Electric cars in Norway last year took a record 54.3 percent. market share

Norway has become the first country in the world where electric vehicle (EV) sales surpassed those of petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars last year. German automaker Volkswagen emerged as the leader, pushing U.S.-based EV manufacturer Tesla to second place.

Battery-powered electric vehicles accounted for 54.3% of all new cars sold in Norway in 2020, setting a global record. In 2019, this figure was 42.4%, and a decade ago, it was just 1%, according to the Norwegian Road Federation.

Aiming to become the first country to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, Norway exempts electric vehicles from taxes applied to fossil fuel-powered cars. This strategy has significantly boosted EV adoption.

Norwegian Road Federation data shows that EV sales accelerated in the final months of 2020, reaching a monthly peak of 66.7% of the car market in December.

Last year, the Volkswagen Group brand Audi claimed the top spot for new passenger car sales in Norway, while the Tesla Model 3, which led in 2019, slipped to second place.

Industry analysts and car distributors predict that EV sales will continue to grow rapidly in 2021, as more models enter the market.

“Our preliminary forecast is that in 2021, EVs will exceed 65% of the market,” said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association, in an interview with The Guardian. She added that achieving this would make the 2025 goal of selling only zero-emission new cars feasible.

This year, Norway is expected to welcome the mid-sized Tesla Model Y sports car and the first electric SUVs from Ford, BMW, and Volkswagen.

In contrast, diesel-only car sales in Norway accounted for just 8.6% last year, a sharp decline from their peak market share of 75.7% in 2011.

In total, 141,412 new cars were sold in Norway in 2020, of which 76,789 were fully electric.

Harald Frigstads, head of Norwegian car importer Bertel O Steen, noted that while the EV market share will continue to grow, it remains uncertain how much of the increasing European demand automakers will allocate to Norway.

The importer of brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Peugeot, Opel, Citroën, DS, and Smart predicted that approximately 70% of its sales in 2021 would consist of fully electric vehicle models.

Prepared by www.elv.lt

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