Green record: In Norway, 80% of new cars will be electric in 2022

Almost four out of five new cars bought in Norway will break a green record in 2022 and account for 80% of sales. In 2021, the Scandinavian country had broken the 64.5 percent mark. That shows data from the Norwegian Road Association (OFV), with the top spot being led by American automaker Tesla, which sold 138,265 electric vehicles last year alone 79.3% of the total.

“Our message to the rest of the world is clear: There is no excuse for unnecessary pollution from internal combustion engines when the climate crisis needs to be addressed with such urgency,” Christina Bu, secretarygeneral of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, told CBS. News.

The month of December beat expectations: electric cars monopolized 82.8% of sales and the reason for the increase is that Norwegians rushed to buy them ahead of a tax change that came into effect in January 2023. Those who secured their trams in 2022 benefited from the tax exemption, along with lower road toll and public parking fees, one of the ways the government is encouraging purchases.

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With the change, effective January 1, the 25% sales tax exemption on purchase only applies to the first NOK 500,000 (approx. $50,500) of the price. According to the authorities, the measure was taken due to the subsequent loss of revenue for the state and the popularization of these cars.

As a major producer of oil and petroleum, Norway has been a pioneer in zeroemission cars, and the goal is to have zero internal combustion engine cars by 2025. Compared to the European Union, electric cars accounted for just 8.6% of new car registrations in the first nine months of 2022.

“Eight out of ten people choosing fully electric vehicles over internal combustion engines is a significant step for Norway to reach its climate target of 100% BEV sales [veículo elétrico a bateria] in 2025,” said Christina Bu.