September 20, 2024 – Despite being rich in oil resources, Norway has now emerged as a global leader in vehicle electrification. According to the latest vehicle registration data released by the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), the country has surpassed a significant milestone with the number of electric cars exceeding that of gasoline-powered vehicles, making it the first nation in the world to achieve this feat.
The statistics reveal that Norway currently has 2.8 million registered passenger cars, among which 754,303 are electric vehicles, slightly more than the 753,905 gasoline cars. Diesel cars account for close to 1 million. Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, the head of OFV, expressed, “This is historic. Few could have envisioned this milestone a decade ago. The electrification of passenger cars is progressing rapidly, and Norway is swiftly becoming the world’s first country where electric cars dominate the passenger vehicle fleet.”
Interestingly, even though Norway is a prominent producer of oil and gas, it has set an ambitious target to sell only zero-emission cars by 2025, a goal that precedes the European Union’s timeline by a decade. Fueled by government incentives and tax reliefs, the sale of electric vehicles in Norway has continued to grow steadily. Recent data indicates that electric car sales in Norway accounted for a remarkable 94% market share in August, setting a new global record.
Unlike many other countries where electric vehicle owners often lament the inadequate charging facilities, Norway boasts a plethora of free charging stations in every town. The capital city of Oslo, for instance, has 2,000 such stations. Additionally, measures like allowing private electric cars to use bus lanes and parking subsidies have further propelled the surge in electric vehicle sales.
From a global perspective, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that 14 million new electric cars were registered worldwide in 2023. Last year, electric vehicles accounted for approximately 18% of all cars, up from 14% in 2022, and just 2% in 2018. Norway’s progress in this domain serves as a beacon for other nations striving to achieve similar milestones in their journey towards a more sustainable future.
