Norway: The first country in the world where the number of electric cars exceeds gasoline cars

According to the latest figures from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), electric vehicles have officially dominated the Norwegian car market for the first time. This is the result of strong incentives, large investments in charging infrastructure and growing public awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles. Norway is gradually realizing its goal of becoming the first country in the world to completely eliminate fossil fuel-powered cars.

Accordingly, OFV has officially confirmed that electric vehicles have officially surpassed gasoline vehicles to become the most popular type of personal vehicle in this Nordic country. With 754,303 electric vehicles compared to 753,905 gasoline vehicles out of a total of 2.8 million registered private cars, Norway has set a new historical milestone in the transition to green transportation.

Although still leading in volume, with sales of less than 1 million units, diesel models are facing a significant decline in sales. This trend clearly shows the irreversible decline of diesel engines in the face of the rise of new technologies, especially electric vehicles.

OFV Director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen called it a historic event, a milestone that was hard to imagine 10 years ago. This rapid change shows the power of technology and people's awareness of environmental protection.

With rapid electrification, Norway is on track to become the first country in the world to have a passenger car fleet that is predominantly electric. This change is happening faster than expected, demonstrating Norway's strong commitment to green mobility.

Despite being a major oil and gas producer, Norway has taken a bold vision by aiming for all new cars sold in the country to be zero-emission by 2025. By prioritizing electric vehicles, Norway is 10 years ahead of the European Union (EU), affirming its pioneering position in the green transport revolution.

This past August saw a historic milestone, with fully electric vehicles accounting for 94.3% of new car registrations in Norway. This explosive growth was largely due to the strong appeal of the Tesla Model Y, the best-selling electric vehicle in the market.

To promote the transition to green transport and realize its climate commitments, the Norwegian government has implemented an extremely attractive tax rebate policy for electric vehicles. Thanks to that, the price of electric vehicles becomes significantly more competitive than traditional vehicles such as gasoline, diesel or hybrid cars, encouraging people to choose environmentally friendly vehicles.

While Norway leads the world in the transition to electric vehicles, the rest of Europe will see sales of electric vehicles decline significantly by the end of 2023, accounting for just 12.5% ​​of all new cars. This contrast raises questions about what has contributed to Norway’s success and the challenges other countries face.