Mikkel Christensen
Norway is moving closer to becoming the world’s first country where almost every new car sold is fully electric.
Norway is moving closer to becoming the world’s first country where almost every new car sold is fully electric.
According to Modernet Digital, electric vehicles made up 98.6% of all new car registrations in the country during April.
Historic milestone
Norway reportedly registered 10,952 electric vehicles out of 11,103 total new cars last month.
The figures mark one of the highest EV adoption rates ever recorded globally.
The milestone comes even as the country’s overall car market slightly declined year-on-year.
Despite that slowdown, electric vehicle registrations still continued to rise.
Best-selling EVs
The Volkswagen ID.4 reportedly became Norway’s top-selling vehicle in April.
Toyota’s Urban Cruiser and the Volkswagen ID.3 also ranked among the strongest performers.
Other popular models included the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX3, Skoda Enyaq and Ford Explorer EV.
Tesla’s Model Y continues to lead overall yearly sales across the Norwegian market.
Petrol cars disappear
Combustion-engine vehicles now account for only a tiny share of Norway’s market.
Diesel cars reportedly represented just 0.78% of April registrations.
Petrol-powered vehicles fell even lower at roughly 0.28%.
Plug-in hybrids also represented less than 0.2% of new sales.
Why Norway succeeded
Norway has spent years heavily incentivising electric vehicle adoption through tax exemptions and infrastructure investment.
EV owners also benefit from toll discounts and other financial advantages.
Those policies helped make electric vehicles more attractive and affordable than traditional petrol or diesel models.
The country is now widely seen as Europe’s leading example of large-scale EV adoption.
Europe watches closely
Many European countries are still struggling with charging infrastructure and higher EV costs.
Norway’s rapid transition is increasingly being viewed as proof that near-total EV adoption is achievable.
“With more than 95% of new cars electric in all counties, there is no doubt that most Norwegians bet on an electric vehicle,” OFV director Geir Inge Stokke said.
“It’s excellent news for the climate and road safety,” he added.
Sources: Modernet Digital, OFV
