Rahul Somvanshi
The streets of Norway tell a remarkable story. In early 2025, 96 out of every 100 new cars sold in the country run on electricity rather than gas. It’s a dramatic change from 2010, when electric cars made up less than one in every hundred sales.
With strong government incentives and widespread charging infrastructure, more Norwegian car buyers are switching to electric vehicles. The government’s policies cut taxes and parking fees for electric vehicles, and electric car drivers can also use bus lanes during their commute.
“Our whole society has gone through this mental shift,” explains Christina Bu, who heads the Norwegian EV Association. “It wasn’t because Norwegians are greener than others. The policies made it practical, and people quickly changed their thinking.”
The numbers show how quickly this change happened. In Norway’s capital Oslo, four out of every ten cars on the road are now electric. Across the country, it’s nearly three in ten. The transition continues as more drivers switch from gas to electric vehicles.
The switch brings clear benefits that drivers notice. “The advantages of an electric car versus a noisy diesel car are so many,” says Harald Nils Røstvik, who studies transportation at Norway’s University of Stavanger. “It’s quiet, it’s more economical, and it’s clean.”
Similar Posts
Norway’s government made this change possible by thinking long-term. Instead of banning gas cars, they created consistent policies supporting electric vehicles. “Transport is a big part of climate-friendly solutions,” says Cecilie Knibe Kroglund, Norway’s Deputy Transport Minister. Her team now plans to do the same with city buses this year and larger trucks by 2030.
The country’s success stands out globally. In the United States, only eight out of every hundred new cars sold are electric. Even in Europe, no other country comes close to Norway’s numbers.
Rico Luman, who analyzes transportation trends at ING bank, points out that Norway’s success comes partly from its strong economy and cheap electricity. But the main lesson, he says, is that clear government policies can transform how people think about their cars.
Challenges still exist. Most cars on Norwegian roads still run on gas, showing that changing an entire country’s cars takes time. But the increasing sales figures show that electric vehicles are becoming the preferred choice for new car buyers in Norway.
Norway’s electric car success shows what happens when practical policies meet everyday needs. As Christina Bu and her team prepare to celebrate this milestone in February, their experience offers lessons for other countries considering similar changes.
