Norway marks milestone with more electric than gasoline cars

Norway has reached the predicted watershed moment, with more electric cars than gasoline vehicles being driven daily. The breakthrough came earlier than expected but follows a month of a record market share of EV registrations. However, diesel vehicles still account for the largest share at approximately 35%.

The tip-over was around the corner, as we reported in April, but it was not expected before the end of the year. Driven by a market share of nearly 95% in new vehicle sales, the e-car fleet has surpassed the number of gasoline-only vehicles on Norwegian roads as of this week.

A significant hallmark as the gap between the majority in sales and daily usage is projected to span decades. Norway reached it in a single decade, a rapid shift in absolute numbers. “This is historic. A milestone that few people expected ten years ago,” said Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council (Opplysningsrådet for Veitrafikken, OFV) Director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen.

Phasing out one million gasoline cars

According to OFV data, as of mid-September, Norway’s EV fleet surpassed the number of gasoline-powered cars, with 754,303 electric units compared to 753,905 gasoline-only vehicles.

Over the past 20 years, more than one million gasoline cars have been phased out of Norway’s car fleet, replaced mainly by zero-emission models. As a global leader and exemplar in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, other nations meticulously track this mobility progress.

However, the turning point is but a first, as the complete dominance over ICE technology has yet to establish itself. Diesel vehicles still hold the largest share of Norway’s car fleet. With nearly one million diesel cars registered, they currently account for approximately 35% of Norwegian road vehicles (999,715 units).

Diesel’s popularity peaked in 2017, and its numbers have been slowly declining since. It is expected to take two more years before electric cars overtake diesel vehicles in total numbers and become the prevailing driveline.

As gasoline-only cars are now being overtaken on the roads, Norway’s push to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales by 2025 appears to be well on track. However, while focusing primarily on pure EVs and ICE vehicles, hybrids continue to play a role in Norway’s automotive landscape.

About 208,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and 156,000 regular hybrids are on the road. These vehicles make up a smaller portion of the market than fully electric cars.

Lower incomes depend on used cars

While Norway’s progress is impressive, challenges remain. One of the biggest hurdles is the lack of affordable electric vehicles for low-income households. Many Norwegian families rely on used cars, and although the secondhand EV market is growing, supply is still limited. To fully embrace EVs, policymakers must address this disparity and ensure that all Norwegians, regardless of income, can participate in the electric transition.

However, politicians are in between places, as the government doesn’t favor electric cars competing too strongly with public transport, which has not yet fully recovered from pandemic levels.

However, a decisive wave of affordable yet practical models, like the Renault R5 E-Tech, Hyundai Inster, and Citroën ë-C3, arriving in 2025, is expected to boost adoption for lower-income households in Norway.