Norway, one of the world's top oil exporters, now has more electric cars than petrol-powered ones on its roads. Out of 2.8 million private cars in the country, 754,303 are fully electric, compared to 753,905 running on petrol, according to recent data from the Norwegian Road Federation.
With a population of 5.5 million, Norway is aiming to be the first country to stop selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2025.
EV sales have taken off thanks to tax breaks and other perks, largely funded by Norway’s oil and gas profits. The country has a massive sovereign wealth fund worth over $1.7 trillion, built from its oil revenue, which serves as a "pension fund" for the future. This financial cushion allows the government to offer incentives like waiving sales tax for EV buyers.
In the early days of the EV movement, environmental activists even got Norway’s biggest pop group, A-ha, to help promote electric vehicles.
Despite this progress, there’s still room for improvement. Diesel cars are still the most common, with nearly a million on the roads, but their sales are dropping fast.
Right now, about nine out of 10 new cars sold in Norway are electric, and it’s easy to see why. EV drivers get tons of perks, like free parking and exemption from city tolls. Plus, Norway has plenty of charging stations, with 2,000 in Oslo alone, making it a breeze for electric car owners to keep their vehicles charged.
