Last year 80% cars which have been sold Norway It was electricturning the country into an informal laboratory for electric motors and an observatory of their impact on the environment, workers and everyday life.

The country’s decision to end sales of combustion engine vehicles in 2025 is expected to create queues at charging points. electric vehicles and considerable waiting during periods of high demand. Auto dealers have also been forced to adapt: ​​Tesla has become a top seller, leaving behind iconic brands such as Renault And Fiat.

However, Oslo’s air quality has improved markedly and exhaust emissions have decreased by 30% compared to 2009. Despite warnings from some politicians and business leaders that the fight against climate change will require bloody sacrifices, Norwegians believe that the transition to electric cars does not hurt.

Norway has been offering incentives to buy electric vehicles since the late 1990s to promote the Norwegian electric vehicle manufacturer Think. The purchase of an electric vehicle was exempt from VAT, import duties, road tax and tolls.

The government has also subsidized the construction of fast charging stations, which is essential for a large country of just 5.5 million people. The combination of incentives and an abundance of recharge points “removed all friction factors,” says Jim Rowan, chief executive Volvobased in neighboring Sweden.

Problems

However, experts in Oslo have identified a serious environmental problem with electromobility. The significantly increased weight of electric vehicles, compared to conventional vehicles, means an increase in suspended particles of rubber and asphalt created by the movement of tires on the road.

Another persistent problem is finding a charging station in densely populated areas of the Norwegian capital. Oslo Deputy Mayor Sirin Elvin Stav says the city wants to increase the number of charging points while reducing the number of vehicles on the roads by 30%. “Our goal is to reduce exhaust emissions with electric vehicles and also improve the quality of life,” says the 34-year-old deputy mayor and member of the Greens.

Oslo has set itself the goal of bringing carbon emissions to zero by 2030. By the end of the year, all city buses will be electric, and the municipality is now engaged in construction, a source of 25% of emissions in the region. Contractors applying for government contracts will be more likely to be selected if they use biofuel-powered vehicles.

However, Ms Stav points to the hypocrisy of the Norwegian campaign to limit carbon dioxide emissions in the oil and gas producing country. Norway’s fossil fuel exports brought in $180 billion last year. “We export pollution to the rest of the world,” says Ms Stav. The country can also feed its electricity grid from its many hydroelectric plants.