Norway
boasts
the
highest
electric
vehicle
adoption
rate
in
the
world.
Some
82%
of
new
car
sales
were
EVs
in
Norway
in
2023,
according
to
the
Norwegian
Road
Federation
(OFV).
In
comparison,
7.6%
of
new
car
sales
were
electric
in
the
U.S.
last
year,
according
to
Kelley
Blue
Book
estimates.
In
the
world’s
largest
auto
market,
China,
24%
of
new
car
sales
were
EVs
in
2023,
according
to
the
China
Passenger
Car
Association.
“Our
goal
is
that
all
new
cars
by
2025
will
be
zero-emission
vehicles,”
said
Ragnhild
Syrstad,
the
state
secretary
of
the
Norwegian
Ministry
of
Climate
and
Environment,
“We
think
we’re
going
to
reach
that
goal.”
The
Norwegian
government
started
incentivizing
the
purchase
of
EVs
back
in
the
1990s
with
free
parking,
the
use
of
bus
lanes,
no
tolls
and
most
importantly,
no
taxes
on
zero-emission
vehicles.
But
it
wasn’t
until
Tesla
and
other
EV
models
became
available
about
10
years
ago
that
sales
started
to
take
off,
Syrstad
said.
Norway’s
capital,
Oslo,
is
also
electrifying
its
ferries,
buses,
semi
trucks
and
even
construction
equipment.
Gas
pumps
and
parking
meters
are
being
replaced
by
chargers.
It’s
an
electric
utopia
of
the
future.
Norway’s
grid
has
been
able
to
handle
the
influx
of
EVs
so
far
because
of
its
abundance
of
hydropower.
“Electric
cars
are
maybe
a
third
of
the
price
of
gasoline
because
we
have
close
to
100%
hydropower.
It’s
cheap.
It’s
available
and
renewable.
So
that’s
a
big
advantage,”
said
Petter
Haugneland,
the
assistant
secretary
general
of
the
Norwegian
EV
Association.
CNBC
flew
across
the
globe
to
meet
with
experts,
government
officials
and
locals
to
find
out
how
the
Scandinavian
country
pulled
off
such
a
high
EV
adoption
rate.
Watch
the
documentary
for
the
full
story.
