Norway could be the first country to go all-electric

YEREVAN, January 29. /ARKA/. Norway may become the first country in the world to completely phase out new gasoline and diesel-powered cars, reports Finmarket.

Despite having significant oil and gas reserves, Norway has long been considered a world leader in the adoption of new energy vehicles (NEVs). The share of electric vehicles in total new car sales in the country has grown from less than 1% in 2010 to 88.9% in 2024, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down, reports CNBC.

According to data published by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, more than 96% of new passenger cars sold in the country in the first few weeks of this year were electric.

These results bring Norway very close to a complete transition to NEVs and the achievement of a goal first set by the country's lawmakers in 2017.

Norway's Deputy Transport Minister Cecilia Knibe Kroglund said that consistent policies supporting the adoption of electric vehicles have played a key role in the transition, while other countries have focused on banning combustion engine vehicles.

In Norway, electric cars are exempt from VAT, receive road and parking tax breaks, and have access to bus lanes. The government has also invested heavily in developing infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.

Kroglund calls these changes "the new normal" for the country of 5.5 million people. "Transport is an important part of finding solutions that have a lower impact on climate change," she told CNBC. She also emphasized the importance of transferring the success achieved in the adoption of NEVs to other segments of transportation.

According to Kroglund, Norway plans to completely replace city buses with electric ones by 2025 and increase the share of heavy-duty NEVs to 75% by the end of the decade.