It seems as though Norway as cracked the secret to encouraging high electric car sales, and that secret is to tax the hell out of anything powered by fossil fuels. While the Tesla Model S topped Norway’s sales charts in September, the Nissan leaf came back strong as the best-selling car in the Scandinavian country.
For 2013, the Nissan Leaf is Norway’s fourth best-selling vehicle, with an overall market share of 3.2% behind cars like regular chart toppers like the Toyota Auris Volkswagen Golf. It’s also the second month in a row that an electric car has been a best-seller in Norway, and the first time the Nissan Leaf has been the nation’s best-selling car since it first went on sale in 2011.
As for the Tesla Model S, sales tapered off drastically to just 98 in October, following an initial delivery of over 600 cars during the first month of sales. The Nissan Leaf sold 716 units in October, which on a per-capita basis is pretty huge. For native Norwegians though, it all comes down to dollars and sense.
Electric cars get huge tax breaks from the government, as well as free parking, free ferries, and access to bus lanes. Though these tax breaks aren’t likely to last forever, some studies estimate that the savings amount to more than $8,000 per year. It looks like Norway has electric cars figured out. Who’s next?
Source: Reuters
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