. Many of the ferries we used to cross the Fjords were electric as well, and charged at each ferry terminal while docked. Their transportation infrastructure, roads, bridges, tunnels, and services are all high quality and very well maintained.

It was great.

arkofjoy on September 17th, 2024 at 12:37 UTC »

Part of that is because they have actively made it cheaper to own an EV with all sorts of tax advantages and benefits like cheaper toll rates and registration.

We should be pushing for the same.

Nerowulf on September 17th, 2024 at 12:31 UTC »

Don't get high on your own product.