Norway Sold Only 12 Petrol Cars in February
Norway sold just 12 petrol cars in February: a green mobility success or fiscal coercion? Discover the data and the debate.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Norway sold only 12 petrol cars in February: green success or fiscal coercion?
In February, Norway registered the sale of only 12 petrol cars. The figure is so extreme it seems like a joke, but it's real. To put it in context: while in Spain combustion vehicles are still the majority, in the Nordic country they have practically disappeared from dealerships. The question is whether this is the result of genuine environmental awareness or a fiscal policy that stifles any alternative.
The fiscal carrot and stick
Norway has not banned petrol cars, but it has made them economically unviable. Enormous taxes on the purchase and use of combustion vehicles make them so expensive that only a handful of nostalgics or wealthy individuals consider buying them. At the same time, electric cars enjoy VAT exemptions, free tolls, access to bus lanes and free parking. It's a lethal combination for the internal combustion engine.
The irony is not lost on anyone: Norway is one of the world's largest exporters of oil and gas. The same country that funds its welfare state with hydrocarbons is the one that most bets on electric cars. For critics, it's pure green posturing: an image-washing operation that cannot be replicated in other countries without their oil revenue.
Cold is no excuse
One of the recurring arguments against electric cars is their poor performance in cold climates. However, Norway, Sweden and Finland have the densest fast-charger network in the world. Nordic drivers use heat pumps and preconditioning to mitigate range loss. A modern car with 500 km WLTP typically travels between 300 and 350 real km in the depths of winter, according to EV advocates. For skeptics, this is still insufficient: 300 real km that in a few years become 200, and that force frequent stops in a long country like Norway.
Most Norwegians use their car for short trips: home, work, supermarket. They live in single-family houses with garages, which makes home charging easy. It's not surprising that electric cars fit that profile. But transferring the model to Spain, where flats without garages and long journeys predominate, is another story.
The future: without subsidies?
From 2027, Norway plans to eliminate all tax advantages for electric cars. The market will then have to demonstrate whether EVs can stand on their own or if sales will plummet. The most critical already predict that, without the economic incentive, the percentage of electric cars will plummet and drivers will return to more practical options. Others trust that infrastructure and technological maturity will make the transition irreversible.
The figure of 12 petrol cars is a milestone that marks how far state intervention in the car market can go. But it also raises an uncomfortable question: how much of that success is real and how much is fictitious? The answer, as almost always, is in the numbers and the fine print of taxes.
Related debates in the forum
In February, Norway registered the sale of only 12 petrol cars. The figure is so extreme it seems like a joke, but it's real. To put it in context: while in Spain combustion vehicles are still the majority, in the Nordic country they have practically disappeared from dealerships. The question is whether this is the result of genuine environmental awareness or a fiscal policy that stifles any alternative.
The fiscal carrot and stick
Norway has not banned petrol cars, but it has made them economically unviable. Enormous taxes on the purchase and use of combustion vehicles make them so expensive that only a handful of nostalgics or wealthy individuals consider buying them. At the same time, electric cars enjoy VAT exemptions, free tolls, access to bus lanes and free parking. It's a lethal combination for the internal combustion engine.
The irony is not lost on anyone: Norway is one of the world's largest exporters of oil and gas. The same country that funds its welfare state with hydrocarbons is the one that most bets on electric cars. For critics, it's pure green posturing: an image-washing operation that cannot be replicated in other countries without their oil revenue.
Cold is no excuse
One of the recurring arguments against electric cars is their poor performance in cold climates. However, Norway, Sweden and Finland have the densest fast-charger network in the world. Nordic drivers use heat pumps and preconditioning to mitigate range loss. A modern car with 500 km WLTP typically travels between 300 and 350 real km in the depths of winter, according to EV advocates. For skeptics, this is still insufficient: 300 real km that in a few years become 200, and that force frequent stops in a long country like Norway.
Most Norwegians use their car for short trips: home, work, supermarket. They live in single-family houses with garages, which makes home charging easy. It's not surprising that electric cars fit that profile. But transferring the model to Spain, where flats without garages and long journeys predominate, is another story.
The future: without subsidies?
From 2027, Norway plans to eliminate all tax advantages for electric cars. The market will then have to demonstrate whether EVs can stand on their own or if sales will plummet. The most critical already predict that, without the economic incentive, the percentage of electric cars will plummet and drivers will return to more practical options. Others trust that infrastructure and technological maturity will make the transition irreversible.
The figure of 12 petrol cars is a milestone that marks how far state intervention in the car market can go. But it also raises an uncomfortable question: how much of that success is real and how much is fictitious? The answer, as almost always, is in the numbers and the fine print of taxes.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (39 replies).
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