The EV Paradise Levels Up: Norway Now Has More Electric Cars Than Gasoline Cars on Its Roads

Oil is fundamental to Norway’s economy. The country is a European powerhouse in oil and gas, with revenues from these resources flowing into its national pension fund. Even as Russia’s actions strained Europe’s energy supply, Norway’s oil and gas production helped the country set cash records in 2023. Yet, despite its fossil fuel wealth, Norway is Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) leader.

The country now has more EVs on the road than gasoline cars and has no intention of slowing down until its entire fleet is electric.

Electric overtaking. According to the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), of the 2.8 million private cars currently registered in the country, 754,303 are fully electric, while 753,905 are gasoline-powered.

A historic milestone. OFV director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen described the shift as “historic,” adding, “A milestone few saw coming ten years ago. The electrification of the passenger car fleet is progressing quickly, and Norway is on track to become the first country with an electric-dominated fleet,” according to an English translation provided by Google.

Diesel still dominates overall. Despite EVs surpassing gasoline cars, diesel remains the most common power source among Norway’s private vehicles. While EVs dominate new registrations, nearly one million diesel cars are still on the road.

Of Norway’s 2.8 million private vehicles, a significant portion are gasoline hybrids, with little interest in diesel hybrids, LNG, and hydrogen. Thorsen is confident, however, that EVs will overtake diesel by 2026 as diesel registrations continue to decline.

New registrations. Thorsen also anticipates that Norway’s private car fleet will grow from 2.8 million today to around 3.1 million by 2030, with EVs expected to dominate new registrations.

In 2020, 54% of new cars sold in Norway were electric. By 2024, that figure rose to 84%, and by 2025, 100% of new car sales are projected to be electric or hydrogen. In August 2024, 94.3% of new registrations were electric, spurred in part by the popularity of the Tesla Model Y.

The cost of charging. Interestingly, Norway has some of Europe’s highest charging prices. For example, a 25-minute Tesla Model 3 charge costs around €18.9 ($19.89) in Norway, compared to €2.9 ($3.05) in Iceland and €3.2 ($3.37) in Portugal. Yet, these costs don’t appear to be deterring Norway’s five million residents from choosing EVs.

With the next milestone—the overtaking of diesel—looming, all eyes are on Norway. If Thorsen’s prediction holds true, 2026 could be a defining year as Norway’s electric revolution continues to unfold.

Image | Kindel Media

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