Nissan LEAF second best-selling car in Norway in April
07 May 2013
The Nissan LEAF took the number two spot in the overall car sales chart for Norway in April, outpacing numerous combustion-engined cars. The LEAF posted 455 units, representing a 3.3% share for the month. The Volkswagen Golf was the top seller, with 903 units (6.5%).
The LEAF is running in 5th position overall in sales for 2013 to date in the country, and was number 13 overall in 2012. Since the start of sale 18 months ago more than 4,500 of the 100% electric models have been sold in Norway, making it the best selling car in the Nissan range for that market.
Norway has encouraged the use of electric vehicles for many years with tax and usage benefits. National and local governments in the Nordic nation have reduced VAT to zero, installed electric car only car parks and allowed the use of bus lanes to encourage Norwegians to switch to zero emission cars. To cope with the growth in the uptake of EVs, the council in Oslo recently increased charging point installations from 100 per year to 200 per year for the next four years.
It is clear that Norway leads the world in electric vehicle sales per capita and as a people we are very proud of this. We are clearly demonstrating to other countries in Europe and across the globe that if you build infrastructure and put some smart incentives in place people buy zero emission cars and use them everyday.
We may have big oil reserves, but our government sees encouraging electric vehicles as an investment in reducing pollution, raising air quality and improving public health, I hope other countries will learn from this.
—Snorre Sletvold, President of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association
Are Norwegians (an oil producing and exporting country) smarter than us?
How did Norway managed to establish one of the best national e-vehicle support program without major conflicts with the local oil industry?
Norwegians have decided to use more of their clean Hydro electricity for local vehicles while exporting more of their oil. Their national 'Oil revenue' fund is also one of the largest. That is very smart.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 May 2013 at 07:34 AM
"Are Norwegians (an oil producing and exporting country) smarter than us?"
Is that a trick question? LOL Of course they are. We are willfully ignorant here in America. We wallow in our stupidity.
Posted by: DaveD | 07 May 2013 at 08:19 AM
@Harvey,
They have loads of money and very few people.
Maybe the local oil industry is happy to export, maybe they don't really believe EVs will take off, and just go along with it to avoid looking like luddites.
The other petro countries could learn a lot from this - mainly that oil is valuable (and should be saved for export) and they should't squander it at home so people can drive SUVs when "ordinary" cars would do just as well for 90% of the population.
Posted by: mahonj | 07 May 2013 at 08:54 AM
By Christmas 1973 the OPEC oil embargo defined the future.
Posted by: kelly | 07 May 2013 at 08:59 AM
Oh DaveD you have got to read this;
http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2013/03/12/37-percent-of-people-completely-lost/
and this;
http://www.11points.com/News-Politics/11_Things_Americans_Wrongly_and_Frighteningly_Believe
Posted by: ai_vin | 07 May 2013 at 10:38 AM
If Norwegians don't believe in EVs, why are they buying more (per capita) than any other country?
With all their Oil and NG they could all drive Hummer I or equivalent? Instead of doing that, they drive more efficient, cleaner vehicles and and put loads of Oil & Gas Revenues into a reserve funds for future generations.
That's why they deserve to be called 'smarter than us'.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 May 2013 at 11:33 AM
In Norway subsidies help bring the price of the Nissan Leaf down to $42,500 while penalties bring the little 1.3-litre Volkswagen Golf up to $42,000 (in Britain, the same Golf is $24,600).
Plus $900 to $1,400 in road tolls.
That adds up to $4,000 to $8,200 per car, per year.
Plus free parking.
Plus driving in the bus lane.
And Norwegian Environment Minister Baard Vegar Solhjell drives a 7-seat Ford Galaxy.
The state's largesse is fueled by vast sales revenues from oil and gas.
Drill baby, drill.
The Norwegians ARE clearly smarter than you.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 07 May 2013 at 02:42 PM
Norway has leveled the playing field between ICEVs and BEVs making it easier for their people to buy electrified vehicles. That's being very smart and probably smarter than us, including the previous poster.
First and second generations electrified vehicles and EV batteries need sustained active support, at least until a critical mass production level has been reached and their mass production cost is equal or lower than equivalent ICEVs, .
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 May 2013 at 05:51 PM
ai_vin,
Thanks for the links. All I can say is "WOW". I don't know whether to laugh or cry. We really do wallow in our own filth as it were.
I'm trying to decide which one of those stats is most stunning on its own. I think I'd go with this one because it shows that we're not even smart enough to realize our own prejudices don't equate to facts:
"The "Obama is a Muslim" number has ebbed and flowed over the past five years -- charmingly in line with Obama's popularity."
Really? So if we like him today he's a Christian and if we don't like him today then he's a Muslim? LMAO!!!
Of course, the "do you believe that 7+4 = 10" is another favorite!!!
Posted by: DaveD | 07 May 2013 at 06:44 PM
Well, I'm cheating because people didn't really say 7+4=10...but they said the equivalent a few times LOL
Posted by: DaveD | 07 May 2013 at 06:50 PM
You're welcome DaveD, and I got something else for you;
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#51824772
Posted by: ai_vin | 08 May 2013 at 08:44 PM