OR Norway It will become the first country in the world to virtually eradicate gasoline and diesel cars from its new car market, according to CNBC.

Despite its huge reserves of oil and gas, the Scandinavian country has long been recognized as a world leader in sustainable transport. Sales electric vehicles (EV) They increased by less than 1% of total car sales in 2010 to an imposing 88.9% last year – and this trend shows no sign of deceleration.

The data published by the Norwegian Public Road Administration, which is responsible for the country’s national road network, found that electric vehicles represented more than 96% of new cars sold in the first weeks of this year.

This brings Norway a breath away from full electricity – implementing a non -binding objective for the first time by MPs in 2017.

Christina BU, Secretary General of the Norwegian Union EV (NEVA), who represents electric car owners in the country, expects Norway to achieve this goal. Indeed, BU said plans are underway to organize a party to celebrate what, he said, will be a historic milestone. “In times like the one with President Donald]Trump withdrawing the US from the climate agreement, I think we have to celebrate achievements,” he said, “he said

Along with the US withdrawal from the Paris Landmark Agreement, Trump has targeted various low carbon technologies last week. This included the revocation of the non -binding executive decree of his predecessor Joe Biden, which aimed at 50% of electric vehicles by 2030.

Trump’s executive decree, criticized by supporters of electric vehicles, was designed to “eliminate the electric vehicles order and promote the actual choice of consumers”.

While new cars sales in Norway relate almost 100% of electricity, there are still many vehicles with internal combustion engines. NEVA’s BU said that 28% of cars are fully electric at national level, although this figure is over 40% in the capital Oslo.

Comparison

Unlike Norway’s attempt to become fully electric, electric cars account for 8.1% of total sales in the US in 2024. Cox Automotive market research.

In the United Kingdom, industry figures showed that EVs made up almost 20% of new cars in 2024.

Rico Luman, an economist on transport and logistics at Dutch Bank ING, said Norway’s leadership position at EV shows that other countries are possible to follow.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has unexpectedly withdrew the subsidies for electric cars in late 2023 following an agreement to tackle the fiscal crisis. The country’s coalition government, which collapsed at the end of last year, has since agreed to a proposal to provide certain tax relief for electric cars in the midst of sales.