OSLO — The sale of electrical automobiles in Norway overtook these powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines final 12 months, with German auto-maker Volkswagen changing Tesla as the highest battery-vehicle producer, new knowledge confirmed on Tuesday.
So-called battery electrical autos (BEV) made up 54.3% of all new automobiles offered within the Nordic nation in 2020, a worldwide document, up from 42.4% in 2019 and from a mere 1% of the general market a decade in the past, the Norwegian Street Federation (OFV) stated.
In search of to develop into the primary nation to finish the sale of petrol and diesel automobiles by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts absolutely electrical autos from taxes imposed on these counting on fossil fuels.
The coverage has turned the nation’s automobile market right into a laboratory for automakers searching for a path to a future with out inner combustion engines, vaulting new manufacturers and fashions to the highest of bestseller lists lately.
Whereas the sale of BEVs had damaged the 50%-mark in particular person months, 2020 was the primary time that absolutely electrical automobiles outsold the mixed quantity of fashions containing inner combustion engines for a 12 months as a complete.
“We’re undoubtedly on observe to succeed in the 2025 goal,” OFV Chief Government Oeyvind Thorsen informed a information convention.
BEV gross sales accelerated within the ultimate months of 2020, hitting its highest stage for any single month in December, with a 66.7% share of the automobile market.
Volkswagen’s Audi model topped the 2020 leaderboard with its E-Tron sports activities utility and sportsback autos as essentially the most offered new passenger automobiles in Norway final 12 months, whereas Tesla’s midsized Mannequin 3, the 2019 winner, was relegated to second place.
Electrical car gross sales are set to proceed to soar in 2021, trade analysts and automobile distributors stated, as extra fashions are dropped at the market.
“Our preliminary forecast is for electrical automobiles to surpass 65% of the market in 2021,” stated Christina Bu who heads the Norwegian EV Affiliation, an curiosity group. “If we handle that, the purpose of promoting solely zero-emission automobiles in 2025 might be inside attain.”
Tesla’s mid-sized sports activities utility car, the Mannequin Y, is about to succeed in the Norwegian market this 12 months, as are the primary electrical SUVs from Ford, BMW and Volkswagen.
Against this, automobiles with diesel-only engines have tumbled from a peak of 75.7% of the general Norwegian market in 2011 to simply 8.6% final 12 months.
New automobile gross sales within the nation final 12 months have been 141,412, of which 76,789 have been absolutely electrical.
Whereas the electrical market share will preserve rising, there’s uncertainty round what number of automobiles producers will allocate to Norway as European demand is growing, stated Harald Frigstad, chief government at Norwegian automobile importer Bertel O. Steen.
The vendor of Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz in addition to the Kia, Peugeot, Opel, Citroen, DS and Sensible manufacturers, predicted round 70% of its gross sales can be of absolutely electrical fashions in 2021.
