What’s Going On Here?
Europe’s environmental capital continues to lead the way on environmental issues as electric vehicles (EVs) sales in the Norwegian capital between 1-17 March reached 76.6% of total car sales, the highest recorded electric car share to date.
This milestone comes as 750 delegates from across the globe convene in the city for the electric vehicle conference Nordic EV Summit 2019.
(yes we know – private jets…)
Norway leads the way
In 2017, almost 40% of all car sales in country were EV’s. Norway has firmly cemented itself as a global leader in advancing EV uptake and aims to become 100% electric by 2025.
This will largely be achieved due to clever policies that encourage the uptake of EV’s, such as removing road tax, legalising the use of bus lanes for EVs and limiting parking fees to 50% of the full price.
Oslo’s leaders also announced the city will become the first metropolitan area to install wireless charging stations for the city’s taxis, aiming to have an emission-free taxi system by 2023!
What’s so important about EVs?
It’s no secret that the emission of pollutants from vehicle emissions, such as ozone and particulates from exhausts are extremely harmful to human health.
A study conducted by Global Action Plan found that 92% of adults consider improving outdoor air quality to be the single biggest priority for the UK, whilst 83% of adults surveyed believed their health was affected by outdoor air pollution.
The Norwegian success in increasing EV uptake is a lesson to us all and proves that the implementation of the right policies can help to phase out polluting vehicles from our streets.
Be Curious!
Thinking of switching to an EV? Check out the UK low-emission vehicle grant scheme here.
