While Norway is one of the largest oil producers in Europe, it also has more electric cars per capita than any other country. State incentives have been the key to success, experts say. Over 4,000 Norwegians have bought an electric car so far this year. So far, nine percent of all new cars sold in Norway in 2013 have been electric.
Electric car drivers enjoy a host of benefits. One of the more popular incentives is being allowed to use the bus lane. Electric cars speed past rush hour queues in and out of Norway's larger cities.
Norway's electric car revolution has happened fast, with most of the growth in sales happening over the past three years. But, this is a result of years of lobbying from electric car owners and their organisations.
The Norwegian Parliament in Oslo has guaranteed generous incentives for electric cars until 2017. If the current growth in sales of these vehicles continues, those incentives will have to be reconsidered.
-tk-