According to an article by Jack Ewing of “The New York Times,” about 80% of the new vehicle bought in Norway last year were electric. In fact, chargers now far out number gas pumps at stations run by the Texas- based chain Circle K in Norway now. Circle K had challenges with regard to charging infrastructure and software. That investment is resulting folks spending more time at Circle K increasing revenue in other areas such as food sales.
Norway actually began promoting electric car sells in 1990. This according to The Times was to support Think- a homegrown EV startup that was owned by Ford Motor for a while. Incredibly, the country will end sells of internal combustion engine cars in 2025- barely 2 years from now. And the country has not experienced the dire consequences many critics had predicted. Norway’s policies put Norway literally decades ahead of the United States. The Biden Administration is aiming for 50% of new vehicle sales being electric by 2030, a milestone Norway reached in 2019.
True it is requiring adjustments and adaptations all around. At times the lines to charge at the Circle K station at Bamble, Norway are backed up all the way down the off ramp. And there have been some hiccups with unreliable chargers. Auto dealers have had to adapt. The best-selling car for 1st quarter 2023 is Tesla’s model Y, followed by the Toyota bZ4x (also electric), according to Focustomove.ocm.
Nine out of ten cars being sold in Norway are electric or hybrid according to NPR. And the country’s own “VisitNorway” website touts it as the “EV capital of the world.” Part of the reason it is streaking ahead of the rest of the world is Norway waives import duties and vehicle registration taxes on electric cars, according to weforum.org (World Economic forum). Because of the country’s wealth, notably from oil reserves, it is subsidizing EV purchases at level other nations are not able to.
The climate and environmental benefits are undeniable. According to “The Times” article the air in Oslo, Norway is measurably cleaner. The city is quieter and Oslo’s greenhouse gases are down 30% since 2009. It should be noted that all of Norway’s electricity comes from hydropower which makes the cars particularly clean running.