New electric vehicle milestone in Norway
At the end of February, Norway passed another milestone in its green transition by reaching over 600,000 electric passenger vehicles in the country. The corresponding figure for Sweden is currently around 210,000, meaning a relatively large difference between two countries that otherwise have so much in common.
When it comes to electric cars, Norway has long been a pioneer, leading the ranks in the percentage of electric passenger vehicles. What makes Norway so progressive? And what are the differences between the Swedish and Norwegian approaches to encouraging electrification among consumers?
Norway’s electric vehicle success story is likely due to a number of factors. Generous tax breaks and incentives to buy electric vehicles, broad efforts to expand charging infrastructure, subsidies, and a strong political will to reduce emissions from the automotive sector have made it advantageous for Norwegian car owners to go electric.
In Sweden, efforts to encourage electric vehicle investments haven’t been on the same scale as in Norway, although the Swedish government has implemented some measures to stimulate the demand for electric cars by means of, for example, the Grön Teknik (Green Technology) and Klimatklivet (Climate Leap) tax rebate schemes. However, such incentives haven’t had the same impact as in Norway. The percentage of public charging stations also differs significantly between the two countries.
The importance of expanded charging infrastructure is something that GARO has long discussed and highlighted in various forums together with other stakeholders. In part because this is a prerequisite for speeding the transition to electrified vehicles, and in part because Norway shouldn’t be allowed to hold pole position for too long.
Statistics retrieved from the European Commission and the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.