Norway first to reach 50pc electric in new car sales

Oslo-Norway has become the first country in the world where electric cars account for more than half of new registrations, according to figures published Tuesday by an industry group. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic delaying the release of several new models, electric vehicles accounted for 54.3 percent of the new car market last year, up from 42.4 percent a year earlier, according to Opplysningsradet for Veitrafikken (OFV, “Information Council for Road Traffic”). In December, electric car sales set a monthly record in Norway accounting for 66.7 percent of new sales, the numbers boosted by the arrival of new models, OFV said. “This is an extremely positive trend”, Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, said. Bu, who told AFP that Norway was the first country to break the overall 50 percent threshold, added that the country is “almost on track to meet the 2025 targets.”