Norway is a global leader in the adoption of electric cars, with nine out of ten new vehicles sold in the country last year being electric.
This does not mean that the e-mobility market is free of challenges.
To identify the areas that require further efforts, Mobility Portal Europe speaks with the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association (Norsk elbilforening).
Pressure on the Government for Price Information Regulation
Norway needs to improve price transparency for charging to ensure fair competition in the market, allowing users to make informed decisions and choose the most affordable or best option according to their needs.
“The government has expressed its intention to regulate price information so that it is physically visible at charging stations,” the association explains.
However, they clarify: “This regulation has not yet been implemented, and we continue to push for it to be enforced.“
The reality is that not all companies are willing to share this information unless it becomes mandatory.
No Card Payment Solution Required Yet for Older Chargers
According to Norwegian regulations, all new chargers must offer card payment solutions.
“We have seen positive developments, with operators adding these payment options to many chargers installed in recent years,” Norsk elbilforening states.
“Nevertheless, the situation with older chargers remains unresolved,” they add.
This is because the regulation does not apply to existing charging stations.
More Incentives for Vans
As of today, combustion vans remain cheaper than electric ones in the Norwegian market.
For this reason, Norsk elbilforening believes that more incentives are needed to electrify the country’s fleet.
“For example, purchase taxes on combustion vans should be increased,” they acknowledge.
However, other incentives are also necessary: “These electric vehicles should be allowed to use public transport lanes.”
In this regard, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration recently presented a proposal to permit zero-emission vans and heavy vehicles to use these lanes.
“Additionally, they should be exempt from toll payments nationwide until 2030, as heavy vehicles already are,” they add.
It is worth noting that some cities, such as Oslo, offer local exemptions.
The positive: Norway advances in electrifying heavy transport
Although Norway does not have a specific target for the installation of charging points for heavy vehicles, the government has had a “charging plan” since 2023 that addresses this.
This plan specifies that Norway will meet the requirements of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) regarding distances, the number of charging points, and the power of stations along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
But how is the country achieving these goals?
It is important to mention that Enova, a company owned by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, has a four-year management agreement with the state, which ensures that funds from the Climate and Energy Fund are managed in accordance with the objectives and assumptions underlying the creation of the fund.
In this regard, the government, through Enova, provides support for the development of new charging stations via the “Road Charging for Heavy Vehicles” programme.
So far, it has granted subsidies to 48 stations with a total of 276 charging points.
The funding is competitive, and applications are ranked based on profitability according to the evaluation criteria. Additionally, operators can apply for up to 80% of the total cost.
It is worth mentioning that a few days ago, the first charging station for trucks compatible with Enova was inaugurated at Circle K E18 Sekkelsten.
“Heavy transport had fallen behind in electrification, but not anymore. We are showing that the infrastructure is coming, that range anxiety will soon be history, and that we are ready to make a real impact,” stated Joachim Hartmann, Category Manager for Transit Charging at Circle K Norge.
Last year, the Charge Point Operator (CPO) announced that it would receive support from Enova, securing funding for six of the 19 planned stations to build charging points for heavy electric vehicles, making Circle K the main recipient of the support.
On the other hand, it is worth highlighting that 21st March is the new deadline for applications for the support programme “Charging along the route for heavy vehicles.”
In this round, Enova is opening applications across nine selected segments.
In fact, the company, owned by the Ministry of Climate and the Environment, along with the Public Roads Administration and Nye Veier, are considering the possibility of an even closer collaboration to address both charging and daily rest needs.
As for the capital of the country, the municipality of Oslo has granted subsidies for 65 charging points.
“Both programmes remain open for applications in 2025, although the application deadlines have not yet been announced,” explains Norsk elbilforening.
“To date, only a few stations subsidised have been inaugurated, although many more will open in 2025,” they add.
Finally, it is important to note that the company also has a support programme for the purchase of heavy electric vehicles, which allows for a subsidy of up to 60% of the additional cost.
This will remain in effect in 2025, with monthly applications.
As for hydrogen trucks – given that there are only four units registered in the country – Enova has support programmes for their purchase and the construction of refuelling stations.
Did Norway reach its 2025 goal for zero-emission new cars?
Since Norway did not plan to reach its goal through a ban on petrol and diesel cars, people can still buy these types of vehicles.
“Therefore, it was never expected that the figure would be exactly 100%, but it came very close. In practice, the goal has been achieved,” says the association.
So far, the market share of zero-emission vehicles in the new car segment is 96%.
Additionally, taxes on petrol and diesel cars will increase from 1st April, which will likely bring the market share even closer to 100% by the end of the year.
“The important thing is that the Norwegian governments implemented policies that make choosing an electric car economically sensible for buyers,” they explain.
In 2020, the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association proposed a strategy with three main policy recommendations they considered necessary to achieve the goal.
All of them were implemented.
The last legislative change, which removed tax benefits for petrol and diesel cars from leasing companies, came into effect on 1st July 2024.
“Therefore, we are now preparing a celebration of the target year at the Nordic EV Summit in April this year,” the association announces.
Top speakers participate in the “Storage, Renewable and Electric Vehicles Integration Forum”
