Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumIn Norway, one in three new cars is electric. In the US, it’s one in 100
In the first three months of this year, Norwegians registered 8,112 plug-in electric vehicles, up 40% from the 5,775 registered in the same period last year.
Thats far fewer than Americas nearly 15,000. But it represents the highest proportion of electric car registrations in the worldby a long margin. According to IHS Automotive, a research firm, 33.1% of all car registrations in the first quarter were of plug-in electric vehicles (distinct from pure hybrids that cannot be plugged in). In the US, the corresponding figure stands at 0.8%. (Indeed, the number of electric vehicles registered in the US rose by precisely 33 over the same quarter last year.)
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The comparison is somewhat unfairNorway is an exception, far ahead even of its European peers. Second on the list is the Netherlands but even there electric cars make up only 5.7% of total vehicle registration. And the US does better than France or Germany, with 0.6% and much better than China, where plug-in electric vehicles make up a puddling 0.3% of total registrations.
So what does Norway have that other advanced nations dont? In a word: incentives. Norwegians pay some of the worlds highest taxes, but they also receive tremendous benefits for buying electric cars. Electric cars are exempt from value added tax (VAT) and purchase tax, which on average in Norway add 50% to the cost of a vehicle. In addition, they are exempt from road tolls, tunnel-use charges, and ferry charges. Moreover, they get free parking, free charging, and the freedom to use bus lanes.
Indeed, Norways electric car incentives have been so successful that some of them had to be curtailed
http://qz.com/447971/in-norway-one-in-three-new-cars-is-electric-in-the-us-its-one-in-100/
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)rawtribe
(1,493 posts)It's fun to watch his Norwegian travels in his Tesla Model S.
https://www.youtube.com/user/bjornnyland
haikugal
(6,476 posts)Unfortunately we don't have the money for one...but good job Norway...maybe we could get some incentives like they have? Yeah, right.....
MADem
(135,425 posts)It's a pricey place to live. Plus, the national dynamic makes an electric vehicle a worthwhile option.
Their nation is much smaller than ours, for starters--I'm betting that even when going on a local holiday (as opposed to normal commuting) they aren't going to exceed the range of the car in most instances:
Read more: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/Norway.html#ixzz3fSjjiRYr
They pay well more than twice what we do for gasoline:
http://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Norway/gasoline_prices/
Europe has a decent train system, too, so it's easier to travel long distances by rail. I use my gasoline car rarely, but I do take the occasional long distance trip--and I don't think I'd get to where I need to go on one charge of an electrical vehicle.
The cost of living is much higher in Norway. Anywhere one can economize is worth while.
http://inspiringtravellers.com/moving-to-norway-know-30-things
http://www.meganstarr.com/2013/03/30-things-you-should-know-before-moving-to-norway.html
From exchanging your licence to the price of a car, to the taxes and fuel costs, driving is expensive in Norway. You have the annual motor vehicle tax, periodic road-worthiness tests, different tyres for different seasons and large fines for speeding. ...
I can see why they'd jump to buy an electric car--with those incentives it does look like an opportunity to save some serious money AND time (the bus lane!).
Interesting article!! I wonder if the gains will be maintained if the incentives are withdrawn, though...?
udbcrzy2
(891 posts)http://qz.com/119662/why-tesla-is-focused-on-oil-rich-norway-as-it-expands-beyond-the-us/
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Climate deniers aren't on every TV channel like in the USA.
We could end the CO2 problem very quickly if corporate influence was reined in.