Category: Automobile / Transport
If you find yourself driving through the rugged and spectacular scenery of western Norway, you’ll be mesmerized by snow-capped mountains, cascading waterfalls and deep blue fjords. You’ll probably also be surprised by the sheer number of Teslas and other electric vehicles on the country’s winding roads.
In 2015, 4,000 Teslas were sold in Norway, making it the company’s second largest market worldwide. Over a third of all new cars sold there now are either fully electric or plug-in hybrid, more than 10 times the proportion of the United States. The government is even suggesting that by 2025, gasoline or diesel-powered cars will no longer be sold in the country.
The transition to electric vehicles is moving at a lighting pace in Norway, driven by generous government incentives. They are exempt from car-purchase tax and the 25 percent sales tax on nearly all goods sold in the country. Municipal power points are free, as are car ferries across all of those fjords. Electric vehicle drivers can also enjoy the use of bus lanes to escape traffic jams and most tolls. Unsurprisingly, all of this has fed into Tesla’s hands.
The following infographic shows how Norway is leading Tesla’s charge. Even though the U.S. has the most Tesla superchargers worldwide at 380, according to website supercharge.info, the story is different when it comes to charging points per inhabitant. In this case, the United States has 1.2 for every million people. Denmark is another Scandinavian nation experiencing strong Tesla sales and it boasts 1.7 per million inhabitants. Norway is way in front of the pack, however, with an impressive 6.3 operational Tesla superchargers for every million people.
Source: Forbes