Buying an electric vehicle might seem like a step into the unknown. But in Norway, many people are doing it – with no regrets.

Sakti: “In 2018, EVs accounted for almost one-third of the new cars sold.”

Apurba Sakti of the MIT Energy Initiative says that a combination of policies and incentives has accelerated the transition to EVs in Norway.

For example, new car purchases in Norway are heavily taxed – but for years, EVs have been exempt from these taxes. EV drivers have also been able to skip paying road tolls, and park for free in many cities.

Sakti: “On one hand you have the tax and then you have these subsidies as well and when you stack them together, it tilts the balance in favor of EVs.”

The country is also investing in its charging infrastructure, to reduce people’s concerns about running out of power.

Sakti says that once people do make the switch, they rarely look back. In a 2016 survey …

Sakti: “Only four percent of Norwegians who own an EV said that they would consider going back to internal combustion engines in the future. So that’s almost 96% of the EV owners that are very happy with the EVs and want to stick with it in the future as well.”

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.