Volkswagen is marking a significant milestone on Saturday, October 21, 75 years to the day since the brand established itself in Norway.
This anniversary year is also being commemorated with a complete halt to the sale of fossil fuel cars for the iconic passenger car brand starting from the New Year.
In just a couple of months, the last new non-electric passenger car model from Volkswagen will be sold in Norway.
“It might seem peculiar to celebrate this milestone by removing model icons from our portfolio, but this has been an ambitious and important effort over time. The purpose has been to drive changes we believe are of crucial importance,” says Ulf Tore Hekneby, CEO of Volkswagen importer Harald A. Møller AS.
Having sold over 1 million cars – now electric vehicles take over
Since 1948, Harald A. Møller AS has been importing Volkswagen to Norway, starting with the iconic Beetle.
Over the last 75 years, more than 1,100,000 Volkswagen passenger cars have found their way into Norwegian homes and garages.
In the last decade, Volkswagen has imported more than 102,000 electric vehicles to Norway.
Interestingly, October 21 was also the date of the first registration of a fully electric model from Volkswagen in Norway. It was exactly ten years ago, in 2013, and Volkswagen Norway is thus celebrating two anniversaries on October 21, 2023.
“The development of electric vehicles has been a remarkable success up to now. This is likely due to both Norwegians’ desire for environmentally friendly solutions, a wide selection of electric cars in all segments, and politicians’ willingness to provide strong incentives,” believes Hekneby.
“To continue moving in the right direction, we need to ensure that these incentives are not diluted too quickly,” he adds.
Selling the last Golf in December
Hekneby states that they are uncompromising as they bid farewell to Volkswagen passenger cars running on fossil fuels:
“This marks the end of an era in many ways, but also the beginning of a new and more crucial era where we will play a larger role in being a part of the solution, rather than the problem.”
“We encourage everyone to consider an electric vehicle for their next car purchase. Switching to an electric car is a crucial step in reducing individual carbon footprints and, collectively, a significant contribution to combating climate change,” says Hekneby, highlighting the excellent alternatives available,” adds Hekneby.
