Gasoline-powered vehicles are becoming obsolete... 97 percent of new cars sold in the country are fully electric...

While many countries in Europe are trying to keep pace with the electric car revolution, Norway is about to take the race to the finish line.

According to August data released by the Hungarian website e-cars.hu, 97 percent of new cars sold in the country were fully electric models. This historic record brings Norway one step closer to its goal of becoming the first country in the world to effectively end sales of internal combustion engine vehicles.

13,482 electric vs. 500 petrol/diesel

While 13,482 new electric vehicles were registered in Norway in August, combined sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles totaled only around 500. This rate is a striking example of Norway's lag when compared to other European countries like France, where around 15% of new vehicles are electric.

This August record is actually the culmination of a consistent trend that has been ongoing for years. While approximately 80% of new vehicles were electric in 2022, this figure surpassed 90% last year. In the first eight months of 2025, 94.5% of the market was electric.

Moreover, Norway has passed the historic threshold where the number of fully electric vehicles on its roads now surpasses the number of hybrid, gasoline and diesel vehicles combined.

Norway's success stems from years of resolute government policies. The government has offered generous incentives for electric vehicles, such as reduced VAT, free highway tolls, and bus lane access, while simultaneously imposing heavy taxes on internal combustion engine vehicles, making them unattractive.

In addition to these policies, the establishment of a high-performance charging network that extends to even the most remote corners of the country has facilitated the transition for drivers to electric vehicles. With these steps, Norway is firmly on track to become the first country to completely phase out internal combustion engine vehicles in the near future.