In a first: Electric Cars Outsells Gasoline & Diesel Vehicles in Norway

The latest Norwegian data suggest that six in 10 cars sold in Norway during March were full EVs, and the arrival that same month of the first Tesla Model 3 also triggered this historic record. The Model 3 accounted for a good 29 % of new EV sales in March and was the best selling EV. The Nissan Leaf electric car was Norway’s top-selling car in 2018.

In March, the Model 3 along with the Model S and Model X, combined for sales of 5,822 cars, corresponding to a 31.7 % market share of the Norwegian EV market.

Norway who has been a leader in the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, and has set an ambitious goal to stop selling new gasoline and diesel passenger cars and vans by 2025. In 2018, Norway’s sales of full EVs rose to a record 31.2 %market share from 20.8 % in 2017, far ahead of any other country.

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In March, 18,375 new cars were registered in the country and 10,732 of those were zero-emission vehicles, according to Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council, or OFV. That’s more double the number of zero-emission vehicles sold in March 2018.

There were also 3,469 hybrid passenger cars sold last month — a 10% drop from March 2018. On the other hand the number of gas and diesel vehicle sales dropped. Gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines with no hybrid electric unit had a market share of only 22.7 % in March, the lowest on record.

Norway has implemented several incentives to encourage people to buy electric cars, according to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association. Zero-emission cars don’t pay the 25% Value Added Tax (VAT) and are exempt from Norway’s carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and weight taxes imposed on gas and diesel vehicles. They also get discounts on parking, toll roads and ferries. The Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association projects that electric vehicles will make up about 50% of the country’s car sales in 2019. In Oslo, The government is plannig to make it car-free by 2020 by banning private cars from the city center in favor of public transport options and bikes. The ban will also include electric vehicles because the focus is to free as much public space as possible to pedestrians and cyclists.