January 30, 2026
Hydro flex or oil‑fueled flex?
Norway EV Push Nears 100 Percent: What's Next?
Applause or side‑eye: Was Norway’s EV win fueled by oil cash and hydro power
TLDR: Norway hit 97% electric car sales in November and is now trimming EV perks, sparking big applause—and big side‑eye. Commenters argue it’s powered by oil money and massive hydropower, with jokes about data centers and worries that EVs now compete with public transit.
Norway’s almost at the 100% mark for new electric car sales, and the government is pulling back the freebies—think tax breaks, toll exemptions, ferry discounts, bus-lane access, and even free parking—after a decade-long push that built chargers from cities to fjords. Cue the comments section cage match. The loudest cheer: “Congrats, Norway!” The loudest side-eye: “Congrats to your oil fund.” One top take insists the whole thing was “funded by the nation’s oil and gas revenues,” while another points out Norway’s secret sauce: a mountain of hydropower—“130TWh a year!”—meaning cleaner, cheaper juice than most places. Skeptics add that Norway is wildly rich and not a copy-paste model for everyone. A Dutch commenter throws shade that this only works if a country “cares more about becoming electric than tax income,” and the thread lights up. Meanwhile, the jokes fly: Norway as the world’s next server farm paradise (cold air + cheap power = data center heaven), and bus lanes turning into “Tesla lanes.” Even officials admit a twist: so many EVs that they’re competing with buses, and overall driving is climbing. Admiration, envy, and a little Nordic side-eye—this saga has it all, with receipts and EV perks to match, plus mega hydropower.
Key Points
- •Over 97% of new cars registered in Norway in November 2025 were electric, nearing the 100% target.
- •Norway used VAT and registration tax exemptions, plus incentives for charging infrastructure, to accelerate EV adoption.
- •Early technology challenges—especially winter energy use and limited range—were mitigated by incentives and improved infrastructure.
- •The charging infrastructure market is now considered commercially viable; commercial-vehicle adoption lags and policies may be reviewed.
- •Success has created new challenges: EVs compete with public transport and overall car use is rising, prompting local policy adjustments.