EVs made up 65 percent of car sales in Norway last year

Electric vehicles accounted for nearly two-thirds of all new car sales in Norway this past year, according to newly published data from the countrys Road Federation. In 2021, Norwegian dealerships sold 176,276 cars, 65 percent of which were EVs. Thats an 11 percentage point increase from the year prior when they accounted for 54 percent of all new car sales.

The Tesla Model 3 was the most popular choice among new buyers followed by Toyotas hybrid RAV4, the only car with an internal combustion engine to make the countrys top-ten best-selling list. Other notable cars to make the list include the Volkswagen ID.4 in third place and the Polestar 2 in the number 10 spot.

The Norwegian EV Association told Reuters electric vehicle sales could make up as much as 80 percent of the countrys total car market by 2022 as long as chip shortages dont cause further shipping delays. As in 2020, much of whats driving EV adoption in Norway is the countrys generous subsidies. Car buyers dont have to pay taxes imposed on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles when they buy an EV. In 2021, the countrys federal government missed out on approximately $3.41 billion in tax revenue to push forward on its plan to end all gasoline-powered car sales by 2025.