Norway’s electric vehicle sales hit 95.9% of new registrations in 2025, nearing its ambitious 100% zero-emission target ahead of EU nations.
OSLO: Norway has come close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025. Electric vehicles accounted for 95.9% of all new car registrations last year.
The country is western Europe’s largest exporter of petroleum products but has led the shift to electric vehicles. It set a non-binding target of selling only zero-emission vehicles in 2025, years ahead of the neighbouring European Union.
A record 179,549 personal vehicles were registered in 2025, beating the previous high set in 2021. Electric vehicles accounted for 97.6% of sales in December alone.
“While car sales are traditionally strong at the end of the year, there is no doubt the VAT tax change on January 1, 2026 spurred many people to buy a new electric vehicle before the end of the year,” said Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) director Geir Inge Stokke.
The Norwegian government decided to lower the VAT tax exemption threshold from 500,000 kroner to 300,000 kroner from the start of 2026. The planned full elimination of the exemption, initially set for 2027, is now expected to be pushed back to 2028.
Tesla consolidated its leading position in the Norwegian market, accounting for 19.1% of total registrations. A record 34,285 new Teslas were registered in Norway last year.
The brand escaped the sales drop seen elsewhere in Europe, despite controversies surrounding its founder Elon Musk. Chinese carmakers also boosted their market share, climbing from 10.4% in 2024 to 13.7% in 2025.
