In Norway, 89% of new cars sold in 2024 were electric, the Road Traffic Information Council (OFV) announced this Thursday, January 2, moving closer to its goal of being fully electric by 2025.
Of the 128,691 new registrations, 114,400 were electric vehicles, according to the OFV. “Therefore, there is only 10% left to reach the 2025 goal,” he stressed in a statement.
The share of electric cars in total sales increased from 82.4% in 2023 to 88.9% in 2024. Showing off the most ambitious goal in the world, Norway, although it is a large producer of hydrocarbons, does not want to sell only cars new “zero emissions”. from 2025, that is, ten years with the objective of the European Union, of which it is not a part.
“It is essential to maintain the incentives that favor the purchase of electric cars so that the Government and Parliament achieve the objective that they have set themselves,” said Øyvind Solberg Thorsen, director of the OFV, quoted in the press release.
Tax-exempt electric cars
Led in particular by Tesla, fully electric vehicles accounted for 96.4% of new registrations in September in Norway, compared to 17.3% in Europe. The Scandinavian country has come a long way: in 2012, the market share of electric vehicles was only 2.8%. At the beginning of the century, the authorities exempted electric cars from taxes (VAT, registration certificate, weight tax), making the purchase of fully electric cars competitive compared to thermal cars, which are subject to heavy taxes. taxes.
Although reduced, the tax exemptions were maintained and added to other incentives: electric cars have long benefited from privileges such as free urban tolls and free parking in public parking lots. Another emblematic measure, in 2005, the government allowed electric cars to circulate on public transport corridors, thus avoiding traffic jams. These job benefits have been reduced over time, but electric cars have become commonplace.
Automotive heavyweights will dominate sales in 2024: Tesla came in an overwhelming first place with 18.9% market share, followed by Volkswagen, Toyota, Volvo and BMW. “In 2025, it will be interesting to see whether new Chinese brands and models will manage to strengthen their position among buyers,” said Øyvind Solberg Thorsen. “Only Tesla has managed to establish strong market share more quickly than Chinese brands, which together have captured more than 10% of the new car market in 2024.”
Source: BFM TV
