According to new data on January 5th, the sale of electric cars in Norway overtook those powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines last year. Norway has become the first country in the world in which 50 percent of all new cars it sold are electric. The country aims to hit the 100% mark by 2025.
The Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said electric vehicles accounted for 54.3% of new car sales in 2020, up from 42.4% a year earlier. German auto-maker Volkswagen replaces Tesla as the top battery-vehicle producer.
Norway has set a goal of eliminating the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025. Meanwhile fully electric vehicles are tax-free and receive other government subsidies. Last year, the loss of this tax revenue reached about $2.3 billion.
The Nordic nation gets most of its electric energy from hydroelectric dams, so the shift helps reduce air pollution and climate change.
“We’re definitely on track to reach the 2025 target,” OFV Chief Executive said.