There Norway reached a historic milestone in September 2024, becoming the first country in the world where the number of electric cars has exceeded that of petrol cars. According to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), of the 2.8 million registered private cars, 754.303 they are fully electric, surpassing the 753,905 petrol-powered ones for the first time.
This achievement represents a significant step forward for Norway on the path to a sustainable, low-carbon future. The Nordic nation, which paradoxically is one of the largest oil and gas producers in the worldhas set the ambitious goal of eliminating sales of new fossil fuel cars by 2025.
This objective has been facilitated by government policies favorable to the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs), such as generous tax incentives which have made electric cars competitive in terms of price compared to those powered by petrol or diesel. The authorities have also encouraged the use of electric cars offering free parking, exemptions from city tolls and a widespread network of charging pointswith over 2,000 in the capital Oslo alone.
Electric vehicles accounted for 94.3% of new car sales
Norway’s success in adopting electric vehicles has been supported by the use of oil revenues to finance these green measures. Thanks to a sovereign fund of over 1.7 trillion dollars, the country has been able to invest in the future of electric cars, making them accessible and affordable for citizens.
Although the number of petrol cars is decreasing, diesel vehicles still remain the most numerouswith just under a million units, but these sales are also rapidly declining. Suffice it to say that in Norway, in August 2024, fully electric vehicles represented an impressive 94.3% of new car salesdriven by the success of models such as the Tesla Model Y.
The European electric car market, meanwhile, is going against the tide and has shown signs of slowing, with EV sales representing only 12.5% of new registrations on the continent. This result underlines the pioneering role of Norway in the global transition towards the electrification of transport and strengthens its position as a world leader in the adoption of green technologies.
