Norway is poised to achieve a historic milestone as the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on its roads is projected to surpass petrol cars by the end of this year or early 2025, marking a significant first for any country, according to calculations by Reuters and analysts.
This remarkable shift has been propelled by generous incentives, a testament to Norway’s commitment to reducing emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, facilitated in part by the nation’s substantial oil and gas wealth. With ambitions to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2025, Norway has emerged as a global leader in the transition to electric mobility, Reuters news report said.
As of March 15, BEVs accounted for 24.3 percent of Norway’s 2.9 million cars, while petrol vehicles stood at 26.9 percent, signaling a narrow lead for petrol cars. However, given the robust sales of BEVs, which surpassed 104,590 units last year, analysts anticipate BEVs to surpass petrol cars within the next 12 months.
Robbie Andrew, a senior researcher at climate change think tank CICERO, remarked, “If that trend is continued for the next 12 months… this time next year there will be more BEVs on the road than pure-petrol cars, and probably before the end of this year.”
Despite the optimistic outlook, it is projected to take another three to four years for BEVs to overtake diesel vehicles, with nearly 370,000 more diesel cars currently on Norway’s roads than BEVs.
Ingvild Kilen Roerholt, head of transport research at Oslo-based think tank Zero, remains optimistic about the accelerating adoption of BEVs in Norway, despite a recent slowdown in sales. Although sales dipped by about a quarter last year due to factors like rising interest rates and reduced tax incentives, BEVs accounted for a record 92.1 percent of total new car sales in January.
Government policies have played a crucial role in incentivizing BEV adoption, although recent changes, such as the removal of certain tax exemptions on high-priced BEVs, have impacted sales. Nonetheless, Norway remains committed to its emissions reduction goals, with Roerholt predicting that new BEV sales will surpass 76,000 units this year.
The surge in BEV popularity has corresponded with a decline in demand for petrol and diesel fuels, with sales dropping by around 8 percent at Norwegian gas stations since 2021. However, hybrid cars, which combine battery technology with internal combustion engines, have retained a presence on Norwegian roads, accounting for 12 percent of the total fleet.
Despite challenges, including the withdrawal of incentives for hybrid vehicles, the Norwegian EV Association anticipates BEVs to represent 95 percent of all new car sales this year, underscoring the accelerating momentum toward electric mobility in Norway.
GreentechLead.com News Desk