While the European Union talks about revising the goal of zero emissions in 2035, one country in Europe is set to stop selling petrol and diesel cars. There Norway It has been following a policy of replacing its fleet with fully electric vehicles for years and from January 1, 2025. Registration of polluting vehicles is prohibited. Became the first country in the world to ban internal combustion engines from the market.
Electricity numbers in Norway
The decision is part of the ten-year transport plan 2018-2027 implemented by the Oslo government, which aims to By the end of 2025 Banning any vehicle that is not electric from sale.
A very close target, considering that in September 2024 the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) announced how electric cars Left behind the petrol ones. in circulation on the Scandinavian country’s roads, with hopes of overtaking the share of diesel cars by 2026.
According to body statistics, in Norway last year approx 90% Among the cars sold were electric vehicles, 7 points higher than the 82.4% recorded in 2023: of the 2.8 million private cars registered in the country, 754,303 were fully electric, 753,905 petrol and just under 1 million diesel. were
The percentage per posting is much higher than levels in the rest of Europe, where the average is 13.1%. In the European Union, the countries with the largest share of electric vehicles in the automotive market are Germany and France with 18.1%.Italy is last in the ranking with 4 percent.
The politics of Oslo
The Oslo government’s policy will allow Norway to achieve climate neutrality goals several years ahead of EU member states.
The goal was made possible primarily by continuous appropriations starting in the early 2000s. Tax incentivesSuch as exemptions from VAT and registration tax, which have included other measures such as free parking and reduced rates for tolls and ferries, as well as investment in the development of an extensive charging network.
All interventions were supported thanks to the establishment of Sovereign FundIt is financed with revenues from oil exports, of which the Scandinavian country is the largest European producer with around 2 million barrels per day.
EU bans petrol and diesel cars
Contributions from the fossil fuel industry are one of the key features that allowed the Oslo government to be the first to reach net neutrality goals and that make the Norwegian model difficult to replicate.
The European Green Deal calls for a complete ban on the production of petrol and diesel vehicles for EU countries in 2035. A step-by-step process that provides for average emissions of cars sold from 2026 to below 93.6 g/km and below 154 g/km. For commercial vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.
The regulation aims to reduce emissions by 50% from vans and 55% from cars. By 2030to the end of the internal combustion engine.
The roadmap is bringing the European automotive sector to its knees, bringing some countries along.Next up is Italyasking for an initial review of objectives.
In the final days of 2024 the requests were again rejected by the Commission, through the words of Vice President Roxana Mizzato, who reiterated that the review would only be carried out in that year. 2026As required by law.
