In January, nearly 96 percent of newly registered cars in Norway were electric, marking a significant milestone toward the country's goal of selling only zero-emission vehicles.

Data from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (OFV) revealed that fully electric vehicles accounted for 95.8 percent of the month's new car registrations. Including rechargeable hybrids, this share increased to 96.8 percent.

A total of 9,343 new cars were sold in January, with 8,954 being all-electric. OFV Director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen commented, "We've never seen this before... If this trend continues throughout the year, we’ll be very close to the 2025 target."

Thorsen emphasized the importance of maintaining incentives for electric car buyers to achieve full market penetration. "Crossing the finish line with 100 percent electric cars will require continued incentives to make them more profitable than other models," he noted.

Of the 50 best-selling models in January, only two were non-electric, with the highest-ranking one placing 33rd.

Generous tax exemptions have long made electric cars competitive in Norway, where traditional internal combustion vehicles are heavily taxed. Other benefits, such as toll exemptions, free public parking, and access to public transport lanes, have further encouraged the switch.

Although some incentives have been reduced, electric cars remain dominant. Diesel cars made up just 1.5 percent of new registrations, while petrol cars accounted for a mere 0.4 percent.

The Toyota bZ4X emerged as the most popular model, followed by the Volkswagen ID.4 and Nissan Ariya.

In stark contrast, electric cars accounted for just 13.6 percent of the market in Europe for 2024 — the first decline since 2020, according to the carmaking lobby ACEA. The share for December 2024 alone was slightly higher at 15.9 percent.