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More than 94% of the new cars registered in Norway last month were electric vehicles, an all-time high for the Scandinavian nation quickly adapting to the EV future.
Norway’s Road Information Council said the data puts Norway on track to its goal in 2025 for all new cars sold to be 100% zero-emissions — and places it far ahead of any other nation in the so-called “electric car race.”
Norway has a slew of incentives in place that encourage residents to buy electric vehicles instead of gas cars. Norwegians pay higher taxes on cars they purchase that pollute, and lower ones on low and zero-emission cars. The country also taxes bigger cars more than smaller ones. EV drivers often pay lower parking fees and can use bus lanes, too.
The Road Information Council said that of the 78,832 new passenger cars in Norway this year, 68,435 were electric.
Of the cars registered in August, the most popular was the Tesla Model Y, making up 19% of new car purchases. The second most popular was the Volvo EX30, another EV. And the third most popular was Skoda Enyaq, an EV from the Czech automaker.
Norway has a long way to go for truck electrification: just 7% of the new trucks registered in the country this year were electric, which is a 57% increase from last year.
Still, it’s miles ahead of the U.S. According to Kelley Blue Book, EVs made up just 8% of the total new-vehicle sales in the U.S. in the second quarter.