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Norway leads the world in electric car adoption, with electric vehicles (EVs) accounting for nine out of ten new vehicles sold in the country last year. The Nordic nation of 5.5 million people has embraced EVs faster than any other country and is poised to become the first to end the sale of new fossil fuel cars.
Last year, the number of electric cars on Norway's roads outnumbered those powered by petrol for the first time. When diesel vehicles are included, electric cars account for almost a third of all on Norwegian roads. And 88.9% of new cars sold in the country last year were EVs, up from 82.4% in 2023, data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) showed. In some months sales of fully electric cars were as high as 98%, as new petrol or diesel car purchases almost fizzled out.
By contrast, in the UK electric cars made up only 20% of new car registrations in 2024. Although this was a record high, and up from 16.5% in 2023.
In the US, the figure was just 8% last year, up from 7.6%.
Norway is undoubtedly an EV pioneer, but this electric revolution has been three decades in the making.
The support for electric vehicles was first introduced to help two Norwegian manufacturers of early EVs, the Buddy (previously Kewet) and TH!NK City. While they went out of business, the incentives for greener vehicles remained.
"It's our goal to see that it's always a good and viable choice, to choose zero emission," says Norway's Deputy Transport Minister, Cecilie Knibe Kroglund.
Even though it's a major oil and gas producer, Norway aims for all new cars sold to be "zero emission", starting at some point in 2025. A non-binding goal was set back in 2017, and that milestone now lies within reach.
Rather than banning combustion engine vehicles, the government has steered consumer choices. In addition to penalising fossil fuel vehicles with higher taxes and registration fees, VAT and import duties were scrapped for low-emission cars.
A string of perks, like free parking, discounted road tolls and access to bus lanes, then followed.
Petrol and diesel car sales are still permitted in Norway. But few are choosing to buy them.
