Electric cars: Soon to lead the way on Norway's roads?

Electric cars have sold extremely well in Norway right from the start - and the trend is continuing: In September 2024, a full 96.4 percent of new registrations were electric, a new record. Grid-friendly charging is now also being promoted to meet the rising demand.

2024 was another record year for Norway. Last year, the proportion of newly registered electric cars reached 82 percent - higher than ever before. By the middle of the year, there were around 732,000 electric vehicles on Norwegian roads. Since September, more electric cars than petrol cars have been registered in the Scandinavian country for the first time - a global first. Only the country's diesel fleet, which comprises around one million vehicles, remains out of reach for the time being.

How did this high proportion of electric cars come about?

Incentives to buy and a well-developed infrastructure are aspects that Norway considered early on in order to motivate its citizens to switch to electric cars. On the one hand, there were discounts on the purchase of a new car, and on the other, there were tax breaks. The state also provided benefits such as lower parking fees in public spaces or permission to use bus and cab lanes.

The very well-developed charging network, which is essential to cope with growth, should also be mentioned. In terms of infrastructure, Norway also has ideal conditions, as the infrastructure itself is less complex, which facilitates change. At the end of 2023, Norway had 7,741 fast-charging stations; in June of this year, there were already 8,550. In comparison, Germany had 25,233 fast-charging stations at the beginning of 2024, but the population is also 15 times that of Norway.

The HERE-SBD Automotive EV Index

The positive developments in the e-vehicle sector are also reflected in various rankings. In the HERE-SBD Automotive EV Index, Norway is in second place in 2024. The index takes four criteria into account, which are used to rank 30 participating countries in Europe.

- The number of public charging stations per road kilometer
- The average duration of a charging process
- The proportion of e-vehicles in relation to vehicles with combustion engines
- The ratio of publicly accessible charging stations to registered e-vehicles

Recent developments in particular have enabled the Kingdom of Norway to overtake Germany in the top 3. The leader of the ranking is Denmark, while Germany is in fifth place.

Reward for cooperative charging behavior

When many households produce solar power but all charge their vehicles at similar times, for example at night, this can become a challenge for the local power grid. To counteract this, the Norwegian grid provider Norgesnett, together with the company Volue, is now offering reduced rates for its customers who take part in a smart charging program. This will prevent grid overloads and rising prices in the long term.

Image: YRKA PICTURED on Unsplash

Sources:  electrive.net, 01.10.2024

here.com, 09.09.2024

energiezukunft.eu, hcn, 16.07.2024