Norway sets electric car record as battery autos least dented by Covid-19 crisis

(Climate Home News, 2 Jul 2020) Electric car sales worldwide are suffering less from the Covid-19 crisis than petrol and diesel rivals, in sign of hope for a shift to cleaner transport

Pure electric cars made up almost half of car sales in Norway in the first half of 2020, in a world record as battery-powered vehicles suffer less than fossil-fueled rivals in the economic downturn caused by Covid-19.

Worldwide, car sales have plunged in 2020 but government measures to promote a greening of the auto industry in nations from China to France have made electric cars a relative bright spot in the market.

Shares in US electric car marker Tesla shares hit a record high on Wednesday at $1,333 and it overtook Toyota as the world’s most valuable carmaker.

In Norway, the global electric car leader thanks to huge tax breaks, low road tolls and free parking, sales of battery electric cars edged up to 48% of all new car registrations from January to the end of June, from 45% in the same period of 2019 and 42% in all of 2019.

Data from the independent Norwegian Road Federation showed it was the best percentage share for battery electric vehicles in a half-year even though total sales were hit by lockdowns to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Overall car sales in Norway crashed 24.3% compared to the same period of 2019 to 59,224, while sales of electric battery electric cars fell by a less steep 19%. The electric Audi e-tron was the most sold car.

Norway is by far the world’s biggest market by percentage for electric car sales, ahead of Iceland and the Netherlands and Sweden...

External link

Climate Home News, 2 Jul 2020: Norway sets electric car record as battery autos least dented by Covid-19 crisis