While Trump is busy trying to revigorate the ailing fossil fuel industry, the rest of the world is preparing for an energy revolution.
The Norway market reported another milestone, as more than 100,000 zero-emission electric cars or hybrids have hit the roads, which is remarkable for a country with only 5,2 million inhabitants. According to a new report, 37% of the country’s new sold cars are electric, which is about 10 times better than what most other developed countries are doing. Over 4,800 plug-in electric vehicles were delivered in the country in January – helped by strong BMW i3 sales (622 units) and some PHEV vehicles like the Volvo XC90 (398 units) and the Volkswagen Passat GTE (411 units). Tesla also contributed, with 129 Model S sedans and 238 Model X SUVs.
Although Norway’s diesel is more expensive than in most other countries, that’s not really the reason why electric cars are doing so well. The population has been extremely quick to adopt EV cars, and the government has also been highly supportive, including a 25 percent VAT cut for new cars. Also, battery prices have been dropping much faster than people were expecting, adding to the rentability of electric vehicles — this has been felt globally.
The entire planet is trying to win the electric car race, and all countries are implementing (or working on implementing) programs to support electric car buyers — all but one, that is. The US seems determined to do a U-turn on fighting climate change and supporting clean energy and transportation, despite global trends and pleas.
As for Norway, it seems realistic to say that by 2025, the vast majority of new cars will be electric — perhaps even 100%. At this point, this is actually limited not by demand, but rather by supply. In other words, people want more and more electric cars, but the 15 different electric models, while more than what you’d find in other countries, are not enough to satisfy the needs of all consumers.