Øyvind Solberg Thorsen from OFV described this shift as historic and unexpected a decade ago. He emphasized that "The electrification of the passenger car fleet is keeping a high pace, and Norway is making rapid strides towards becoming the first country in the world with a passenger car fleet dominated by electric cars."
Electric vehicles leading over petrol ones marks a dramatic turn in consumer preferences and national policy impacts, drawing closer to an era where diesel models might also be overtaken. Despite diesel's current count standing at just under one million, Thorsen highlighted that "we are seeing the replacement of the passenger car fleet now [which] may indicate that in 2026 we will also have more electric cars than diesel cars."
The transformation has been influenced by factors such as changes to car taxes and economical fluctuations which directly affect vehicle sales. Thorsen pointed out, "Tax changes have a big impact on which cars we choose."
The decline in conventional internal combustion engine vehicles began significantly between 2007 and 2017 due largely to favorable tax adjustments for diesel. However, as focus shifts toward sustainability, diesel numbers have dropped drastically since their peak.
Source: OFV
