Norway is set to become the first country to fully transition to electric vehicles

Norway is set to become the first country in the world to effectively erase gasoline and diesel cars from its new car market, Report informs via CNBC.

Despite its vast oil and gas reserves, the Nordic country has long been recognized as a global leader in sustainable transportation. Its electric vehicle (EV) sales have increased from less than 1% of total auto sales in 2010 to a whopping 88.9% last year — and this trend doesn’t show any sign of slowing.

Data published by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which is responsible for the country’s national road network, found EVs accounted for more than 96% of new cars sold in the first few weeks of this year.

It puts Norway within touching distance of going fully electric — realizing a non-binding goal that was first established by lawmakers back in 2017.

Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association (NEVA), which represents electric car owners in the country, expects Norway to hit this target. In fact, Bu said plans were underway to hold a party to celebrate what she said would be a historic milestone.

“We have already invited a lot of politicians and different stakeholders to a party on the 13th of February because, we don’t know exactly until the year has ended, but everyone says we will end somewhere between 95% and 100% this year,” Bu told CNBC via video call.

“So, in times like this with [President Donald] Trump withdrawing the US from the climate agreement and everything, I think we need to celebrate the achievements that we have managed,” she added.

Alongside a push to withdraw the US from the landmark Paris Agreement, Trump also took aim at several low-carbon technologies last week. This included revoking predecessor Joe Biden’s non-binding executive order which targeted 50% electric vehicle sales by 2030.

Trump’s executive order, which was criticized by EV advocates, was designed to “eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate and promote true consumer choice.”

Norway’s Deputy Transport Minister Cecilie Knibe Kroglund said long-term and consistent policies designed to support the uptake of EVs — rather than imposing measures to ban the use of internal combustion engine vehicles — had been pivotal to the country’s transition.

Comparatively, the European Union adopted legislation to effectively ban sales of new carbon-emitting cars from 2035, while the UK has said it will ban the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines by 2030.

Some of Norway’s EV incentives include a VAT exemption, discounts on road and parking taxes and access to bus lanes. The government has also heavily invested in public charging infrastructure, and many Norwegian households are able to charge their cars at home.

Kroglund described the changes as a “new normal” for the country of 5.5 million. “Transport is a big part of the answer for climate-friendly solutions. So, we need to make sure that some of the success we have had with cars can be used for other areas of the transport sector,” Kroglund told CNBC via video call.

Kroglund said the country planned to fully transition to electric city buses in 2025, while making heavy-duty vehicles 75% renewable by the end of the decade.