Nearly 90 percent of all new car sales in Norway involved electic cars last year, and the numbers kept rising after New Year. Electric cars’ market share continues to be way ahead of that in most other countries.

Even though tax- and toll incentives for so-called el-bil purchases have declined in Norway, both private and business customers continue to shun vehicles run on fossil fuels. That’s mostly because taxes and fees on them are higher than ever.

News bureau NTB reported in January that 128,691 vehicles were registered in Norway for the first time in 2024, up 1.4 percent from 2023. Despite all the controversy now swirling around Tesla founder Elon Musk, Tesla sales ranked highest with 19 percent of the market, followed by electric Volkswagens, Toyotas, Volvos and BMWs.

Electric car dominance in Norway remains extraordinary, and compares to “just” 51 percent in nearby Denmark. Danish officials were nonetheless also viewing it as milestone when electric car sales finally accounted for more than half of all car sales in Denmark, which numbered around 173,000 in total.

NewsinEnglish.no staff