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Leading the charge toward a cleaner future, Norway hit a new record in 2022, as nearly four of every five cars sold were electric. According to the latest registration date, Norway is well on its way to becoming the first nation to end gas-powered car sales by 2025.
Norway hits record 80% EV sales share in 2022
In 2016, Norway committed to having all new cars sold by 2025 to be zero emission (fully electric or hydrogen-powered), establishing itself as a global leader in the new electric vehicle era.
EV sales share rose from just 2.9% a decade ago to 65% in 2021. In 2022, Norway took another massive leap, achieving 79.3% as the nation demonstrates the drastic changes happening in the auto market.
Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association, explains the progress the country is making toward achieving its sustainability goals:
Eight out of ten people choosing fully electric instead of combustion engines is a considerable step towards Norway reaching its climate goal of 100 percent BEV sales in 2025. This proves beyond doubt that affordable BEVs are the number one choice for new car owners.
With the rapid progress achieved over the past several years, Norway is confident it will hit 100% EV sales share by 2025. Bu says electric vehicles are not only the most popular choice in urban areas, but also rural, adding:
Our message to the rest of the world is crystal clear: Now there is no excuse for the internal combustion engines’ (ICE) unnecessary pollution when the climate crisis is so urgent to solve.
The Tesla Model Y was the most popular electric vehicle sold in 2022, followed by the Volkswagen ID.4, according to the Norwegian Road Federation. Here’s a list of the top ten EVs sold in Norway over the past year:
- Tesla Model Y: 17,356
- Volkswagen ID.4: 11,561
- Skoda Enyaq: 7,133
- BMW iX: 6,127
- Volvo XC40: 5,279
- Hyundai IONI 5: 5,044
- Audi Q4 e-tron: 4,928
- Audi e-tron: 4,740
- Polestar 2: 4,692
- Ford Mustang Mach-E: 4,226
City Dwellers’s Take
Norway has been breaking electric vehicle sales goals for over a decade, so how did it get there? For one thing, the government introduced significant incentives to go electric.
Norway gave incentives such as free tolls, parking, and tax exemptions to promote zero-emission sales. On top of this, the country rolled out an extensive charging network, with over 5,600 fast chargers stretching 1,700 kilometers from the north of the arctic circle to the southern tip of Norway.
Hyundai just announced the end of gas-powered car sales in the nation, following Volkswagen’s lead earlier this year.
Although these automakers are taking the initiative upon themselves, it’s the buyers driving the change. People prefer electric vehicles, and when they become more accessible, Norway has shown the EV sales share rises rapidly.
The EV market in Norway is foreshadowing the future of the auto industry. With new incentives and a nationwide sharing network plan in place, the US and other nations around the world look to follow suit.
Learn more about how Norway is crushing its sustainability goals in City Dwellers does Norway.
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