Why are there so many electric cars in Norway?
Taxes, incentives, charging and the latest figures for new cars and the fleet.
Short answer
Norway has so many electric cars because petrol and diesel cars are taxed heavily while electric cars get cheaper tolls, parking and ferry tickets. From January to September 2026, 97.9% of new passenger cars registered were electric, and at the end of 2025 there were 945,182 electric cars, about a third of all passenger cars.
Why
- Visit Norway says the strongest incentive may be the heavy tax on buying polluting petrol and diesel cars, alongside subsidies and cheaper parking, tolls and ferry tickets.
- OFV figures show 112,825 electric cars among 115,196 new passenger cars registered from January to September 2026.
- Statistics Norway counted 945,182 electric passenger cars in 2025, up 19.8% on the year before, and it was the first year with more electric cars than petrol cars and diesel cars.
Details
AutoPASS says toll projects can give zero-emission vehicles with an agreement a discount of 30–100%. Visit Norway counts more than 9,478 fast chargers across the country. There were 2,944,403 passenger cars in Norway at the end of 2025, so electric cars made up about 32% of the fleet.
Tip
If you rent an electric car, check the charging options on your route before long remote stretches and mountain passes.
What may differ
The tax advantage is shrinking: the government's budget proposal for 2027 would cut the VAT-free amount on electric cars from NOK 300,000 to NOK 150,000, and the government wants to end the exemption from 2028.
People also ask
- What percentage of cars in Norway are electric?
- Why do so many people in Norway drive electric cars?
- How many electric cars are there in Norway?
Sources
- Norwegian Road Federation (OFV): New car statisticsChecked at:
- Statistics Norway (SSB): The car fleetChecked at:
- Visit Norway: Electric cars in NorwayChecked at:
- AutoPASS: Rates and discountsChecked at:
- Norwegian Institute of Public Accountants: Tax changes in the 2027 budgetChecked at:
Information checked on 15 October 2026.
Related questions
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Are Norway's mountain roads open in May, or is it too early for a road trip?
Some seasonal mountain roads in Norway are open by May, but others, such as Trollstigen and Gamle Strynefjellsvegen, have opened as late as June in previous years.
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Has Norway banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars?
No, Norway has not banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but it has a political goal that all new passenger cars should be zero-emission by 2025.
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Can other electric cars use Tesla Superchargers in Norway?
Yes, most Tesla Supercharger stations in Norway are now open to other electric cars with a CCS charging port, and you start and pay for charging in the Tesla app.
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Can I get E5 or 98 octane petrol in Norway?
Yes, you can still buy 98 octane petrol labelled 98 E5 in several places in Norway, but every pump marked 95 now sells E10 with up to 10 percent ethanol.