Norway is undoubtedly a pioneer in electric vehicles, but this electric revolution has been three decades in the making.
“It already started in the early 1990s,” says Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, as she takes me for a drive around Oslo in an electric minivan.
“Little by little, they are taxing cars with petrol and diesel engines more and more, so they have become much more expensive to buy, while electric cars are tax-free.”
Support for electric vehicles was first introduced to help two early Norwegian electric vehicle manufacturers, Buddy (formerly Kewet) and TH!NK City. Although they have been phased out, the incentives for greener vehicles remain.
“Our goal is to see that choosing zero emissions is always a good and sustainable choice,” says Norway’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Cecilie Knibe Kroglund.
Although a major oil and gas producer, Norway aims for all new cars sold to be “zero emission”, starting at some point in 2025. The non-binding target was set back in 2017, and that milestone is now within reach.
“We are approaching the goal and I think we will achieve that goal,” adds Kroglund. “I think we’ve already made the transition for passenger cars.”
